Remarkable Women Finalist: Melissa Sawyer
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Thousands of children know her, and thousands of children love her.
Her name is Melissa Sawyer. She is the co-founder and CEO of the Youth Empowerment Project, better known around town as YEP.
Beginning in 2004, Melissa and two other women believed there needed to be a program in New Orleans that really invested in the future of our youth. YEP's mission was to engage underserved young people through community-based programs.
Abita Brewing Company opens second location in New Orleans
'It really came from addressing an unmet need in the community and wanting to help and to do good and support young people and families,' said Sawyer. 'It's funny, people ask me if this is what I had hoped for YEP. I was like, 'I had no idea!''
Since then, YEP has evolved to enrich the lives of anyone ages 7 and up. YEP serves almost 1,000 people per year.
One of the core services provided is education.
In one testimonial, a woman got her high school equivalency in 2014 thanks to YEP. She added that she is about to have two degrees, stating that once you have someone who is there for you, that will make you want to do it more.
Need work? Got work? HustleHawks is the New Orleans app for that
In another testimonial of a woman who got her high school equivalency from YEP, she told her daughter she wanted to get a class ring with 'YEP' on it.
There are also employment programs, including YEP Bike Works and Yep Thrift Works.
Melissa has been showered with awards for her work in the community, but her biggest reward is seeing how YEP makes a positive impact on the lives of its participants.
'For me, just knowing that YEP has played one small part in, at this point, thousands of people's lives in this community is more than I could ever ask for,' said Sawyer.Warm and sunny today and tomorrow
Suspected cause of death for former Yankees player's son in Costa Rica revealed
New Orleans police seek suspect, victims in sex crimes investigation
Michigan couple held in Mexican prison, daughter says
Student returns lost backpack filled with luxury jewelry, diamonds, cash
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'
Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has denounced the riots in Los Angeles and warned his party about the pitfalls of failing to adequately condemn the 'anarchy and true chaos. 'I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that,' Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote on X on Monday evening. 'This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.' Advertisement The Keystone State Dem included a photo of cars being scorched in a fiery blaze with a shirtless masked man waving a Mexican flag in the background. 3 President Trump has deployed several thousand National Guard troops to Los Angeles to try to help quell the violent protests over his illegal-immigration crackdown. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman, a Dem from Pennsylvania, isn't mincing words about his condemnation of the riots in Los Angeles. Getty Images Around the time of his post, Fetterman was spotted at Butterworth's, a top MAGA hangout in Washington, DC — dining with Trump ally Steve Bannon and Breitbart's Matt Boyle, Politico Playbook reported. Tech mogul Elon Musk commended Fetterman's condemnation of the 'anarchy and true chaos' unfolding in LA, replying with an American flag emoji. Fetterman's post came amid a feud between President Trump and top California Democrats over the prez's decision to federalize the California National Guard and bring in troops to tame the unrest in Los Angeles. Advertisement Protesters had flooded the streets in droves Friday to demonstrate against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts in the city. The ICE agents' targets have included a Home Depot in Paramount. 3 Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has stressed that the violent destructive rioting has largely been limited to downtown. Toby Canham for NY Post By Saturday, some of the demonstrations devolved into violent clashes with federal authorities in Compton and Paramount. The Trump administration mobilized another 2,000 troops to respond to the mayhem, after previously ordering an initial 2,000 troops to the region over the weekend. Trump's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, said Monday he also was deploying 700 Marines to the area to help try to contain the chaos. Advertisement Top leadership in California, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — both Democrats — slammed the GOP White House for the troop mobilization and pleaded with the public not to turn to violence to protest Trump's immigration policies. Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Dem, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration seeking to void the president's memo to federalize the state's National Guard. Fetterman hasn't been afraid to punch the left in his own party, particularly when it comes to Israel. Near the end of the Biden administration, he had also favored measures to strengthen border security.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Map and List of Anti-ICE Protests Nationwide Following LA Riots
Protests against actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement erupted in several cities across the United States on Monday after clashes between protesters and authorities intensified in Los Angeles over the weekend. Demonstrators gathered in major cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Tampa, San Francisco against ICE raids and in solidarity with the protesters in Los Angeles. The protests have highlighted ongoing divisions over U.S. immigration policy and its impact on communities across the country. Protests against ICE erupted in Los Angeles on Friday, as federal authorities arrested immigrants in several locations throughout the city. Tensions escalated Sunday as thousands took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard. Trump and other administration officials have seized on the images of burning cars, graffiti and Mexican flags to bolster their cause, while California sued the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops. Clashes escalated in Los Angeles over the weekend after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city, in areas including the Fashion District and a Home Depot parking lot. On Sunday, demonstrators blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Thousands peacefully attended a rally at City Hall on Monday, while hundreds protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held, The Associated Press reported. ICE denied these allegations, a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles." Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops into the city as well as 700 Marines, which California Governor Gavin Newsom has blasted as "reckless" and "disrespectful to our troops." Demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Monday evening in solidarity with those protesting ICE actions in Los Angeles. Law enforcement used tear gas and pepper spray against protesters and at least two people were arrested, KXAN reported. Protesters gathered in Daley Plaza on Monday to demonstrate against ICE raids in Chicago and Los Angeles, ABC7 reported. On Monday evening, protesters also gathered outside the Chicago Police Department's headquarters, accusing the department of helping ICE with crowd control, which the department denies. Dozens of protesters gathered on Monday evening to protest the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to Fox4. The demonstration began on the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge before moving to the streets. Officers used pepper balls to disperse protesters and at least one person was arrested, said Fox News reporter Brooke Taylor on X. At least 20 people were arrested after protesters occupied Trump Tower on Monday, demanding the return of migrants who were sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador. Rise and Resist, the group that organized the protest, said the demonstrators "went to Trump Tower to protest the illegal kidnappings and deportations of immigrants with due process. We are demanding the Trump regime halt these deportations and bring everyone home who was sent to CECOT." Video posted on social media showed police officers placing demonstrators in zip ties and escorting them from the building. Hundreds of people gathered outside Tampa City Hall on Monday to demand an end to ICE raids across the country. There were some heated moments between anti-ICE protesters and counter-protesters, but no violence was reported, according to Fox13. There were also reports of anti-ICE demonstrations in Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans and other cities. More than 30 protests were planned for Monday across the country in support of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union of California (SEIU) after he was detained during a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles on Friday. He was released on Monday. April Verrett, president of the SEIU, said in a statement on Monday: "We are relieved that David is free and reunited with his family and we are deeply grateful to the hundreds of elected officials, civil rights leaders, labor partners and allies from across the nation who stood in solidarity and demanded David's release. "But this struggle is about much more than just one man. Thousands of workers remain unjustly detained and separated from their families. At this very moment, immigrant communities are being terrorized by heavily militarized armed forces. The Trump regime calling in the National Guard is a dangerous escalation to target people who disagree with them. It is a threat to our democracy. The federal government should never be used as a weapon against people who disagree with them." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X late Monday: "Stop the raids. There is a real fear in Los Angeles right now. Parents, workers, grandparents, young people scared to go about their daily lives. We are a city of immigrants. Washington is attacking our people, our neighborhoods and our economy." California Governor Gavin Newsom said on X that the president "is trying to provoke chaos by sending 4,000 soldiers onto American soil. Foolish agitators who take advantage of Trump's chaos will be held accountable. Stay safe. Stay calm. Look out for one another." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated." Demonstrations against ICE actions are expected to continue in Los Angeles and other major cities in the coming days. Coordinated nationwide protests against Trump and his administration's policies are also planned to take place in cities in all 50 states on the president's birthday on June 14. Related Articles Federal Officers 'Overrun' as Santa Ana Protests EscalateLA's Only Elected Republican Reacts to National Guard Troops, ICE RaidsCalifornia Republican: Gavin Newsom Should 'Absolutely Not' Be ArrestedRichard Blumenthal Reveals Trump 'Martial Law' Fear 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man who likened himself to Mexican drug lord loses appeal over 21-year sentence
A man who likened himself to the infamous drug dealer El Chapo and was later jailed for more than two decades has lost an appeal against his sentence. Jonathan Cassidy played a leading role in an international drug plot which saw cocaine imported from the Netherlands and used to supply users across north-west England, Birmingham and Leeds. Manchester Crown Court heard last year that the operation dealt with 356kg of the drug, worth around £26 million, with £10 million in cash changing hands in the space of three months. Prosecutors also said that Cassidy sent an associate a picture of the actor playing Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman in the TV programme Narcos, known as El Chapo, and joked that they shared the same birthday. Cassidy was jailed for 21 years and nine months in March last year, having admitted importing drugs, conspiring to supply drugs and conspiring to transfer criminal property the previous month. At an appeal hearing in London last month, his lawyers claimed that the sentencing judge gave him insufficient credit for his guilty pleas and that not enough weight was given to mitigating factors. But in a ruling published on Monday, three senior judges dismissed the challenge. Lord Justice Fraser, sitting with Mr Justice Hilliard and Mr Justice Constable, said that they were 'not persuaded' that the sentence was 'manifestly excessive or reached after an error of principle'. They also dismissed an appeal bid brought by Cassidy's co-defendant, Nasar Ahmed, who admitted the same offences and received the same jail term. Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told Manchester Crown Court last year that Cassidy played a 'leading role' in drugs importation and the buying and selling of class A drugs while Ahmed acted as a middleman and 'facilitator', transferring vast sums of cash to buy and sell on drugs. One associate was arrested in a car in Liverpool, where police found two Asda bags for life containing £249,940. After the encrypted EncroChat network used by Cassidy and Ahmed was compromised by law enforcement agencies, Cassidy travelled to Dubai in July 2020 and inquired with estate agents about purchasing a villa with a budget of £2.3 million, including a £22,000 bed. He travelled back to the UK in October that year, but was arrested upon his return. Cassidy was sentenced alongside his younger brother, Jamie Cassidy, a former Liverpool football prodigy who played alongside Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen in the Liverpool side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1996. Jamie Cassidy received a sentence of 13 years and three months for conspiring to supply drugs and conspiring to transfer criminal property, after prosecutors said he was 'drawn in' to crime by his older brother. Dismissing Jonathan Cassidy and Ahmed's appeals, Lord Justice Fraser said that both knew 'what their conduct had been and the degree to which it was unlawful'. He continued that despite defendants in other EncroChat cases being given greater credit for guilty pleas, there was 'no one single 'EncroChat discount'' that should be applied.
