Living the Message Honoring those who show Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love
Respect cKeesport CITY OF MCKEESPORT NEWS
Through Project HEART, the Human Services Center Corp. is reaching out to youth across the Mon Valley to teach lessons of health and wellness as they relate to self-care and self-respect, as well as health of the community as a whole. With a strong focus on promoting HIV-awareness and breaking down the stigma that often creates barriers around HIV education, students engaged in lessons that encourage healthy choices and open discussions in personal relationships.
This summer, Human Services Center intern Rachael
Richter met weekly with students, primarily from the McKeesport Area School District, to review an interactive curriculum that encouraged students to share their own perspectives on teenage life choices. Throughout the course, students learned the value of respectful language in interpersonal communication – not only in romantic relationships, but also in platonic friendships and in professional settings such as school or the workplace.
“ It is essential for teens to be able to talk to each other about sexual health and relationship health, not only because they can then advocate for their own health and well-being, but because they can be resources for others who may not feel comfortable talking to adults about these topics in the same detail,” Richter said.
As a teen, Richter participated in a youth peer sex education group through Planned Parenthood while attending Lehman Alternative Community School in Ithaca, NY. The experience inspired her career path; and today, she is a joint Master in Social Work and Master in Public Health student at the University of Pittsburgh. She is an Evans Fellow, which places her in a fellowship for training leaders in social work and public health, and she coordinated Project HEART as a part of her Evans field placement.
On October 6, Project HEART participants will walk in McKeesport’ s 18th annual HIV / AIDS Awareness Walk.
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.”
28 MCKEESPORT AREA
Dignity
For the past 35 years, LuEthel Nesbit has been helping Mon Valley residents on fixed incomes protect their homes and their budget with energy-efficient weatherization projects. Nesbit has worked with Action Housing for the past four years, and prior to that, she led the weatherization assistance program within Steel Valley OIC.
“ Our programs work very well will LIHEAP’ s emergency heating program, which begins on November 1,” Nesbit said.“ We check their furnace to make sure it’ s operating correctly and efficiently, and if not, we replace it. If they qualify for LIHEAP assistance, then we go in after to do the weatherization so that our clients get the biggest savings and support.”
While the weatherization industry involves plenty of paperwork and technical information, Nesbit said the“ feel-good moments” make that tedium worthwhile. She said it’ s rewarding to help individuals on fixed incomes, most often the elderly, make connections that improve their daily lives. The cost of utility bills can make or break a household, especially during the winter months, and weatherization is a valuable resource in helping to curb those costs. Mon Valley residents seeking more information on the Action Housing Weatherization Assistance Program can contact Nesbit at 412.678.8622, ext. 4.
“ This is my job. It’ s what I do,” Nesbit said.“ But when you hear some of the stories, when people call back to tell me what a difference these projects have made in their home, it’ s a wonderful feeling just to know they are doing well.”
In addition to her work with Action Housing, Nesbit is an active member of the McKeesport community. She is a city councilwoman, secretary / treasurer of the McKeesport Housing Authority, education chair of the McKeesport NAACP Unit, a trustee of Zion Baptist Church, and a member of the McKeesport Lions Club.
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