Join us in welcoming Meleak to his new role as Program Coordinator of Beams to Bridges on the Steel Smiling Team! Meleak spent 2025 completing his one-year position as a Peer Support Fellow with Steel Smiling, where he became trained and equipped to use his lived experience of mental illness and healing to provide education, support, and advocacy to community members seeking mental health support. Through the fellowship design, Steel Smiling supported Peer Support Fellows in obtaining training and certification in a community-based mental health worker role of their choice (ex: Certified Peer Specialist, Certified Recovery Specialist, or other appropriate role) while working within the Steel team’s current programs.
Read the Q&A below to hear about Meleak’s experience as a Peer Support Fellow, and what he hopes to bring to his new role on the team!
Q: What did your experience as a peer support specialist mean to you?
A: “When Ms. Robin Sheffey approached me about applying for the Peer Support Fellowship with Steel Smiling, I was working with Artist Talk Mental Health, led by Sydney Davis. Supporting Sydney’s passion for uplifting Pittsburgh’s artist community through mental health and professional development deeply inspired me. I recognized that same calling within myself, supporting my peers through real estate education, financial empowerment, and mindset coaching.
My mother’s dedication to real estate and her commitment to educating and uplifting everyone she worked with planted those seeds in me early. With a psychology degree and more than 12 years in the real estate industry, I have always sought to pour back into the communities that raised me.
The fellowship became a catalyst. Expanding my mental health knowledge, facilitating support groups, and earning my peer support certification refined my passion into purpose. It strengthened my ability to serve with both lived experience and professional skill, positioning me to operate at a higher level of impact.”
Q: Why is peer to peer support important in the community mental health space?
A: “Peer to peer support is the lifeline of community mental health. Shared lived experiences create trust, relatability, and hope in ways that traditional systems sometimes cannot. When individuals realize they are not alone in their trauma, stress, or struggle, resilience becomes possible.
Compassion from someone who truly understands can shift isolation into empowerment. Peer support reminds community members that healing is collective, not individual. Encouraging one another to persevere through life’s challenges is essential to sustaining mental wellness and strengthening our communities.”
Q: Reflect on your signature events. How did your work inform the creation of these? What was the outcome and impact of them?
A: “Unlocking Mental Wellness Through Financial Freedom was designed to bridge mental health and financial empowerment across generations. From the beginning of my fellowship, we discussed my ability to connect mental wellness, financial literacy, and real estate education in a meaningful way.
As the founder of Realty Thinking, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting financial wellness and economic mobility through real estate education, closing these gaps has long been part of my mission. Steel Smiling empowered me to bring that vision to life through a signature event that included a panel discussion blending lived experience with professional expertise in financial wellness, a safe space for youth to receive guidance on career development and financial growth, and interactive wellness activities that engaged multiple generations.
The outcome was powerful. The event demonstrated that mental wellness and financial stability are deeply connected. It also strengthened my confidence as a facilitator and leader, helping position me to step into my new role as Beams to Bridges Cohort Program Coordinator with clarity and conviction.”
Q: What pieces of your experience from your time as a peer support specialist will you bring with you into your new role on the Steel Smiling team?
A: “During my fellowship, the Steel team continuously challenged and inspired me to grow as a facilitator and leader. I gained hands on experience coordinating events, managing vendors, developing curriculum, and leading support group activities.
Combined with my Mental Health First Aid certification, Peer Specialist certification, and continued professional development, these experiences have equipped me to serve effectively as a resource and leader. I will bring intentional facilitation, structured programming, and community centered engagement to the Beams to Bridges Cohort, while supporting Program Manager Robin Sheffey and the broader Steel Smiling mission.”
Q: What work are you most excited for or looking forward to in 2026?
A: “In 2026, I am excited to help expand the impact and reach of the Beams to Bridges cohort and other Steel Smiling initiatives. My goal is to build on the strong foundation already in place by increasing outreach, deepening participant engagement, and strengthening program capacity.
I look forward to not only serving as a coordinator and facilitator but also becoming a living resource within Steel Smiling’s programming, bridging mental wellness, financial empowerment, and community leadership in ways that create sustainable, long-term impact.”
