Heather Messiah ReClaim South Sustaining Momentum Ambassador Heather is a very active resident of Beltzhoover. She has helped her community through different church functions, participated in Feed the Community at the Warrington Recreation Center, assisted with clean up days and worked at the Voices Against Violence summer camp. She will be partnering with ReClaim South Ambassador Cheryl to enhance the St. Paul AME Church garden. She hopes that her work will help this space continue to be a place of peace and better provide…Read More
Brian Fallet ReClaim South Sustaining Momentum Ambassador Brian loves the views from his neighborhood of Allentown and the potential for Allentown to develop through the low cost of housing. He is a member of the Allentown Facade Committee and the Property Stabilization Committee. He hopes to inspire his friends and family by becoming a ReClaim South Ambassador. He looks forward to the day that his local community gains the recognition it deserves. This year, Brian will be assisting his Ambassador colleague Linda with her side lot community garden…Read More
Lila Scogdins ReClaim South Sustaining Momentum Ambassador Lila will be partnering with original ReClaim South Ambassador Natalie on her Ambassador community garden plot in Beltzhoover. Lila hopes to inspire peace through the garden space and is excited to work directly with her community.Read More
Jamie Balser ReClaim South Sustaining Momentum Ambassador Originally from Virginia, Jamie loves the Southside Slopes because its proximity to so many amenities. Jamie will be creating a welcoming trail head entrance to the South Side Park near the Bandi Shaum Garden. He hopes to inspire people to use this part of the trail and increase foot traffic into the park. He is excited by the activity in his neighborhood and is excited about making his community even more livable. As an experienced ReClaim South…Read More
Robin DeVaughn ReClaim South Sustaining Momentum Ambassador Originally from Beltzhoover, Robin enjoys engaging her community through street clean ups and church events. She is a very active member of the St. Paul AME Church in Beltzhoover and has been assisting with the church's garden since its inception. By joining the Ambassador program, Robin is eager to learn more gardening skills so she can share her knowledge and healthy food with her community. She hopes to inspire her friends, family and neighbors to stay focused, work hard and…Read More
Shari Holland ReClaim McKeesport Ambassador “Community means connection and bridge-building! It means having relationships with and knowing others. It means not always agreeing but respecting each other and reaching out to one another and working together” About Me. I am originally from Saginaw, MI but have been happy to call Pittsburgh home for 29 years. Currently I live in the Library District of McKeesport. I have been working as the Behavioral Science faculty member teaching in a family medicine residency program. I…Read More
Nicole Flaherty ReClaim Northside Ambassador “I wanted to contribute to my neighborhood in a positive way. If I could make something beautiful and/or functional for my neighborhood, that would be wonderful.” About Me. I am the Graphics Manager at a local vitamin company during the day and a full-time mother and wife in the evenings. I also do occasional photography work on the side and love pictures, both old and new. I have a beautiful 15-month daughter named Ella Dai and a great…Read More
Linda Wallen ReClaim Northside Ambassador/Mentor “Apathy is a huge challenge in our community and exciting projects are (I think) a way of budging people out of their busy inertia. Once something is changing for the better people seem to come out and take a look and get involved.” About Me I came to Pittsburgh by way of New Orleans and have been painting portraits for a living most of my life. The last few years I have also been teaching French and Spanish to…Read More
Cynthia Levy-Mendoza ReClaim Northside Ambassador “I think everyone deserves access to information. Knowledge is power and there are not enough people in our neighborhood who understand and realize that information and the application of information is powerful.” About Me. I am a family girl. I am a married mother of three crazy, intelligent and kind children. I love to garden, read and have good conversations. On a day-to-day basis I can be caught reading a good book, working around the house with…Read More
Heather Gacek ReClaim Northside Ambassador “I would like to see Manchester develop a small town feel while within reach all of the amenities of city living. ” About Me. I am a civil engineer by day, working on water resources engineering projects. I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and since my time there, this city has remained one my favorite places on earth. Why did apply to be a ReClaim Ambassador? I applied to be a ReClaim Ambassador with the…Read More
Matthew Yurkovich ReClaim Northside Ambassador “I love where I live and want to reclaim a vacant lot. The idea of ecological restoration is of great interest to me and I think greenspace is very important to a neighborhood's health.” About Me. I spend much of my time outdoors both in my professional and personal life. I enjoy fitness challenges, spending time with my dog, gardening, cooking, biking and reading. I love the Northside and am very excited to be in this program. I'm a member of…Read More
Mark Rawlings ReClaim Northside Ambassador “Pretty much everything you need is walking distance in Troy Hill, it's a very convenient place to live and there are great views all around!” About Me. I am a design engineer for Zero Fossil, an alternative energy company in Pittsburgh. Currently I am in charge of a small group at Carrie Furnace that is bringing alternative energy back to the National Historic Landmark. I own two side-by-side houses in Troy Hill and spend most of my free time working…Read More