Twelve Dignity & Respect Champions Honored

FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                                      
Samantha Scribner
412.281-0995 – office
814-279-0616 – cell
sjs@judith-kelly.com

WHAT:   Salute To Dignity & Respect Champions of Greater Pittsburgh

WHO:    Twelve Champions of Dignity & Respect from October 2011 to September 2012.
Mary Jo Podgurski, J. Bracken Burns, Jay & Ranny Ferguson, Rosemary Anderson, Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker, Dr. Magi Berger, Charlie Batch, Jesse McLean, Gwendolyn Watkins, Richard Allison, and Paula K. Davis – for more information on each Champion, visitwww.dignityandrespect.org/drchampion.php

WHEN :  Tuesday, October 2
8:30 to 10 a.m.
Program begins at 9 a.m.

WHERE:  Cabaret at Theater Square
655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

WHY: October is Dignity & Respect Month.  This annual Salute to Dignity & Respect Champions Breakfast kicks-off the month and honors the individuals who have been recognized over the past twelve months.

The Dignity & Respect Champion program started in March 2010; 32 Greater Pittsburgh residents have received the designation based on a nomination by their co-workers, friends, mentors, or admirers.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign began as an internal initiative at UPMC in 2009.  The Dignity & Respect Council of Greater Pittsburgh was formed as a volunteer advisory board in 2009 as the first community extension of UPMC’s Dignity & Respect Campaign.  Since then, the Campaign has been adopted by schools, businesses, communities, and organizations around the country.  In 2011, Maya Angelou was named the inaugural National Dignity & Respect Champion.
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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Salute to Dignity & Respect Champions Breakfast

FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                    
Samantha Scribner
Judith Kelly + Associates
412.281-0995 – office
814-279-0616 – cell
sjs@judith-kelly.com



WHAT
  Salute To Dignity & Respect Champions Breakfast

WHO
  The 2012 Pittsburgh, Pa., Dignity & Respect Champions and their families as well as elected officials, city leaders and Dignity & Respect council members will gather for the breakfast.

WHEN
  Tuesday, October 2
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE CLO Cabaret Theatre
655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

WHY The Dignity & Respect Council of Greater Pittsburgh will gather in front of the city’s policy leaders to recognize Pittsburgh’s 11 Dignity & Respect Champions of 2012. The Champions were chosen monthly throughout the year based on a formal nomination process.

Champions were selected based on their support of the values of dignity and respect and their application of those values in the workplace and in their communities. Champions will receive honors for their commitment to accepting and including others. The annual breakfast will kick-off Dignity & Respect Month, which is celebrated in counties across the Commonwealth and in many states nationwide.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign of Greater Pittsburgh began as an initiative by the Center for Inclusion at UPMC in 2008. Trying to encourage inclusion through organizational and behavioral change, the employees took a pledge and suggested actions that promote dignity and respect in the workplace. From this, the “30 Tips of Dignity and Respect” were created to inspire change through everyday behaviors. Within four years, the campaign expanded nationally.

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Dr. Maya Angelou Receives Dignity and Respect Champion Award

Dr. Maya Angelou Receives Inaugural Dignity and Respect Champion Award

Recognized for Her Lifelong Commitment to Making the World a Better Place for All to Live

Dr. Maya Angelou -- celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist -- is the 2011 Dignity & Respect Champion. The honor was awarded by Candi Castleberry-Singleton, founder and chair of the Dignity & Respect Campaign, a not-for-profit initiative that promotes inclusion by treating people with dignity and respect.

"Maya Angelou has demonstrated unshakable faith and a commitment to the values of family, community, and culture throughout her life. Whether as a cable car conductor, a waitress and cook, a dancer with the Alvin Ailey company, an editor of an English Language paper in Egypt, a coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, or a Presidential Medal of Arts winner, Dr. Angelou values all members of the human family," said Ms. Castleberry-Singleton. "She exemplifies the characteristics of a Dignity & Respect Champion."

Ms. Castleberry-Singleton presented the Dignity & Respect Champion award to Dr. Angelou at her home in North Carolina. During their time together, Dr. Angelou reflected on four themes:

•The meaning of dignity and respect -- "When we have dignity and respect we join the communities of human beings and they join us. We are one. Human beings are more alike than we are unalike."

•Living with dignity and respect -- "If you're not respected you can't relax. So if you can't relax, you can't learn. And if you can't learn you don't know anything. You not only don't know who anyone else is, you can't know who you are."

•The human condition -- "You must speak up! Speak up for your soul's sake. For your spirit's sake."

•Courage -- "Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically. You can be kind, fair, true, generous, just, merciful, all of those things every now and again. But to be that thing consistently, you have to have courage."

Videos of Dr. Angelou's comments to Ms. Castleberry-Singleton are available at http://www.dignityandrespect.org.

The Dignity & Respect Champion designation is a program of the Dignity & Respect Campaign, a national, grassroots initiative created in 2009 to encourage and promote the message of inclusion, beginning with the core belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect. This awareness and advocacy effort promotes positive behavioral change in individuals, communities, schools, and organizations. The Campaign extended from an internal effort at UPMC, a Pittsburgh-based organization, to a community-wide initiative in 2009; it broadened beyond the greater Pittsburgh area in Fall 2011 with the celebration of October as Dignity & Respect Month.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Partners in Life, Partners in Community Commitment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Allen
412.969.2530
maa@judith-kelly.com

Ranny and Jay Ferguson Recognized as December

Dignity and Respect Champions

Husband and Wife Partner in Commitment to Give Back to Community

Ranny and Jay Ferguson

(PITTSBURGH, PA) – Both strong advocates for the community, Ranny and Jay Ferguson work tirelessly to spread the notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect. They believe that an individual must value themselves, in order to value others.

“If we don’t give value, dignity, and respect to children across all sorts of ethnicities, races, or economical background, and if they don’t feel they have that kind of respect among their peers and among others, that is where things begin to break down. It is about commitment. If commitments aren’t made, or aren’t kept, there can be devastating effects. Accountability is as much a large part of inclusion as treating each other with dignity and respect,” Jay said.

Nominated by chief inclusion and diversity officer, UPMC,Candi Castleberry-Singleton, Ranny and Jay have been selected as the December Dignity and Respect Champions for their dedication to giving back to the community.

“Ranny and Jay Ferguson are not only leaders, they are community citizens. Jay is authentically interested and involved in the initiatives his organization – Fifth Third Bank – supports. Jay’s wife, Ranny, is his partner in their commitment to the community.They show up, whether it’s a neighborhood event or a corporate reception. They walk the talk and write the checks,”Candi said.

In November, Jay became chairman of Fifth Third Bank of western Pennsylvania, where for eight years he served as president of the western Pennsylvania market. In addition, Jay currently serves on the boards of directors of the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children and UPMC St. Margaret Memorial Hospital, where he is vice chairman and treasurer of the Hospital’s foundation.

Ranny retired after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and The Ellis School, and is now a full-time community advocate.She volunteers with many organizations such as the Race for the Cure, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, among others.

“I truly believe that supporting people and being involved with people in our community only strengthens the ties we have all among us, and it also strengthens Pittsburgh. I often feel that when I volunteer, I am the one who benefits. You give some of yourself, but you get so much back,” Ranny said.

Jay and Ranny are modest about receiving the award, and credit their parents for teaching them about important values.

“We’re honored and proud. Jay and I are both native Pittsburghers who were raised by professional parents, but ones who felt strongly about giving back to the community. They taught us about the value of each individual person. ” Ranny said.

Jay adds, “Respect and inclusion are one of Fifth Third’s four core values. It is something that we instill in each of our employees and our recruits that come on board. This is something very important individually and as a corporation or organization. I think unless you manifest those kinds of values as a corporation, you may not do so as an individual.”

The Dignity and Respect Campaign is an awareness initiativedesigned to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

For more information and to take the Dignity and Respect Pledge, visit http://www.dignityandrespect.org/

Posted on behalf of Joanne Quinn-Smith by Joyce Kane.  Joyce is the Owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Bracken Burns Honored as Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Allen
412.281.0995
412.969.2530
maa@judith-kelly.com

Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns Receives Dignity & Respect Champion Award

Commissioner Burns Honored for Years of Service to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region

(PITTSBURGH, PA) November 30, 2011– County Commissioner Bracken Burns has dedicated 40 years to Washington County government, working tirelessly to make sure everyone had a place in the community where they were valued and accepted for their differences.

Bracken has tried to build a regional community that embraces diversity and encourages its citizens to love and respect each other. He often reminds others that “inclusion is not just about race, it also includes gender, age, geography, income, folks with handicaps, etc.”

Nominated by Melissa Allen, County Commissioner Bracken Burns was selected as the November Dignity and  Respect Champion for expanding the work he does in Washington County to surrounding communities and throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania region.

“Bracken’s devotion to the community is invaluable. Within just minutes of talking with him or hearing him speak to others, you can tell that the work he does is truly from the heart. He’s dedicated to making our communities welcoming to all of us,” Melissa said.

Serving as Washington County Commissioner since 1996, Bracken decided not to run for a fifth term in office. Since taking office 16 years ago, Bracken’s accomplishments include spearheading construction of the 50 bed Alzheimer’s Unit at the Washington County Health Center, developing an Attendant Care Training Program to aid elderly and disabled citizens, leading historic preservation efforts to restore and utilize the old jail as a Family Court Center, and more.

Commissioner Burns is known for starting all of his public comments with the phrase, “It’s a great day in Washington County.” He feels that we all have an obligation to be a “cheerleader for our community.”

Bracken is an influential supporter of the Dignity and Respect Campaign. In addition to advocating with Washington County Commissioners to recognize October as Dignity and Respect Month, he wrote a personal letter to nine other counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, promoting the Campaign and October as Dignity and Respect Month. Thanks to Bracken’s efforts, October was proclaimed Dignity and Respect Month in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties.

Bracken has always admired the saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” He feels that those of us who have been blessed with health, wealth, a good family, etc. have an obligation to assure that others in the community are given the same opportunities.

In addition to being recognized as a Dignity and Respect Champion, Bracken has received many honors that show his dedication to fighting for everyone’s right to be treated equally. These awards include the Mental Health Neighbor of the Year Award in 1991, the Friend of 4-H Award in 2003, the NAACP Human Rights Award in 2007, and the Teen Outreach Social Justice award in 2009, among many others.

In accepting the award, Commissioner Burns said that he was, “humbled and honored to be recognized for doing what he called “the minimum expected of each of us – loving your neighbor.”

The Dignity and Respect Campaign is an awareness initiative designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

For more information and to take the Dignity and Respect pledge, visit dignityandrespect.org.
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Dr. Podgurski Named Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Marullo
412.969.2530
mam@judith-kelly.com

Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski Recognized as October

Dignity & Respect Champion

Director of The Washington Hospital Teen Outreach and President of Academy for Adolescent Health Inc. Honored for Work with Teens


(PITTSBURGH, PA) October 31, 2011– As an advocate for teen health, Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski works tirelessly to make the community a safe and respectful environment for youth to make healthy and smart decisions as they grow.


“One of the challenges we have is to reframe culture. We have to make it unacceptable to be disrespectful to others and it starts with young people. It has to be automatic to know that it is not o.k. to not respect others. If I can get kids to know that, that is a huge leap in changing our whole culture,” Mary Jo said.


Nominated by Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns, Mary Jo was selected as the October Dignity & Respect Champion for her work at the Academy for Adolescent Health and The Washington Hospital Teen Outreach.


“Mary Jo is the personification of the phrase dignity and respect. She has devoted her life to the adolescent population and, in addition to respecting them, she demands that they respect each other,” Bracken said.


The Academy for Adolescent Health, Inc., which Mary Jo founded in 1988, provides programs for teens and youth and works to create a community in which young people are respected and able to enjoy physical and mental wellness. The organization serves as an advocate for youth, parents, professionals, and community members to encourage wellness.


Mary Jo lives in Washington, PA with her husband of 38 years. She attributes her success to her loving parents and supporting family.


“I’ve been married since ’73, and he is a wonderful partner. My father was an Italian immigrant, and my parents taught me to respect all people regardless of race, ethnicity, orientation, or funds. That was rare considering the time. Adults matter in the lives of teenagers. I’m teaching these young people how to make healthy choices so they can be good human beings.”


The Washington Hospital Teen Outreach holds an annual Ambassador for Respect Program in which 20,000 students participate in a “pass it on” activity that encourages recognition of respectful behavior. Each year the program centers around a different topic, including focusing on the word “respect” and what it means, listening to a speaker who talks about poverty among African Americans, a focus on self-respect and how young people think about themselves, and most recently, respecting people of all abilities.


Mary Jo is modest about receiving the award, as the passion for her work is driven by the youth, and not recognition.


“Everything I do is a joy. I do it because the kids are worth it. They are worth my time and they are worth all of our time. I was raised to believe you do things for the right reasons, not an award. My reward is working with the kids.” Mary Jo said.


The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness initiative designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.


For more information and to take the Dignity & Respect pledge, visit dignityandrespect.org.
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Two Community Clean Up Projects Lend a Hand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Konyk
412.281.0995
hek@judith-kelly.com

Two Community Cleanup Projects

Celebrate Dignity & Respect Month

Volunteers Come Together to Practice Tip 29 “Lend a Hand”

(PITTSBURGH, PA) October 17, 2011 – The Dignity & Respect Campaign recognizes October, Dignity & Respect Month, by practicing Tip 29 “Lend a Hand”, with two community projects on Saturday, October 22 – Lawrenceville Community Cleanup, and the Saturday Beautification Project.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is a not-for-profit national grassroots initiative that encourages each of us to honor and appreciate the people in our lives, and to take the Dignity & Respect Pledge: I will treat everyone with dignity & respect. The Campaign provides 30 quick and simple tips, such as Tip #5 Say “Thank You”, which can be incorporated in our everyday lives to help us treat each other with dignity and respect. Since 2009, October has been celebrated as Dignity & Respect month in the Greater Pittsburgh area. This year, ten South Western Pennsylvania counties issued proclamations recognizing October as Dignity & Respect month. These counties include: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland.

“We are very excited to sponsor these two events. By lending a hand, we can help make the community a better place one step at a time. We hope by showing respect to the community, more residents will get involved and spark a change,” says Melanie Harrington, chair, Dignity & Campaign counsel.

The first project, Lawrenceville Community Cleanup, will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and is intended to make Lawrenceville a clean, safe, and attractive neighborhood. Volunteers will be provided with gloves, garbage bags, and various tools and will travel throughout the community to clean up priority sites.

The second project is the Saturday Beautification Project, which will be held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The goal is to complete various projects that will impact the entire community. Each project is different and can include tasks such as, weeding, painting, and removing rubble. Volunteers will be provided with all necessary material.

To sign up as a volunteer, visit http://www.pittsburghcares.org.

October is Dignity & Respect Month. For more information and to take the Dignity & Respect pledge, visit: www.dignityandrespect.org
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Everett McElveen September Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Marullo
412.969.2530
mam@judith-kelly.com

Everett McElveen Recognized as September

Dignity and Respect Champion

President and CEO of Life’sWork of Western PA Honored for Helping Individuals with Disabilities Achieve Independence and Self-Sufficiency

(PITTSBURGH, PA) September 22, 2011– Everett McElveen works so the mission of Life’sWork remains the same as it did 84 years ago – to provide opportunity, employment, and independence to individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment. With this mission, he assures the organization treats everyone with dignity and respect, hoping to change the community for the better.

“Treating people with dignity and respect is good for all of us, and if we did that, a lot of the problems we have in the world would be solved. Our communities would be better, kids would be respectful in school, parents would treat their children consistently in that manner, bullying, everything would be different.”

Life’sWork started as an experiment in 1927 to find out if women who could not leave their homes due to housework and children could contribute to the family budget. Now, it is a nonprofit organization that assists more than 2,000 individuals each year to achieve independence and self-esteem through employment opportunities.

Nominated by Bernadette Turner, Everett was selected as the September Dignity and Respect Champion for working to create a respectful environment for all of those around him.

“Everett is oblivious to size, color, and physical ability when he is talking to a participant about their work at the center or smiling with them as they proudly show him their completed project. From the moment you walk in the doors, the employees are warm and welcoming. That type of environment is not happenstance, that is leadership. Everett is dignity and respect,” Bernadette said.

Everett lives in Ohio Township with his wife, and has been working at Life’s Work for seven years, a job that frequently reminds him how blessed he is. Everett believes treating others with dignity and respect is important in our daily lives because we are all one in the same.

“I find my job rewarding because of the families and the individuals we assist. People take it for granted that we are able-minded and able-bodied. From a disability perspective, the teenage years are difficult enough. People don’t realize if you are born with a disability, it is an added burden on your daily life. People are very bias towards others that are not like them. We are good at picking out what makes us different, but we are not aware of things that make us exactly the same,” Everett said.

The Dignity and Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

For more information and to take the Dignity and Respect pledge, visit:
· www.dignityandrespect.org
· Dignity & Respect Campaign on Facebook
· DRCampaign on Twitter
· Text RESPECT to 94253

October is Dignity and Respect Month.
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Pledge to Dignity and Respect Campaign

WHO


Dignity and Respect Campaign of Greater Pittsburgh

Chair - Melanie Harrington (Vibrant Pittsburgh)

Co-Chair - Shari Manges (University of Pittsburgh – Office of Affirmative Action, Diversity,and Inclusion)



WHAT

WHEN

Beginning the week of September 19 through October



WHERE

Billboard and bus shelter locations around Pittsburgh



WHY

October is Dignity and Respect Month—as proclaimed by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in 2009 and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato in 2010.

The Dignity and Respect Campaign is a not-for-profit grassroots organization that promotes inclusion. The call-to-action is the Dignity & Respect Pledge: I will treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Cell phone users who text RESPECT to 94253 will be able to take the Pledge. Other electronic ways to take the Pledge include on the website at dignityandrespect.org or as a Fan of the Campaign’s Facebook page (Dignity and Respect Campaign). The Campaign also is on Twitter @DRCampaign.

More than 60,000 people already have pledged to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Media Availability: To schedule an interview with Melanie Harrington or Shari Manges about the Dignity and Respect Campaign, please contact Melissa Allen at 412.281.0995 or maa@judith-kelly.com

Debbie Slocum Named Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Marullo

412.969.2530

mam@judith-kelly.com

Debbie Slocum Recognized as Dignity and Respect Champion for

Embracing the Philosophy of the D&R Campaign

Personnel Analyst at Allegheny County Department of Human Services

Advances Inclusion in Her Daily Work and Life

(PITTSBURGH, PA) August 18, 2011– Debbie Slocum spends a lot of quality time with people who work at the Department of Human Services. With each encounter, she is consistent in doing the little things to show them respect.

“We do not make a big noise [about our Dignity & Respect Campaign], and maybe that’s a good thing. It is one person at a time. One more person saying thank you today than yesterday,” Debbie said.

Nominated by Brendan Hanschen, Debbie was selected as the August Dignity & Respect Champion for promoting dignity and respect in her everyday life, as well as at her job at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

“Debbie seizes every opportunity to include dignified and respectful treatment of her colleagues. She has been the driving force of the Dignity & Respect campaign in the Department of Human Services, and has truly shown herself to be a champion in every way,” Brendan said.

Debbie is a resident of Penn Hills and has been working at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services for almost six years as a personnel analyst, a job she continues to find rewarding.

“I get to know what people’s concerns are, what their job is, and what they need. I try to find out how I can help them, and give them what I have to offer. When someone leaves having enjoyed my class, I am rewarded.”

Debbie thinks that it is important to treat each other with respect because it would make everyone feel appreciated and recognized, and brings the community together.

“We are all so much alike, but we just dwell on our differences. I think we’ve become isolated, and it is time to do something to bring back a sense of community. We are all going through stress and we all have problems, but if we can just say hello in the elevator, or smile, we might just make someone’s day better,” Debbie said.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

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Hilda Pang Fu Named Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Melissa Marullo

412.969.2530

412.969.2530

mam@judith-kelly.com

Hilda Pang Fu Recognized as Dignity and Respect Champion for Broadening the Minds of the Community

President and Founder of Luminari Works to Ensure Diverse Creativity in the City

(PITTSBURGH, PA) August 1, 2011– In 2009, Hilda Pang Fu founded the nonprofit organization Luminari to bring a variety of people together and make the region a more prosperous, vibrant, and culturally enriched home to its citizens.

It is right to treat everyone with dignity and respect, but it is also the smart thing to do. The economy is global – we need draw from all of the talents, abilities, and perspectives we have in the region and country regardless of backgrounds, race, sexual orientation, and gender. We can’t afford to not take everyone seriously,” Hilda said.

Nominated by Candi Castleberry-Singleton, chief inclusion and diversity officer, UPMC, Hilda has been chosen as the July Dignity and Respect Champion for her work as the president and founder of Luminari, which was founded to foster activities to broaden minds, inspire innovations, and promote community engagement.

“Hilda Fu’s organization, Luminari, is about changing children’s lives. The innovative I Want to be an Ambassador! camp introduces Pittsburgh students to foreign languages, conflict resolution, and even real foreign service workers during a field trip to Washington, DC!” Candi said.

The seven-day I Want to be an Ambassador! camp is targeted towards rising 8th to 12th grade students with the purpose of bringing their attention to the art and skills of diplomacy and how to apply them immediately to their daily lives.

“With the I Want To Be An Ambassador! camp, Hilda has found an inspiring way to expose students to the art of diplomacy, and to challenge them to become better negotiators by letting them see for themselves that differences are barriers to progress only if we allow them to be,” Candi said.

The camp has proven to inspire, educate, and help the students explore and further their skills.

“One of the purposes of the camp is to inspire our young people to consider different perspectives as they attack an issue. I think this is something we need, but haven’t seen in a while. The participants were excited to be challenged in this way,” Hilda said.

Hilda feels that if everyone treated each other with dignity and respect, the community would be a much more pleasant place to live in.

“It will create more vibrancy to the region. If we lived in a community that only has one set way of doing things, it would be quite boring.”

According to Hilda, treating others with dignity and respect is so obvious that she doesn’t have to give it a thought.

“Dignity and respect are the basis of diplomacy, the foundation of building sustainable working relationships. I think treating others with dignity and respect will help us to not shut the door on different perspectives. Thus, we won’t be missing important ideas and information.”

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

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Dignity and Respect Champion Harish Saluja Honored for Efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:
Melissa Marullo
412.969.2530
mam@judith-kelly.com

Harish Saluja Recognized as Dignity and Respect Champion for His Efforts to Spread Knowledge, Love, and Joy

Executive Director of Silk Screen Provides a Gateway

to Asia to Eliminate Prejudices

(PITTSBURGH, PA) May 18, 2011– Six years ago, Harish Saluja founded Silk Screen, an organization that works to educate communities about Asian history, art, culture, and more, based on the belief that if people knew more about their neighbors, there would be less prejudice and offer love to others.

“Love is what touches the heart, and that is what makes a difference. There isn’t money or anything that can compensate for this. Treating others with dignity and respect is normal, proper, and as required as breathing,” Harish said.

Nominated by Katie Jones, Saluja has been chosen as the May Dignity and Respect Champion for his work as the executive director of Silk Screen, a nonprofit organization that fosters understanding across lines of race, ethnicity, religion, age, and region.

Silk Screen’s mission is to celebrate diversity and multi-cultural appreciation of the Asian and Asian American experience through cultural events such as their annual Asian-American Film Festival.

“Harish helps at community outreach events presenting Asian arts and crafts and cultural awareness with Silk Screen. He always wants to spread love and joy to the world so people understand each other better,” Jones says.

Harish lives south of Pittsburgh with his wife. He is a filmmaker and artist in addition to founding Silk Screen. His film “The Journey” won Best Film awards in Florida and Cleveland film festivals, and was shown in more than 20 film festivals around the world. Harish is a nationally recognized painter and a co-host of Music From India on WDUQ-FM.

“I gave up a lucrative career in corporate America because I believe that one’s life fulfillment can only be found by doing something good and by giving something back to people. I started Silk Screen as a gateway to Asia so people could get to know the culture, resulting in less prejudice,” Harish said.

Harish strongly feels that treating others with dignity and respect should be important in everyone’s daily lives because it could drastically change a community.

“If we treat each other with tolerance and acceptance, it would make the world a better place and bring upon happiness and love.”

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.
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Jared Jackson is February Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Marullo

412.969.2530
mam@judith-kelly.com

Jared Jackson Recognized as Dignity and Respect Champion for His Work to Grant Justice and Peace to All

(PITTSBURGH, PA) February 18, 2011 – Even after 42 years, Jared Jackson continues to teach the basic principles of dignity and respect: seeking racial and economic justice, inclusion, and improved education for all at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

“The students I teach are mostly African American, and I enjoy sharing what the bible has to say to us in the context of America today,” Jackson said.

Nominated by his wife, Reverend Cynthia Jackson, Jared is the February Dignity & Respect Champion for his work in seeking justice and peace for all.

“Jared believes we only will have peace when there is dignity and respect afforded to all people,” Cynthia says.

Jared, 80, lives with his wife in Gibsonia. As an assisting priest at The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Squirrel Hill, volunteer professor at the Metro Urban Institute of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and board member of Pittsburgh Interfaith Network (PIIN), Jared lives dignity and respect daily.

“It is important [to treat others with dignity and respect] because, as human beings, we are sisters and brothers. Experiencing other human beings, how they view life, and sharing that with each other is the joy of our life.”

Jared believes treating one another with dignity and respect would create the peace we seek and the peace our society needs.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.
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Dignity and Respect Month Kicks Off

WHAT

Dignity & Respect Month Kickoff

WHO

Ruth Byrd-Smith – Director of Allegheny County Minority Women

Candi Castleberry-Singleton – UPMC Chief Inclusion Officer

Denise Jones – Venango County Chief Clerk and County Administrator

Dr. Patrick Swift – Author, Psychologist, NYU School of Medicine Faculty

Susan Williams – Executive Director, Venango Chamber

Dawnita Wilson – Program Director, Inclusion Initiative at UPMC

Dignity and Respect Champion Awardees
http://www.dignityandrespectcampaign.com/drchampions.php

Community Organizations

WHEN
Thursday, September 30
8:30 am – welcome
9:00 to 10:00 am – program

WHERE

UPMC Herberman Conference Center
5150 Centre Avenue in Shadyside

WHY

The Dignity and Respect Campaign believes that inclusion begins with the core belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect. Originally envisioned as an internal UPMC program, the Dignity and Respect Campaign expanded to a community-wide effort in October 2009. Since then, approximately 22,500 people have taken the pledge to treat others with dignity and respect.

http://www.dignityandrespectcampaign.com/takepledge.php

County Executive Dan Onorato’s proclamation naming October as Dignity and Respect Month in Allegheny County will be delivered at the kick-off event. Eight recipients of the Dignity & Respect Champion award will be honored. Plans for the first Dignity & Respect Fall Festival scheduled for Saturday, October 16 at Schenley Plaza will be announced.

For more information

Stephanie Rex – sar@judith-kelly.com
412.281.0995 – office; 724.841.2481 – cell
To Schedule an Advance Interview with Dawnita Wilson – contact Stephanie Rex

9.28.10

Stephanie A. Rex
Project Associate
Judith Kelly + Associates, LLC
Investment Building
239 Fourth Avenue - Suite 1811
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1716
412.281.0995 - phone
412.281.0996 - fax
http://www.judith-kelly.com/

UMOJA Celebrates Dignity and Respect Fall Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Stephanie Rex
412.281.0995
sar@judith-kelly.com

Inaugural Dignity & Respect Fall Festival Announced

Event to be held Saturday, Oct. 16 at Schenley Plaza

(PITTSBURGH, PA) Sept. 22, 2010 – UMOJA, which means “unity” in Swahili, is the name of a local African arts company that will celebrate that very concept with the Dignity and Respect Campaign’s inaugural Fall Festival, a bridge between all ages, cultures, and backgrounds expressed through food, music, and fun.

“This festival is an evolution of the Dignity and Respect Campaign and is a perfect way for the entire community to celebrate Dignity and Respect Month” said Dawnita Wilson, Program Director, Inclusion Initiatives at UPMC and the local Dignity and Respect Campaign Manager. “This is a great way for the community to get involved and engaged in driving the message that everyone deserves dignity and respect.”

The first ever Dignity and Respect Fall Festival will take place on Oct. 16, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm at Schenley Plaza in Oakland. The festival will include giveaways, multicultural entertainment, health and educational information, community resource tables and vendor exhibits, and games for everyone. It is free and open to the public.

Community organizations and performers will be joining together to celebrate each other’s missions of equality and inclusion, in addition to adding different flavors of musicians and dancers representing cultures from around the world.

Activities include rock climbing provided by Venture Outdoors – an organization that works to promote Pittsburgh’s natural amenities, highlight the quality of life, foster a greater appreciation for the environment, inspire an active lifestyle and create a shared sense of community. Yoga classes every half hour and crafts for all ages also will be provided along with several other activities. Steel Dragon will perform at the festival, and originally started out as a lion dance team, but now includes kung fu, and Baiyuan Tongbei. Instructor Chris Young has more than 15 years of martial arts experience in several styles. UMOJA African Arts Company also will provide children’s crafts and face painting, and promotes the indigenous culture of Africa in the U.S.

Exhibitors include GLENDA – an organization that fosters appreciation for gays, lesbians, and all people by working together with diverse communities to make the region a better place; Strong Women Strong Girls, an organization that works to build upon the lessons learned from strong women throughout history to encourage girls and young women become strong women themselves; and the United Way.

Vendors include Ten Thousand Villages – a store that produces handmade gifts, jewelry, home décor, art and sculpture, textiles, serve ware and personal accessories that represent the diverse cultures of artisans in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. TTV works to improve the lives of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 different countries. Proceeds go to food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who are unemployed or underemployed. East End Food Co-op also joins the festival and creates, promotes and works to sustain a healthy, strong and vibrant local community that serves the need for physical well-being, mutual respect, social connectedness and economic vitality. They are Pittsburgh's only member-owned natural and organic food market.

Sponsored by the Center for Inclusion at UPMC and Allegheny County, the Fall Festival features live bands, crafters, dancers and more throughout the day – for the entire family.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect. For more information call 412.864.3582 or e-mail dandrcampaign@gmail.com.
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