BROOKLYN — Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on Tuesday honored 87 people he called “COVID Everyday Heroes,” people making a difference in their community during the pandemic.
Each honoree displayed courage, character and made incredible contributions to their community during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adams said.
“We know more people did not lose their lives because of heroes and sheroes that are here today and we thank you for that,” said Adams.
Honoree Olga Manns, a 76-year old resident from Bedford Stuyvesant, helped run a soup kitchen and food pantry out of the basement of her church for 15 years and didn’t stop during the pandemic. Manns actually stepped things up and helped feed hundreds of families.
“People need to eat and you are what you eat,” said Manns.
Xenia Barnes said being honored was bitter sweet. Barnes and her family started The Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation, named after her nephew who was a killed by gun violence in 2017. Her group distributed PPE to thousands of families in Bedford Stuyvesant, East New York and Downtown Brooklyn.
Another honoree, 11-year-old Leah Pavlov, from Coney Island, used hundreds of dollars of her own money to pack lunches for health care workers at Coney Island hospital. Each honoree got a special proclamation, but Adams hopes they also take home the knowledge that they are appreciated by their community.
“We stood up. We rallied around each other. The energy that came from this city cascaded throughout the entire country,” said Adams.
This honor is part of Adams’ Everyday Heroes of the month event series. If you want to nominate someone for a “COVID Everyday Heroes” award, email Askeric@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
