IN McKeesport Area Summer 2020 | Page 22

Living the Message Honoring those who show Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love Respect Dignity cKeesport CITY OF MCKEESPORT NEWS Riley Sheposh is one of many students across the Commonwealth who didn’t expect to spend the last quarter of the 2019-20 school year at home. While she kept busy with take-home packets and online schoolwork to complete seventh grade at Founders Hall Middle School, she wanted to fill her downtime with something more. She set out to learn a new skill and make reusable facemasks. “I started by making them for my own family, and people wanted to know where we got them,” Riley said. “A lot of people didn’t have masks, and they didn’t have anybody to make them one. I’ve made 500, and I’m still going.” With the help of her younger sister Reagan, Riley applied the knowledge she learned at a Joann Fabric and Craft Stores sewing class a few years back. She spent full days behind her sewing machine and developed an assembly line method to complete her task. She blocked time to cut fabric, sew hems and borders, and attach elastic. In a short time, she perfected her skill and added a pocket for replaceable filters. “At first, I had to get the techniques down,” Riley said with a laugh. “I would start when I woke up, and I wouldn’t stop until I went to bed. Now, at two hours a day, I’m able to get a lot done by working in batches.” Riley received donations to cover some of her materials, and in addition to individual requests for paid masks, she was able to make bulk donations to service groups within the McKeesport Area. She made masks for senior citizens, Meals on Wheels volunteers, her neighborhood mail carrier, and more. She’s currently making masks for area police and firefighters. Riley said making masks for volunteers and public servants is a way for her to show respect for these individuals and all they do for the McKeesport Area on a daily basis. “It’s good to help the community,” Riley said. “I never expected this to be a service project, but helping others makes everyone happy. And that makes the world a better place.” In addition to her interest in sewing, Riley stays busy with dance at Ken & Jean Dance Studio. She also plays piano and violin. Living the Message The McKeesport Message Committee, a subgroup of McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko’s Select Committee on Crime and Violence, invites the public to nominate community members who exemplify the words, “Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love.” 20 MCKEESPORT AREA The shelter-in-place orders that came with COVID-19 left many workers without a steady income as they waited for unemployment compensation and/or permission to return to work. While folks were struggling to make ends meet, Sable Kennel’s dog law officers Dawn Weichler and Jill Erny, along with their dedicated network of volunteers, started a pet food bank to get area residents through the uncertainty of the pandemic. “If somebody loses their job, they’re worried about paying their mortgage, their utilities, their car payments,” Dawn said. “We are stepping up to feed their animals.” “When all of this started, people were scared they were going to have to surrender their animals,” Jill added. “We would be in a world of trouble if everyone who couldn’t feed their dog had to give up their during this crisis.” Through donations, Jules’ Pet Food Pantry, named after a pit bull mix who’s still looking for a forever home through Sable’s networks, has been able to feed dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, and turtles – even horses and pigs – in the McKeesport Area. In addition to community contributions, Sable has received largescale donations from the Mercer County Humane Society, White Oak Animal Safe Haven, Pet Supplies Plus in White Oak, and Animal Lifeline in Homestead. Sometimes when helping a family with a pet food need, volunteers would learn more details of a family’s circumstances, and that inspired them to make donations of groceries or gift cards for take-out food service. “Many of these scenarios are just heartbreaking,” Dawn said. “We are still meeting people whose unemployment hasn’t gone through. We are getting calls from people who are truly in need. In times like these, we know we are doing the right thing for the right reason.” As coronavirus-related restrictions continue to be eased and many people are headed back to work, Sable will continue to accept donations from time to time to help those in need. If Sable is unable to meet callers’ needs through Jules’ Pet Food Pantry, Weichler and Erny will link them with another agency. To donate or to report a need, call 412-660-2350. Messages will be returned by a volunteer call Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. McKeesporters of all ages – from youth volunteers to senior citizens – display characteristics of Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love on a daily basis in our community. Whether through organizing community activities or offering a helping hand to those in need, everyday people are doing their part to make our city a better place. If we look within our schools, our neighborhoods, our churches and our service