Volunteers give so much
Selflessness of Braddock’s Free Store 15104 gets deserved recognition
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When the goal is to do good, to leave the world a little better than how you found it, great ideas can arise.
Such was the case with the Free Store 15104 in Braddock, founded in 2012 by Gisele Fetterman, the wife of Braddock Mayor John Fetterman.
She’s a Brazilian native whose family moved to New YorkCity when she was a child. “I grew up fixing things that were broken, using items until the very end and finding homes for things I no longer needed,” she said. “When we settled in New York City and had no furniture at home, bulk ‘garbage’ items on the sidewalks furnished our entire apartment. This experience created a responsibility for me to find homes to get them in the hands ofthose who needed them.”
After she moved to Braddock, she founded the Free Store 15104 in a colorful shipping container as a way to reduce waste in the community and to give back to those in need. It accepts surplus and donated items — clothing, diapers, baby formula, baby clothes, household items, backpacks, paper products and more
More than 1,600 people are servedeach month with the help of 13 volunteers. Ms. Fetterman nominated the organization for the Jefferson Award for Public Service Team Award to highlight what she called the incredible work of those who help keep theFree Store going.
“I nominated my volunteers because they are the hardestworking people I know. They love the store and their community and give so much of themselves every day. I tell them every day how grateful I am to have them in my life, and this was a way for me to tell this to the world.”
The award was established
to recognize joint volunteer contributions. The award, first given in 2011, is part of the annual Jefferson program that recognizes super volunteers in the region. Two of the Free Store volunteers, Shiane Prunty, 34, and her son, Rae, 17, of Braddock, wanted to be a part of something great in their community.
“As a single mother of three, I know what it is like to struggle and not have a support system behind you. I volunteer as a way to be that support to mothers and their families,” said Ms. Prunty, who began volunteering when the store opened in 2012. Rae joined in to help five years ago, when he was just 12.
“After a week into volunteering, I felt a personal connection to the families that came to the shop. Due to my mother’s struggles, I want to make sure that no one else has to go through what she did.”
Beyond the shop itself, Rae has broadened his vision to understanding a deeper need in communities like Braddock. “We want to continue to grow our clothing and food partnerships across the state and world to help shine the light on the mission of the Free Store,” he said.
Since its beginnings, the Free Store 15104 has inspired nine spinoff locations, including the newest: Woodland Hills High School and Propel Braddock Hills. The store in Braddock also is planning on installing solar panels to eliminate the $26-a-month electric bill through a grant from UnitedHealthCare.
“Through this project, we have been able to show that honor systems work and that dignity should be the priority in social service agency experiences,” added Ms. Fetterman.
Ms. Prunty echoed that sentiment, adding, “Getting a chance to put a smile on someone’s face for helping them is one of the best feelings I experience as a volunteer at the Braddock Free Store.”
The volunteers of the Free Store will be honored at an award ceremony Wednesday at the Heinz History Center, Strip District, where the winner of the Most Outstanding Volunteer of the Year will be announced from among six Jefferson Award finalists.