Ericka Shelton

Background

About Ericka Shelton

I believe that every person deserves a fair shot at economic opportunity in Allegheny County. I will continue to serve my community and its members with integrity, empathy, and diligence, and I will advocate on behalf of the disenfranchised. I will advocate for those who feel they have no voice. I will strive to level the economic playing field in the City of Pittsburgh through positive, collective impact. I have been a Public Ally with Public Allies Pittsburgh for the past two years. I started my service with the Hazelwood YMCA collecting and compiling client demographic data for the Hope for All program. The Hope for All program works with financially vulnerable families and single persons to help them apply for, and manage, their public benefits. We use a program called The Benefit Bank to check their eligibility for public government benefits, such as SNAP, Medical Assistance, and LIHEAP. We also provide direct referral services to provide extra support for needs that fall outside of our scope of assistance. We teach self-reliance and household management, because we want anyone and everyone who utilizes our services to become self-sufficient and better able to manage their benefits and finances. In my second year serving as an Ally, I have expanded the Hope for All program in to the Hazelwood Propel Charter School. As co-coordinator for the YMCA Resource Center at the Hazelwood Propel Charter School, it's my responsibility to conduct community outreach to the Glenwood, Glen Hazel, Greenfield, and Hays communities to bring awareness of the Resource Center's existence, as well as working directly with parents of Propel students to make sure that they are all receiving the services and assistance that they may need. I hope that I can make a direct, positive impact on the community I grew up in, and continue the spirit and the legacy of service my late grandparents instilled in our family.