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My full name is Gerry, G-E-R-R-Y, Shields Travis. I was born here in Pittsburgh, PA, April 1st, 1963. Born and raised. I was born on Tannehill St. We moved off to a hot moment, then I came back and been here ever since. My family roots are here. I grew up in Elmore Square. Now they have it, I think it’s skyline, so it’s totally different look. My mom and nine siblings, five boys, five girls, it was fun. This is back in the day where… what was nice about growing up in the Jets, that’s what we called the projects. It was a safe area cause the courts were wide. You could go out and just play. We used to play hide and go seek, and red light green light yellow light stop, and spin the bottle, and all that stuff. So it was pretty cool. My childhood growing up in the Hill District was fun. My mother was strict, and we had to be in the house before the street lights come on, you got to dash home, but yeah, it was fun. My brothers played football. We were like the cheerleaders, so we would play with them. They made us rough and tough, and we was all tomboys. So we grew up playing football with them, playing basketball with them, it was truly the village. It takes a village to raise kids. That’s what it was like growing up here. Everybody looked out for each other. Went to middle school, is now- used to be Margaret Milliones, but it’s now Uprep. So I went there, and then we got bused to Brashear high school. The first sign of in segregation with us, I didn’t even see it at that until later on when we had the class reunion. We were back, and they were showing pictures I’m like *gasp*. Truthfully, I only had three jobs in my whole life right now. I worked at the daycare for 10 years. I asked to be laid off so I can have my first son. I wanted to be at home with him, so my husband, boyfriend then, baby daddy, agreed. So he was able to cover me, so we did. So then three years from there, when he got turned 3, I got blessed with work with American Red Cross, where I am to this day. So, next month on the 10th will make 31 years that I’ve been blessed to be with the Red Cross. I’m blessed. Yes, a strong woman to me, as someone who is- can hold her head up, being that role model for her children, for her family, being supportive, giving, loving. That’s a strong woman for me and can cross your T’s and dot her eyes. Role model for me? Definitely my mom, Michelle Obama, vice president, soon to be President, Harris. Yay, yay. My baby sister Sheila, she carry a lot on her shoulder and do a lot, and she’s a minister trying to do it, but… Outside of my mom, she held it together with 10 kids, one person, so definitely kudos to her. I’m a loving, caring person. I listen. I try to give sound advice. I’m a believer, so I trust God with everything in my soul. I’m now a widow, so I speak to other women who are widows. My husband was called home four years ago and he literally put probably about 13 or so women in my path that lost their husband that I speak with. I’m now in a grief share program and trying to expand that, looking to bring it to my church and just continue to let God’s light shine through me. Just trying to save souls as I go through this journey for everyone and let them know that they special. Everyone is special. They’re loved, and they matter. The plan that I see that God has for me is grief share. My goal is to have grief share in all the churches because grief share is ran by the church in every hood, especially my main hood is here because it’s needed. There’s so much stuff out here and there’s help through grief share, and so many of us don’t get help. And that’s why we so “Cray Cray.” To you ladies, or to whoever’s listening, just line your life up with God. You can’t go wrong. See what you can do in the community, how you reach one, teach 1. So always look to see how you can fit in. What can you do to touch the heart of a young person or help give advice to them or shine love on them. Let God’s light shine through you through this journey.