Living the Message
Honoring those who show Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love
Respect
Dignity
Terry Ruccio is a near-lifelong McKeesporter who grew
up on Centennial Street in the Seventh Ward and raised her own
family in the city’s Fawcett Plan. Terry always has considered
McKeesport home, and she has dedicated her life of service to
the city and its residents.
In 1982, Terry began serving as a youth leader at her church,
the First Evangelical Free Church of McKeesport. She served there
for 28 years, including her role as ministry assistant overseeing a
student ministry of more than 200 members.
In her years of working with students, Terry took every
opportunity to serve alongside the children she taught. Through
what was then known as the Sonshine Kitchen, the group
offered meals, emergency food bags, a clothing closet, and other
necessities as a local pantry affiliated with the Greater Pittsburgh
Community Food Bank. The program evolved – adding the Hang
5 tutoring program for McKeesport Area students ages 7 to 11 –
and day camps during the summer months.
In 2010, Terry became the executive director of the new and
improved Sonshine Community Ministries and Hope House.
Sonshine continues to provide the support services of its roots
as a community kitchen, clothing closet, and tutoring site. It has
grown with 12-step programs, chapel services, and Bible studies.
Hope House is a pregnancy center offering support to pregnant
teens and women – operating with the desire to bring hope to
tough situations.
“Our community is a place of great need,” Terry said. “Our
message here at Sonshine is that the Lord changes lives, and
we strive to share that in the ways we support and serve our
community.”
In addition to her work as a faith-based youth leader, Terry
spent two years in the AmeriCorps Service Corps, where she
worked as a reading support and community service coordinator
at McKeesport Area High School.
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.”
26
MCKEESPORT AREA
Alex Dalton wants every McKeesport Area High School
student to have access to mental health resources.
A senior in the Class of 2019, Alex approached the McKeesport
Area School Board in January, and his plan for a Student
Solutions Center was approved with a $4,000 budget to create a
high school space where students can interact with their peers
when stress is getting the best of them. He developed a concept
for the center after attending a Rotary/Interact conference with
students from regional school districts, noting that a student
at Montour High School mentioned a “Speak to Me” room,
where students talked to peer mediators about a wide range of
problems or issues.
In McKeesport, students will chat with trained peers about
things they may not want to share with an adult counselor —
issues such as relationship problems and stress. With serious
issues such as suicide, depression, and addiction requiring
professional intervention (for which students immediately will
move to the guidance office next door), Alex said there are
everyday issues that fit under the umbrella of mental health. He
said the primary goal of the center is to “educate McKeesport’s
student body about mental illness” and reduce the stigma that
comes along with it.
“I learned that one in five high school student suffers from
some type of mental illness,” Alex said. “It’s so important to know
that. This is a big school. You’re walking down the hall, and you
may see 60 people around you. Twenty of them you’ve never met
before. You have no idea how old they are, where they’re from, or
what they go through.”
Alex wants every student to have an opportunity for social
decompression, whether it’s coping with the high school
environment, preparing for a future outside of high school, or
finding the courage to overcome personal issues before turning
to violence or substance abuse.
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