NYCHA Caretakers Honored With John DeCarlo Award for Exemplary Service 

Over his 25 years serving as a Caretaker at Brooklyn’s Roosevelt Houses, Edwin Garcia has been a friendly face for both residents and employees, keeping their needs top of mind as he goes about his daily duties.   

Fellow Caretaker Sergio Sosa is equally appreciated by the residents at Robinson Houses in Manhattan, where he can be seen delighting the community with pleasant greetings and chants that evoke his pride in the job.       

The two cheerful employees were recently recognized for their exemplary service to the NYCHA community with the John DeCarlo Memorial Award. Named after a longtime NYCHA Caretaker who lost his life while on duty at Brooklyn’s Marlboro Houses in 1997, the award is presented each year to two exemplary Caretakers with a minimum of five years of service.  

At a June 13 celebratory luncheon attended by Roosevelt Houses staff and NYCHA executives including Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Chief Operating Officer Eva Trimble, Mr. Garcia received this year’s award grand prize with a $1,000 check. Mr. Sosa was presented the runner-up prize with a $500 check during a lunch with colleagues and executives on June 21.   

“I am very proud to award our 2024 grand-prize and runner-up winners for their outstanding service as Caretakers,” Ms. Bova-Hiatt said. “As NYCHA employees, every single one of us works in service to our residents. Mr. Garcia and Mr. Sosa are shining examples of this commitment.”  

Ms. Trimble added, “NYCHA’s Caretakers are the foundation of our team. Mr. Garcia and Mr. Sosa embody the Authority’s values, offering the highest level of customer service to our residents day in and day out. I congratulate them on this important recognition.” 

Mr. Garcia, who began his NYCHA career nearly 30 years ago as a City Service Aide at Hope Gardens, has worked at Roosevelt Houses since February 1999, first as a Caretaker J and most recently as a Caretaker X. Karen Moye, a Brooklyn Neighborhood Administrator overseeing the development, said Mr. Garcia always looks to assist the senior residents, whether by carrying their groceries, ensuring they enter the building and elevator safely, or holding open doors.    

“Mr. Garcia promotes mutual respect and cooperation with the residents while performing his daily tasks, and the residents appreciate his concerns for their well-being,” Ms. Moye noted.  

A motivational colleague, Mr. Garcia also looks out for his fellow employees by assisting them with completing various tasks, providing guidance as well as positive feedback, and helping train staff on how to properly service trash compactors or use equipment to effectively clean building areas, Ms. Moye described.  

“Mr. Garcia takes pride in the work that he does, and he is highly respected by the residents and employees,” Ms. Moye said. “He dedicates his time to the job, enjoys what he does, and works diligently to complete any and all tasks given to him.”   

Mr. Sosa began working at NYCHA in 2018 as a City Seasonal Aide in the Bronx and later transferred to Robinson Houses, where he has served as a Caretaker J for five years. Sheika Crump, Supervisor of Housing Caretakers at the development, said Mr. Sosa is consistently ready to lend a helping hand to residents, either by carrying bags or assisting with decorating the building during holidays and events. The uplifting Caretaker, Ms. Crump said, is known for offering joyful greetings to lift residents’ spirits and also encourages them to do their part to keep the buildings clean by recycling, disposing of trash, or removing potential clutter.   

Caretaker Sergio Sosa celebrates his runner up award at Robinson Houses.

“Tenants will often praise Mr. Sosa for the cleanliness of the building as well as his harmonious disposition,” Ms. Crump said. “His dedication to the job is impeccable. He is the employee every development needs and the worker every supervisor wishes they had.”  

NYCHA’s Vice President for Employee Engagement Yvette Andino praised the efforts of Mr. Garcia and Mr. Sosa in serving their respective communities and fulfilling the ideals of the award’s namesake.   

“Edwin and Sergio well represent the spirit of service of the late, great John DeCarlo,” Ms. Andino said. “All of us at NYCHA are grateful for their contributions toward improving residents’ quality of life and ensuring safe, healthy communities.”  

Featured photo caption: Grand-prize winner Edwin Garcia (third from left) was joined by NYCHA executives and colleagues to receive this year’s John DeCarlo Memorial Award at Roosevelt Houses.