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WHEREAS, Donna Williams is an exemplary community leader and organizer as demonstrated through her work with the communities across the Hilltop as well as with the Kirk Avenue Block Watch in Carrick; and
WHEREAS, Donna has lived in Pittsburgh for the majority of her life, as though she was raised in Knoxville, she moved to sunny California and then relocated to our beloved Pittsburgh in 1979 and has lived here ever since; and
WHEREAS, Donna has always been an active member of her community, and now in addition to running her Kirk Avenue Block Watch, she serves as Secretary of the Zone 3 Public Safety Committee and spreads the her knowledge of public safety related community organizing throughout various neighborhoods including Arlington, Allentown, Knoxville, Carrick, and Mt. Oliver City; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, new tenants moved into the property adjacent to Donna and over time she noticed suspicious activity that gave her cause for alarm; and
WHEREAS, responding to this activity, Donna first went to the Carrick-Overbrook Block Watch for help, then formed her own Block Watch for her street, Kirk Avenue, to collect information and share it with law enforcement, eventually leading to the arrest of 43 people for drug related activity; and
WHEREAS, in addition to community safety meetings organized by Donna, the Kirk Avenue Block Watch has provided social opportunities for all neighbors, such as through block parties that have been thrown by the group; and
WHEREAS, in her work with the Block Watch, Donna has shown a great degree of understanding of public safety, by both encouraging community cohesion through block watch social activities and diligently supporting community surveillance and cooperation with law enforcement over vigilante action; and
WHEREAS, Donna knows that the most important element of community organizing is keeping all relevant parties involved, and has both forged crucial relationships with Officer Christine Luffey and community organizer Roy Blankenship and has crossed both geographic and racial lines to install passion and drive in community volunteers; and
WHEREAS, she has the support of her caring partner and teammate Bryan, and her loving daughter Christina and son-in-law Fabian; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby acknowledges the work Donna has done as a community leader and for assisting law enforcement to keep communities across Pittsburgh safe; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council hereby declares Tuesday, December 12, 2017, “Donna Williams Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.