Queens community leaders honored for pandemic outreach

Western Queens community heroes were honored Wednesday for their work throughout the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Gianaris' Office

By Rachel Vick

State Sen. Michael Gianaris honored a group of good samaritans from western Queens during an outdoor ceremony Wednesday night.

The Western Queens COVID-19 Heroes ceremony honored 13 individuals and groups for their work helping neighbors during the pandemic.

“So many people stepped up to help their neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic in so many different ways – providing food, organizing small businesses, distributing needed supplies – that we should thank them for the efforts that saved lives and kept our community together,” Gianaris said.

“I appreciate all their efforts and their partnership in the last year,” he added. “The western Queens community emerged stronger and better able to tackle the serious challenges we continue to face.”

Honorees included community organizations, mutual aid groups and activists including the Queens Liberation Project, Queens Together, Kelli Craig of LIC Relief, Roseann McSorley of Katch Astoria, Otis and Finn Barbershop, Kate Petersen of Proud Astorian, K. Bain of Queensbridge 696, Community Activist Lashawn “Suga Ray” Marston, Rocky, the Astoria Pug, Jamie Faye Bean of Sunnyside Shines, Ridgewood Tenants Union, Kambri Crews of QED, Mohamed Jabed of the Astoria Welfare Society.

Each dedicated time and effort to the community in their own way, from organizing food collections and rallying support for restaurants to collecting compost or finding ways to raise spirits in dark times.

“When COVID happened, and the world started to fall apart, I doubled down on my community building and organizing in Queensbridge and Western Queens… through a lot of partnerships and moving parts, we positively impacted thousands and thousands and thousands of people,” Marston wrote on Instagram. “No matter what's been going on in my personal life, I keep building community.”