[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 175 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[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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