Mon Valley Initiative honors 7 for outstanding service

The organization singled out their contributions at Thursday’s awards dinner.

The Mon Valley Initiative made it known that the area is in good hands at Thursday’s annual community awards dinner.

Community leaders from throughout the region came together at the McKeesport Palisades Event Center to celebrate the impact their organizations have on the Mon Valley.

“For nearly 25 years, this ceremony has provided an opportunity to show the positive events happening in the Mon Valley that may not normally receive recognition, and it would not be possible without the support of our sponsors and donors,” Mon Valley Initiative CEO Laura Zinski wrote in the event program. “To everyone who joins us this evening, thank you for being a partner in our work and helping us keep flowing forward.”

Seven organizations or persons were recognized for their service to their community. One of the first awards of the event was the H. John Heinz Award for Community Service, which was presented to Lauri Fink.

The award is for those who have worked diligently to promote and further the resurgence of the Mon Valley region. Fink is a senior program officer at Hillman Family Foundations, where she helps with grants for a variety of nonprofits.

“Lauri is one of the most curious and engaged colleagues that I know,” Zinski said. “She could do her job competently from her office downtown, but she wants to know more about everything that she’s working on. She really wants to understand what organizations and people are dealing with and how they are trying to solve problems.

“We’ve worked with some partners who usually don’t want the whole story, or don’t want to hear me go on and on about the complexity of the things that we’re trying to do, and that’s okay, but with Lauri, we have a partner who really wants to know, and she really wants to understand what’s happening so that she can really help.”

Zinski added that Fink has been a caring partner who has advocated for projects in the Valley.

The Regional Partnership Award was given to Dress for Success Pittsburgh, which served more than 4,000 participants last year with clothing and employment-readiness The organization brought its EmployHER Pittsburgh program to the Mon Valley Initiative’s Charleroi office.

EmployHER is designed to remove barriers for women such as access to childcare and transportation.

“As you know, this is not easy work, and we’re so honored to be a part of it,” said Dress for Success CEO Tanya Vokes. “I truly don’t want to miss the opportunity to thank all of you for being so welcoming to our team and allowing us to come in so regularly and kind of put up shop. It is truly an honor to be a part of this community

in this small way.” Mon Valley Initiative pre – sented five Community Partners of the Year awards Thursday night. Residents of the Mon Valley nominate individuals or organizations that have gone above and be – yond in service to their com –

munity.

This year’s recipients are:

• Mallory Crawford, nominated by the Downtown West Newton Inc. Crawford has taken great initiative to help in West Newton, and one of her proudest accomplishments is leading the charge in revitalizing the West Newton Farmers Market.

• Officer Pedro Valles, nom inated by the Braddock Eco- nomic Development Corp. As an officer with the Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department and the Safety and Security Coordinator for the Woodland Hills School District, Valles has ensured his communities are safe and welcoming environments.

• Richard L. Ferguson American Legion Post 527, nominated by a member of their community. District Commander Carmella Dearmon has ensured that their chapter of the American Legion is there for their commu- nity in East Pittsburgh. They host frequent backpack and

clothing drives, parades, food distributions and more.

• Swissvale Presbyterian Church, nominated by the Swissvale Economic De –

velopment Corp. Since its creation in 1870, the church has been an essential part of the community, offering a food pantry, hosting a Veterans Day breakfast and many more community events.

• Greater Pittsburgh Com- munity Food Bank, nominat ed by a member of the com- munity. The food bank has provided food for thousands in the region, and through its Community Connections program, it’s helped 300 Mon Valley residents in the past year find resources to im –

prove their lives.

“As you know, this is not easy work, and we’re so honored to be a part of it.”

TANYA VOKES

DRESS FOR SUCCESS CEO