HACP’s Coach Myrae Lee is Striving to Set Allegheny Dwellings Youth Up For Success

Coach Myrae Lee talks with the children inside the Cheryl Gainey Wellness Center at Allegheny Dwellings. She helps the kids with reading and writing, homework support, and other projects.

Coach Myrae Lee was born to teach others, and is now fulfilling her dream by mentoring the youth of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh's (HACP) Allegheny Dwellings community.

She was raised in the HACP community by her mom, Mary, who taught her the importance of discipline, responsibility, and focus from an early age.

With a lot of hard work, overcoming perseverance, and influence from her many role models, Coach Lee is now working with the children at the Cheryl Gainey Wellness Center at Allegheny Dwellings where she teaches them reading and writing skills, provides homework support, and helps them in other areas as needed.

"I spent most of my time focused on school and participated in the after-school program, BJWL, at Allegheny Dwellings," Coach Lee said. "The program provided me with structure and a positive environment. It helped me to shape my mindset and determination to succeed."

She has even helped many of her peers over the years.

While attending Pittsburgh Public Schools King Pre-K-8, she served as a teacher's helper and worked with fellow students in the classroom.

She also volunteered and worked at daycares and after-school programs, participated in a mentoring program in middle school, and later became a mentor at Taylor Allderdice High School. She even worked for the BJWL after-school program at Allegheny Dwellings, running her own reading program for youth in 2017.

Coach Lee earned a bachelor's degree in early learning with a minor in psychology from Carlow University in 2023.

She said she believes working with HACP youth is important because they deserve access to support, mentorship, and other opportunities to help them to reach their full potential.

"I can relate because I was one of those youths here at Allegheny Dwellings. I am now giving back to my community and supporting youth in all areas, which means a lot to me," she said.

Coach Lee said she is proud to guide our youth on the right path, and hopes to have a lasting impact on their lives, noting they are "growing up in a fast-changing world where they need guidance, encouragement, and positive role models to help get them through."

Coach Lee said her role models include her mom, sisters, Samantha and Shavon, her late aunt, Elaine, 6th-grade mentor, Ms. Rochelle Leeper, and her teachers and professors that all aimed to mold her into the successful young, brave, strong Black woman she is today.

Coach Myrae Lee credits the late Ms. Cheryl Gainey, pictured at back, as one of her role models growing up at Allegheny Dwellings. Coach Lee now mentors children at the center named for Ms. Gainey.

Ms. Cheryl Gainey also served as a positive influence on her. The late Allegheny Dwellings Tenant Council President and HACP commissioner advocated for the youth in her community, including Coach Lee.

"She watched me grow up," she said of Ms. Gainey. "I was always helping her. Working here at the center that's named for her is like I've come full-circle, and I am still helping her; it's like she's still here."

Some of the children who regularly attend the wellness center shared how much they love Coach Lee, and said she helps them with exercising, homework, reading stories, and more.

They also said she's a good teacher who is helpful and nice.

"She's family to just about everybody," Coach Leroy Dillard, who manages the wellness center programs with Coach Thomas Chatman of Long-Term Fitness, said. "She knows all of the families, all of the kids. It's hard to find people like that. Here in Pittsburgh, she's an all-star. No matter what activities we host here, she's right there in the mix. She's a good person. Finding someone like her is a blessing."

Coach Chatman echoed his sentiments.

"What I love is her heart for the community and her heart for the children," he said. "She's passionate about the programs here for them, and can serve as a role model for the kids. She's overcome some of the barriers that these kids have. She's a huge asset to our team."

Coach Lee is excited for the future of the wellness center, and for showing the kids that strong, Black women can succeed.

"The best advice I have is to never give up," she added. "Keep going no matter what, and learn from your mistakes. Your struggles make you stronger."

The Cheryl Gainey Wellness Center, open to all Allegheny Dwellings residents and their children, promotes both physical and mental wellness, causes that Ms. Gainey staunchly supported. Long-Term Fitness provides a welcoming space where residents and their families can connect, share experiences, and build supportive relationships.

The Community Wellness & Cultural Resilience Initiative at the Cheryl Gainey Wellness Center is a multi-tiered wellness and behavioral health strategy designed to support HACP's Allegheny Dwellings community with a focus on cultural relevance, trauma-informed care, and holistic wellbeing.

For more information on the Cheryl Gainey Wellness Center, contact Coach Chatman at: 412-871-7701.