Gisele Barreto Fetterman

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Gisele Barreto Fetterman
Wolf and Lt. Gov. Fetterman Announce Pennsylvania COVID-19 Response Task Force for Health Disparity Report (50223493152) (cropped).jpg
Fetterman in 2020
Second Lady of Pennsylvania
Assumed role
January 15, 2019
LieutenantJohn Fetterman
Preceded byTonya Stack
Personal details
Born
Gisele Barreto Almeida[nt 1]

(1982-02-27) February 27, 1982 (age 41)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
(m. 2008)​
Children3
EducationInstitute for Integrative Nutrition

Gisele Barreto Fetterman (née Barreto Almeida; born February 27, 1982)[1] is a Brazilian-American activist, philanthropist and nonprofit executive. She is a founder of the non-profit Freestore 15104 and a co-founder of the non-profits For Good PGH and 412 Food Rescue. As the wife of Lieutenant-Governor John Fetterman, she is the current Second Lady of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Early life

Fetterman was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[2] When she was seven years old, Fetterman came to the United States as an undocumented child immigrant with her mother and younger brother, taking up residence in a one-room apartment in New York City.[3][2][4] They left Brazil due to violent crime in their community.[2][5] In New York, the family lived in poverty, and furnished their apartment with furniture they found on the street.[3] Fetterman said that her family often depended on food banks and thrift stores.[2] Her mother, who had a PhD degree from a Brazilian university and had worked as a nutritionist and educator, took jobs cleaning hotels and houses, and was often denied pay due to her status as an undocumented immigrant.[2][5]

Fetterman did not speak English when she arrived in the United States, and enrolled in an English as a second language program at her school in Queens.[2] The family later moved to Newark, New Jersey.[5] She studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.[6]

Fetterman received her green card in 2004 and became a citizen of the United States in 2009.[7]

Activism and public life

As First Lady of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Fetterman founded The Braddock Free Store, a non-profit organization that provides local lower-income families with toys, diapers, baby formula, clothing, household items, and furniture.[3][5] The organization serves close to 1,600 families per month.[3][8] She started the Braddock Bench Project, focused on adding benches to local bus stops.[3]

In 2015, Fetterman co-founded 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating food insecurity and providing nutritional resources to families in need.[3][9] The organization redistributed 2.5 million pounds of food in its first two years.[5] She launched the Positive Parking Signs Project, a local initiative installing signs around local communities with sayings like "Follow Your Dreams" and "More Hugs Needed".[3] Fetterman founded For Good PGH in 2017, a non-profit that advocates for diversity and inclusion, which brought the Free Store 15104 under its brand in 2019.[10][11] For Good's largest initiative is The Hollander Project, a business incubator for women entrepreneurs.[12]

Fetterman at her husband's inauguration in 2019.

She has pushed for the United States Congress to take "humane and compassionate" approaches to immigration, and petitioned that immigrant families should not be separated.[3] She spoke in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for attempting to end the program.[13][14] She also supports the legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania and is a supporter of LGBTQ rights in the United States.[15][6][16] She was named "Best Activist" by the Pittsburgh City Paper for her community involvement.[5]

On June 20, 2018, she served as the emcee for World Refugee Day Pittsburgh.[17] Earlier that month she spoke out about the Shooting of Antwon Rose Jr.[18] Fetterman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Rose, who volunteered at one of her non-profits, was "just a really lovely, gentle kid" and "really special."[18]

Fetterman in 2019.

In 2019 Fetterman and her husband opened the pool at the Lieutenant Governor's Mansion, located on Fort Indiantown Gap, to children who would not normally have access to one.[15] The residence, on property owned by the Pennsylvania National Guard, is located about twenty-five miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Fetterman, whose family has chosen not to live at the official residence, runs a program teaching water safety at the pool.[15][6][19]

She served as the host and honorary chairperson of the 2019 Hispanic Heritage Gala on September 28, 2019. The event, held at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, raised money for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Foundation Educational Fund.[20] On October 29, 2019 she was the first woman recipient of the Rodef Shalom Congregation's Pursuer of Peace Award.[21]

In February 2020 Fetterman criticized the company Amazon for selling an anti-immigration bumper sticker with the text "Fuck Off, We're Full" written on the shape of the continental United States.[22][23] The sticker was described on the company's website as an "Anti Immigrant Vinyl Car Bumper Window Sticker."[23] She tweeted at Amazon, asking the company to reconsider the "power and influence" of their platform.[23] Amazon responded on February 3, 2020 stating they would remove the sticker from their website.[23]

On March 6, 2020 Fetterman was a speaker at the YOUR HOUR, HER POWER luncheon at the Westmoreland Club, held in honor of International Women's Day.[2][22] She took part in the 2020 Census Tour, speaking at Pennsylvania State University about the importance of filling out the United States Census.[24]

In April 2020 Fetterman spoke about the importance of social distancing, and the power of community engagement, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[25] In September 2020 Fetterman helped organize a shopping-spree event for women first responders.[26]

Personal life

In 2007, Gisele met John Fetterman, then the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, after writing him a letter inquiring about the town's role in the steel industry.[3] They were married the following year.[3] The Fettermans have three children, Karl, Grace, and August, and live with their rescue dog, Levi, in a renovated loft in a former car dealership building, built in 1920, in Braddock.[27][28][19][29] Fetterman adopted Levi from The Foster Farm, who rescued him from a home in West Virginia.[29]

Fetterman is close friends with Kim Kardashian.[30] She endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[31] She endorsed former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 United States presidential election.[32]

Fetterman was the subject of an online controversy in February 2020 after a local official commented negatively on her husband posting a picture to social media showing her in a Rio Carnival costume.[33]

In August 2020, she spoke publicly about her use of medical marijuana to treat chronic back pain.[34]

On October 11, 2020, Fetterman was yelled at by a bystander, who used racial slurs and spoke against her Brazilian background and told Fetterman that she "did not belong here [in America]."[35][36]

Notes

  1. ^
    In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Barreto and the second or paternal family name is Almeida.

References

  1. ^ Rahman, Khaleda (October 12, 2020). "Who is Gisele Barreto Fetterman? Pennsylvania's second lady victim of racist attack". Newsweek.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g DuPuis, Roger (March 6, 2020). "Pennsylvania Second Lady Gisele Fetterman brings story to women's luncheon". Times Leader.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Once an Undocumented Immigrant, Pennsylvania Town's First Lady is Giving Back to Her Adoptive Home". New American Economy. June 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Running Outside the Box". Latino Rebels. November 24, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f McGuire, John N. (November 29, 2017). "The Undocumented Story of Gisele Barreto Fetterman". AL DÍA News.
  6. ^ a b c King, Steve. "American Saint: Second Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Fetterman on Kindness in Government". undertheradarmag.com.
  7. ^ "Gisele Fetterman: American dream should be for everyone | TribLIVE.com". triblive.com. May 11, 2019.
  8. ^ "Access and equality advocate to share her story at Penn State York | Penn State University". news.psu.edu.
  9. ^ "Interview with Gisele Barreto Fetterman". Her Campus. April 13, 2020.
  10. ^ "Gisele Fetterman". For Good PGH.
  11. ^ "Resume" (PDF). www.psea.org. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  12. ^ "Pa. second lady Gisele Fetterman: From 'invisible' undocumented immigrant to loud, proud advocate". pennlive. September 30, 2019.
  13. ^ Fetterman, John Fetterman, Gisele Barreto. "Your View by PA's lieutenant governor and second lady: Give young immigrants chance for American dream". mcall.com.
  14. ^ "Let All The Dreamers Dream Of A Home In America | John Fetterman And Gisele Barreto Fetterman". Across Pennsylvania, PA Patch. August 5, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "Lt. Gov. John Fetterman opens State House pool for use by kids | TribLIVE.com". triblive.com. June 7, 2019.
  16. ^ "Q&A with Gisele Barreto Fetterman, Second Lady of Pennsylvania". June 24, 2019.
  17. ^ "World Refugee Day Pittsburgh 2018". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Gisele Fetterman, Duquesne mayor say police shooting victim was well-mannered and smart, 'really special'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  19. ^ a b "My Favorite Room: The Fettermans' Braddock Loft". March 4, 2020.
  20. ^ "Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Announcing our Gala Host/Honorary Chair: Gisele Barreto Fetterman". www.pmahcc.org.
  21. ^ "Rodef Shalom Congregation Holds Second Annual Holiday Gift Drive for Children". Rodef Shalom.
  22. ^ a b Allabaugh, Denise. "Pennsylvania's Second Lady delivers message in Wilkes-Barre". Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice.
  23. ^ a b c d Deto, Ryan. "Amazon stops selling an anti-immigrant sticker following criticism from Pa. Second Lady Gisele Fetterman". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  24. ^ Parrish, Marley (February 20, 2020). "'We need to count you.' Pa. Second Lady Gisele Fetterman promotes 2020 census at Penn State". www.centredaily.com. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  25. ^ Columnist, Gisele Barreto Fetterman Guest (April 1, 2020). "Gisele Barreto Fetterman: To Get Through This, We All Must "Be the Helpers"". Times Leader.
  26. ^ "Women On The Front Line Treated To Shopping Spree". September 16, 2020.
  27. ^ "In Pennsylvania, A Car Dealership Becomes An Industrial Home – Design*Sponge". www.designsponge.com. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  28. ^ "John Fetterman says he's raised too much money to keep 'exploring' a run for Senate". WHYY. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Paoletta, Rae (January 15, 2021). "Good People, Good Pups: Gisele Barreto Fetterman on Her Amazing Rescue, Levi". Good Dog.
  30. ^ "Kim Kardashian visits Harrisburg to hang out with her friend, Pa.'s second lady". pennlive. July 25, 2019.
  31. ^ "Fitzgerald, Davis pledge as Biden delegates; Wagner, Pa.'s second lady line up for Warren". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  32. ^ Watts, Marina (October 12, 2020). "Gisele Barreto Fetterman's Instagram highlights history of service day after being verbally attacked with racial slur". Newsweek.
  33. ^ "Photo of Carnival-clad Gisele Fetterman sparks conversation online". pennlive. February 11, 2020.
  34. ^ "Gisele Fetterman gets personal about her medical marijuana use | TribLIVE.com". triblive.com. August 26, 2020.
  35. ^ [1]
  36. ^ [2]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gisele Barreto Fetterman.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Tonya Stack
 Second Lady of Pennsylvania
2019–present 		Current holder
Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=Gisele_Barreto_Fetterman&oldid=1119051766"