NYCHA’s Resident Leaders Helping Their Communities

When Carmen Quiňones first heard news of COVID-19 affecting New Yorkers, she knew she wanted to take action to help the seniors at her Manhattan development, Douglass Houses, where she serves as Resident Association President. 

Ms. Quiňones contacted La Fonda Boricua restaurant owner James Gonzalez for assistance. The restaurant is participating in the World Central Kitchen’s COVID-19 program to distribute packaged meals to people who need them most. La Fonda provided the meals and, at first, Ms. Quiňones personally paid for taxis to get the food from the restaurant to Douglass Houses. Then a friend, Harlem resident Richard Habersham, called to check in on her and heard about the issue of getting the donated meals to her development. He volunteered to rent a van to assist, and has been providing transportation ever since. 

Ms. Quiňones and a team of eight volunteers at Douglass began distributing food to the 18 buildings that comprise the development on Thursdays and Saturdays. They start deliveries at 11 a.m. and work until the last meal is delivered, sometimes until 10:30 p.m.  

After working hard on Thursdays and Saturdays, Ms. Quiňones needs three days for her body to recuperate from the effort. She has lupus and COPD but leads this effort for her community because “the need was so big that I can’t really think about myself. God has been very good to let me help people.” 

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What began at one development in Manhattan spread to include 12 other NYCHA developments throughout Manhattan and the Bronx, and Ms. Quiňones recently received a phone call from a resident at a Queens development who is in need of food. At each development, volunteers who reside at the development help deliver meals to their neighbors. (Read more about Carmen Quiňones’ efforts at Douglass Houses here.) 

“I have 19 children and 10 great-grandchildren, and I could not imagine what people are feeling right now with families who have to say to their child, ‘You can only eat this,’ when they’re not used to this,” Ms. Quiňones said. “It’s because I am blessed that I can lend myself out like this.” 

Ms. Quiňones is doing something extraordinary for her community, but her efforts are not out of the ordinary for NYCHA’s resident association (RA) leaders. Across the city, RA leadership is organizing, volunteering, and caring for their neighbors by distributing food, masks, and hand sanitizer. For instance, at Samuel Apartments in Harlem, RA President Diana Blackwell has been organizing to help serve meals to residents of Drew Hamilton, P.S. 139, Fred Samuel MHOP, and Samuel Apartments. They also provide human interaction and a calming presence to their communities during these uncertain times. At Ingersoll Houses in Brooklyn, RA President Darold Burgess has regular wellness check-ins with residents to ensure they have the most updated information about COVID-19 and the resources available to them. 

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At Whitman Houses in Brooklyn, Shaquana Boykin, Secretary of the resident association, has been volunteering with other residents to distribute groceries and hot meals to seniors and other vulnerable residents at Whitman, Farragut, and Ingersoll Houses, helping to feed about 600 households in total. 

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“Volunteering during COVID-19 is important to me, because I want NYCHA residents to be seen as a collective of people that can work with NYCHA,” Ms. Boykin said. “We have residents who’ve never worked for NYCHA taking temp jobs to do their part to keep NYCHA clean, and myself and others stepping up to deliver food to seniors and the most vulnerable populations. This is what community power looks like. I am volunteering to bridge the connections and make sure NYCHA residents are informed, NYCHA gets recognition for providing help like others, and for residents to feel safe and have food while New York is on Pause.”  

If you know a NYCHA resident who should be acknowledged for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, please email journal@nycha.nyc.gov.