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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMUNITY HEROES TRIBUTE
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HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ
of new york
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 9, 2020
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and
recognize this year's Community Heroes for their life-time record of
public service, social activism, and charity. 2020 will be remembered
as one of the most unprecedented times in modem history. The COVID-19
pandemic has tested us and forever changed our lives. It has exposed
our vulnerabilities but has also given rise to countless community
heroes who, amid their own personal challenges, demonstrate courage and
resilience.
I am honored to congratulate this year's extraordinary Lower East
Side recipients of CODA's Community Hero Awards. Their service is
immeasurable, and the residents of my district are enriched and
strengthened by their contributions.
Camille Napoleon, Vice-President of the Baruch Houses Tenants
Association and a dedicated lifetime resident of the New York's City's
Loisaida community and Baruch Houses. When the state issued its stay at
home order and the pandemic swept the city, Camille knew her neighbors
and community would need help to survive this monumental event. Amidst
a notable lack of timely response from the City at the height of the
lockdown, Camille and her unstoppable crew of volunteers became a
lifeline for residents. Operating six days a week, ``Team Camille''
delivered thousands of emergency meals, food boxes, and essential
protection supplies to quarantined and homebound seniors, unemployed
families, and other vulnerable individuals throughout the Lower East
Side's public housing developments. Camille's volunteerism and efforts
far exceeded expectations. Today, she continues to serve her neighbors
and exemplify her passion for the community.
Eric Diaz, Executive Director of Vision Urbana Inc, Food Pantry
program. Vison Urbana is a community faith-based led organization
dedicated to the underserved families of the Seward Park Extension and
its neighboring communities. I recognize Eric Diaz for his leadership
and service to the community. The pandemic not only disrupted lives but
also the access to the food chain. Constituents in my district
encountered empty shelves at local grocery stores and markets. Food
insecurity grew to affect a record number of vulnerable residents. Eric
swiftly worked to secure and increase resources for the program. Under
his leadership, the food pantry program grew to double its distribution
and expand its coverage area. It delivered prepared meals and boxed
foods to hundreds of seniors and families in need. With his volunteers
and partner organizations, Eric and Vision Urbana's pantry program
reaffirmed its commitment to its mission and humanity.
Shaheeda Smith, who has devoted her life to empowering NYC residents
to reclaim their wellness through her innovative approach to dance and
movement therapy. Shaheeda, an advocate from Henry Street Settlement's
Community Advisory Board, teamed up with Henry Street and Good Old
Lower East Side (GOLES), a neighborhood housing and preservation
organization, to create the People's Permit Process, a guide to help
community members navigate the city's rules and regulations. When
COVID-19 rocked the community with biased and violent arrests related
to social-distancing regulations enforcement, this civil rights
activist interceded. Armed with extensive knowledge in the
constitutional right to assemble peacefully, Shaheeda emerged as a bold
voice for these victims of unwarranted excessive police force.
Journalists and activists have documented numerous excessive force
cases related to protests or simply for not wearing a mask. I am proud
to know that Shaheeda was proactive and recognized that these actions
are unacceptable.
Frances Goldin, posthumously, was known as ``the Crusader for the
Lower East Side''. Frances had an interesting life as a staunch
lifetime advocate and defender of housing, social and civil rights. As
early as 1959, she launched a successful campaign that defeated Robert
Moses' urban renewal plan to replace affordable housing in the Lower
Eastside with a freeway. She was a founding member of the Metropolitan
Council on Housing and was a strong defender of the displaced families
of Seward Park Urban Renewal area. Her activism was instrumental in
ensuring affordable housing for seniors at the newly developed Essex
Crossings. In 2019, the 100-unit senior development was named The
Goldin in her honor. Frances was also a literary agent who gave a voice
to countless aspiring progressive writers who probably never would have
their works printed without her support. Lastly, Frances was a proud
advocate and champion for the LBGTQ community. She was iconic for
attending New York City's Pride Parade. Before her passing, she was
pictured in the papers at the parade on her wheelchair. Despite her
unfortunate passing at the peak of the pandemic, her legacy lives on
through her children and the many lives she touched over the years. At
the time her passing the New York Times called her a ``. . . protester,
provocateur and voice for lost causes.'' Frances was that and more, she
was a trailblazer and a woman on a lifetime mission for justice. The
Lower East Side community will forever remember Frances Goldin.
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