July’s Dignity & Respect Champion: Gwen Watkins

Congratulations to Gwen Watkins, July’s Dignity & Respect Champion!  

At first, Gwen Watkins wasn't clear on why she should be collecting pet food donations for people who might not be feeding themselves.
 
People for Pets, a University of Pittsburgh program Watkins helps coordinate, does just that. And while Watkins may have struggled with the concept at the start-- thinking it more important to feed the people themselves--4,000 pounds of pet food later, she has a different perspective.
 
"When you think about it, sometimes people will go out of their way to buy food for their pet, and they'll go without," Watkins said. "And why do they do that? That pet may be their source of companionship or their source of protection. You learn to care about the dignity of a personwho is in need and be respectful of them. And I think it's an honor to be asked to do that."
 
Watkins, who is the events coordinator for community service in Pitt's Office of Community and Governmental Affairs, was named a Dignity & Respect Champion this month. In her work at Pitt, she develops partnerships with community food banks, clothing drives and other initiatives such as People for Pets, mobilizing more than 400 university volunteers. Even with such a large volunteer base, she always sees the need for an extra pair of hands.
 
"The projects that I've had the privilege and the opportunity to work with--I don't just coordinate them. I physically go and do it," Watkins said. "I can talk about people being hungry. But unless I actually go down to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and serve, then I really don't get an understanding of what people [are going through.]"
 
According to Anne Franks, a coworker who nominated Watkins, she works tirelessly for the good of the community. "She is dedicated to helping others who need support," Franks said. "Gwen shows her care and respect for others in everything she does, and encourages us to do the same."
 
Watkins has been at Pitt for nearly 42 years. A Pittsburgh native, she currently lives in Penn Hills. She credits her faith as the bedrock of her community sensibility. 
 
 "I really count it a privilege that God used me in any way to help people," she said, "and I count it a joy, too." Beyond privilege and joy, Watkins said helping others is also a duty, something she feels compelled to do as one among many.
 
 "You can look away, if you want," she said. "But when you don't look away, and you look and really see the need that people have, it should do something to you. It should stir something up inside of us to help other people who are in need."
 
Do you know an individual who makes a positive impact andpromotes an environment of inclusion? If so, nominate the person in your life you feel has made a difference for the Dignity & Respect Champion Award! This prestigious award recognizes people who are engaged in their communities, live by the principles of dignity and respect, and promote an environment of inclusion.

July is National HIV Awareness Month

Did you know that July is National HIV Awareness Month?  HIV is not just a disease the affects a certain demographic or people just in the developing world.  It impacts all of us.  Let us spend this month assisting efforts for a cure while continuing to treat all people with Dignity & Respect. 

July 2012 has been designated as National HIV Awareness Month. The goal of National HIV Awareness Month is to re-ignite our national discourse on the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to create broad-scale public awareness of HIV/AIDS, end HIV stigma and discrimination and engage new stakeholders in the fight against the disease, with the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic.

Since the explosion of the global pandemic, many Americans have come to view HIV/AIDS as a problem solely affecting the developing world. National HIV Awareness Month will serve as a platform to re-engage civil society, the private sector, federal agencies and community organizations, who together have the potential to reach the broad swath of Americans who remain untouched by current HIV education effort.

In July 2012 the International AIDS Conference will take place in the United States for the first time in more than 20 years. July 2012 also marks the second anniversary of the release of the United States’ first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy by President Obama.

National HIV Awareness Month is intended to issue a challenge to civil society and the private sector to create and invest in new and innovative awareness, testing, and public engagement initiatives that address the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis and foster a compassionate response over the course of July 2012. 

What will you do this month to help support greater respect for patients?  Read more here:  http://www.nationalhivawarenessmonth.org/

Meet Dignity and Respect Champion Jesse McLean

Jesse McLean isn't exactly a globetrotter. He has spent the bulk of his life in Philadelphia, where he grew up, and Pittsburgh, where he now lives. But as the executive director of Every Child, Inc., Jesse understands how to navigate different cultures.

"Every time we go into a family's home, we go into another culture," said Jesse, whose organization works to develop and strengthen family relationships. "That's why our job is so difficult and so amazing, because we're going into homes where the culture isn't predictable." 

Jesse McLean was nominated to be a Dignity & Respect Champion by Jada Shirriel, Every Child's director of marketing and development. With Every Child, Jesse offers a variety of services for birth, foster and adoptive families, as well as children with special needs. One such program arranges supervised visits between birth parents and children placed in foster homes.

"Imagine the shame, fear, guilt, and regret that a parent may feel when he or she loses custody of a child," Jada said. "Jesse ensures that birth parents utilizing Every Child's family visit space are treated with the dignity and respect that they need to gain, restore, or model positive parenting interaction with their child."

Jesse says understanding others' differences is essential to his work. It's important not to impose one's values on others, he said, especially when doing so can be hurtful or disrespectful. In his work he tries to foster communication that leads to stronger relationships based on mutual appreciation.

"If everybody treats everyone with kindness and consideration, then no one would have to touch the stove to realize it's hot," Jesse said. "Everybody would think about things before they actually do them."

While Jesse has been with Every Child since November 2009, that wasn't the start of his work with youth. In 1999, he helped create the VULCAN summer program at California University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. The program-whose acronym stands for vision, understanding, leadership, civility, academics, and nutrition-offers college preparation to sixth-graders. 

Jesse said it's best to work with kids when they're young to build a solid future. The program has sent more than 125 students to CAL U and covered their tuition. The graduation rate-100 percent.

"You need time for these kids to engage with you," he said. "Once middle-school kids engage with you, they'll follow you to the end of earth." 

Growing up in Philadelphia, Jesse said, was what caused him to go into his line of work. 

"I saw a lot of unfortunately negative things," he said. "I always knew that whenever I got older I wanted to create life-impacting experiences for kids, because I knew that I wasn't seeing that where I came from. I knew what was missing. So I said, 'Wherever I go, wherever I wind up, whatever community I'm in, I'm going to make life-impacting experiences for kids.' " 

A Penn Hills resident with a son who serves in the military, Jesse said dignity and respect guide his actions both at work and in everyday life. He credited his dedicated staff with helping to create an inclusive workplace.

"Sometimes the little things--just to say thank you, just to say 'I appreciate what you've done'-are what creates a positive culture," he said. 

Do you know an individual who makes a positive impact and promotes an environment of inclusion? If so, nominate the person in your life you feel has made a difference for the Dignity & Respect Champion Award!  Follow the link to get started: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L2YHWGZ