In the last quarter of 2007, two Clairton women were murdered by teenage boys from that city: One was gunned down coming out of a convenience store, the other brutally beaten and stabbed in her own home.

The murders shocked and scared the community, prompting Mayor Domenic Virgona to look for a way to reach out to Clairton's young males, some of whom, he said, seem all too often to drift into lives of crime.

So he contacted the Rev. Sheldon Stoudemire, a Swissvale native and street minister who preaches to young men hanging out on street corners throughout the region, especially Wilkinsburg, Homewood and the Hill District.

The mayor asked the Rev. Stoudemire, an ordained Baptist minister and Clairton resident, if he could help to start a chapter of the group MAD DADS in Clairton. The Rev. Stoudemire already is active in a chapter of the group that started in Wilkinsburg in 2006

MAD DADS is an acronym for Men Against Destruction --Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder. It's a national organization that was founded in May 1989 by a group of parents in Omaha, Neb., who tired of gang violence and drug activities in their community.

Members of the group, most of whom are fathers, present themselves as positive role models who reach out to youth on the streets. The group does street patrols to connect with wayward juveniles and to assess the crime that is happening on the street. It works closely with police departments.

The group also sponsors positive activities within communities, such as block parties, rallies and trash pickup days.

"It's getting bad in Clairton and we need help. I thought a group like this might be able to get to the kids before the police do -- before they are arrested," Mr. Virgona said.

The Rev. Stoudemire agreed that Clairton was in need of a MAD DADS group and has been organizing in recent months. On Nov. 24, he led a march of MAD DADS from the Wilkinsburg group through the streets of Clairton.

"We hit the hot spots in the area -- Millview Acres, the Uni-Mart -- and we spoke to maybe a dozen and a half young people. We had a good talk, and we prayed with them," said the Rev. Stoudemire, who is a former Army Ranger and professional boxer.

He said the MAD DADS saw gang notations on the sidewalk and asked the young men about them. He said he learned that the notations referred to gang members' desires to make money.

"We challenged them and said if you want to be all about money, you need to be working 9-5 and if you want to work with drugs, you need to go to school to be a pharmacist.

"We talked with some guys about how they felt about the violence in the community, and some said they were afraid. Some want to move out of Clairton and some said they were sorry it has gotten so bad," the Rev. Stoudemire said.

The first of the two recent murders committed by teens was that of Florence Ranta, 82, a widow who was beaten and stabbed in her immaculately maintained Third Street home on Oct. 6. Police have charged Johnie "Trey" Washington III, 15, who lived just 100 yards away, with her murder.

Mrs. Ranta's murder was particularly shocking because the suspect knew her and, at times, cut her grass.

The second murder occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Nov. 13 as the victim was leaving the Uni-Mart on Miller Avenue after buying a pack of cigarettes. Jody Burdette, 38, the mother of three was shot in the chest and arm just outside of the store.

She lived just one block from the store and visited it frequently because her oldest son worked there.

Charged with homicide in that shooting is Parrish Linnen, 16, of Clairton.

Currently, the Rev. Stoudemire is working with several Clairton area churches to recruit men who are interested in forming a Clairton MAD DADS chapter.

"Ninety-nine percent of MAD DADS are males and fathers, but the group is not closed to women," he said.

He plans sometime in January to hold an assembly at the Clairton School District to introduce the group to the students. Later in January, he plans another assembly, this time to introduce the group to the community. His goal is to have the group in operation by Jan. 31.

The theme the group will preach will be similar to what the Rev. Stoudemire said he preaches on his street missions: "Love and hope."

A large focus of the group will be addressing the violence in the streets.

"The basic message is that no matter how far you have been out there, God can deliver you, forgive you and free you," he said.

"There is hope that lies in this community. Jesus is the hope that lies here. We want to get to our young people before the police or a judge or the coroner gets to them."

For more, call the Rev. Stoudemire at 412-758-8217.

First Published: January 3, 2008, 4:15 p.m.