Living the Message
Honoring those who show
Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love
Respect
A seventh-grader at Founders Hall Middle School, Alana
Demis is a straight-A student who supplements her time
in school with an array of extra-curricular activities and
volunteer work.
At school, Alana is enrolled in the gifted program, plays
violin in the middle school orchestra, serves as a Penn State
Talent Search ambassador, and attends the STEM Stars after-
school program. Outside of school, Alana is a member of
the prestigious International Order of the Rainbow for Girls,
a character-building organization that promotes leadership
and effective communication while fostering a love of
community service.
“It’s all girls learning about leadership together,” Alana said.
“It’s teaching me to be a respectful young lady, to be a leader
rather than a follower, and to make the right choices in life.
Making the right choice isn’t always the easiest, but I want to
be someone who knows how to make those choices.”
With the goal of having wholesome fun and having a
positive influence on friends, Alana started a book club of
peers who meet monthly to discuss novels, watch movies,
and participate in group service projects, one of which
was a bake sale to raise nearly $500 for the UPMC Hillman
Cancer Center. Alana also has volunteered with the Children’s
Rainbow Institute, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank,
local animal shelters, Mission from Mars, Masonic Village,
the Wall That Heals, and the Kane Foundation’s Joan Burns
Walk 4 Fun. She has donated funds to help children receive
therapeutic horses.
Right now, Alana’s goals are to get good grades and be
a good person. In the future, she hopes to attend Harvard
University and become a forensic pathologist.
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
Brenda Sawyer is no stranger to the McKeesport community–
having been a lifelong resident, a former employee of the
McKeesport Police Department, and a dedicated volunteer in youth
and minority programming.
In addition to Brenda’s demanding role as the regional director
of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics and
Drug Control, she employs her expertise of years working in law
enforcement toward youth development programs in McKeesport.
Most notably, she serves as site manager for the YouthPlaces after-
school programs in Crawford Village, where she organizes sports
programming and character-building activities for kids 12 to 18
years of age. While the program is attended by a predominately
African-American group of teens, it is open to all McKeesport Area
students within the age group.
“YouthPlaces is a safe, dependable environment,” Brenda said. “We
are devoted to our kids, and we are sharing positivity with them. All
of these kids know what I do for a living … and I think that’s why so
many of their parents trust me. They listen to me when I tell them to
go to school, to get a job, to be respectful, to make the right choices,
and not to carry a gun.”
Brenda carries out YouthPlaces’ mission of providing quality
programming without physical or emotional barriers. She believes in
giving all kids the same opportunities, regardless of socioeconomic
status or race, especially in underserved communities. She enjoys
taking teens on field trips to experience new things, whether it’s a
day on the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail or touring a college
campus.
Brenda is in her second term as president of the NAACP
McKeesport Unit. She also serves on the McKeesport Past and
Present Committee and the Community Partnership for HIV
Prevention.
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