Drake: Promoting community center O'Hara woman's new duty

Monica Gay began her role of marketing and development for Boyd Community Center this week.

Her first move is reviewing past programs, sifting through old grant proposals and searching records.

“I'll read as much as I can get my hands on and try to learn as much as I can,” said Gay, 44 of O'Hara.

“At this point, I know enough to be dangerous,” Gay says with a smile.

After researching, Gay will think about “natural affinities and places we can go to try to grow.”

Gay knows about the community center first hand from a dozen years of family involvement.

Her daughters attended day care and classes at the old Boyd facility. And Gay said she has enjoyed meeting and working with Boyd members.

“I've always liked this building. It's a great place to be. Walking in here, I relax. It's familiar and friendly,” Gay said.

She is well versed with the programs at the Powers Run Road center. However, her working world for the past 13 years was with the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Allegheny County. She trained volunteers as advocates for abused children and acted as an advocate for two youngsters.

Working in social services is difficult emotionally at times, Gay said.

Often they “staved off terrible circumstances.

“It's going to be hard to leave the friendships and relationships I've built,” she said.

Gay said her intuition tells her she will enjoy her new job.

She is responsible for bringing people into the center, informing them about programs and other happenings, and coordinating all publicity and social media.

And when it comes to the opening of the new Lauri Ann West Community Center this fall, Gay said: “I can't wait to see it and watch the faces of other people.”

Even now, as summer sessions and fall programs bloom, Gay said the community center is the place to go.

Gay has undertaken adventures. She grew up in the Friendship area of Pittsburgh and went to Washington D.C. for college.

After meeting her husband, a native of North Carolina, they lived in Boston. Coming home, Gay remembered her childhood and visiting Aspinwall where her father was a bank manager.

Moving back, first was an apartment in the riverfront town. Then, 19 years ago, the couple found their house in O'Hara.

In most ways, Gay's new job won't be a metamorphosis of her life.

In her county job, she would work evenings to attend meetings, presentations or volunteer activities. She knows about dedicating herself to her work.

“Like every good nonprofit that has a small staff, you just pitch in to make sure everything gets done,” Gay said.

Sharon Drake is a freelance writer.