Recognized for their outstanding contributions on Hometown Heroes Day, the Museum honors members of the tri-state area whose selfless efforts in the field of community service has earned them the distinction of being called "Hometown Heroes."
2011 Winners
2010 Winners
2009 Winners
2006 Winners |
|
| |
| 2011 Hometown Heroes Day Award Winners: |
Community Service Award
Winner: Eileen Markenstein
Hometown: New JerseyNominated By: Aart Markenstein
Recognized for: Reviving The Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery while providing jobs, housing and solace for homeless Veterans.
Youth Community Service Award
Winner: Samantha Rodriguez
Hometown: New YorkNominated By: Maritza DeJesus
Recognized for: Community leadership, mentorship and her fight for equality in sports.
Mentor Award
Winner: Benjamin Shuldiner
Hometown: LouisianaNominated By: Emily Nemens
Recognized for: Transforming the troubled Wingate campus in Crown Heights to the High School of Public Service where he mentors every child through 500 hours of community service.
Service Person Award
Winner: Michael Hospedales-Martinez
Hometown: New YorkNominated By: Sara Matsoukas
Recognized for: Developing programs and implementing services desperately needed for Veterans in law enforcement like family and community involvement skill workshops. |
|
| |
| 2010 Hometown Heroes Day Award Winners: |
Community Service Award
Winner: Nicole McGrath, DDS
Hometown: Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Nominated by: Ellen Rothman
Recognized for: Spearheading the KinderSmile Foundation and advocating for an increase in oral health care access and oral health education for children in underserved communities. With the help of her volunteer staff, Dr. Nicole McGrath enables over 2,000 children each year to receive dental care.
Youth Community Service Award
Winner: David Engle, Age 16
Hometown: Glen Rock, New Jersey
Nominated by: Dr. Thomas Demaria
Recognized for: Founding the non-profit organization, Carnivals for Children on Wheels. Carnivals for Children on Wheels offers 100% free carnivals to thousands of disadvantaged and disabled children in the New York and New Jersey area.
Mentor Award
Winner: Steve Larosiliere
Hometown: New York City, New York
Nominated by: Meg Hale
Recognized for: Developing STOKED Mentoring, an action sports mentoring program that empowers New York City’s at-risk and disadvantaged youth with Opportunity, Knowledge, Experience, and Determination. 100% of STOKED’s High School seniors have graduated and gone on to college.
Service Person Award
Winner: Christopher Schiavo
Hometown: Deer Park, New York
Nominated by: Joann Macchia-Schiavo
Recognized for: Over 20 years of volunteer service in the Deer Park Volunteer Fire Department, the lifesaving efforts of a forty-year old man, and fourteen years of volunteer service as a United States Air Force Academy Liaison Officer. Although eligible for retirement, Chris volunteered for continued service and is currently a Flight Commander with the 103 AOC in Connecticut. Chris serves full-time as a Police Officer/Helicopter Pilot with the Suffolk County Police Department. |
|
| |
| 2009 Hometown Heroes Day Award Winners: |
Community Service Award
Winner: Emily Engel
Hometown: Plainview, NY
Nominated by: Dr. Thomas Demaria
Recognized for: Emily has worked on developing the Trauma Response Team of the CW Post Doctorial Program in Clinical Psychology. She has played key role in recruiting over 30 graduate students for program and has been a key contributor during a community crisis response by the Team following a tragedy that resulted in four deaths. Emily is instrumental in recruiting graduate students for the opportunity to become volunteer American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Responders and has done voluntary clinical work with families of 9/11 First Responders and Veterans.
Youth Community Service Award
Winner: Edward Maddalena
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Nominated by: Lisa Maddalena
Recognized for: Edward is a 16year old High School Senior and Honor Student. He decided in May to fulfill requirements to be an Eagle Scout and by May 9, 2009 he organized an Environmental Awareness Fair. Over 15 groups attended including Department of Environmental Conservation, Clean Air NY, the Center for Urban Greenscaping and NY Park Rangers.
Mentor Award
Winner: Stephen Ritz
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Nominated by: Suzanne Ventura
Recognized for: Stephen has served as Educator in South Bronx for 12 years. He has consistently generated 100% passing rates on NYS Regents Exams in Math and Science with some of the most challenging students in NYC. Richard has personally sponsored and arranged scholarships for students and facilitated monetary donations as well as hundreds of computers for South Bronx Youth. He has founded Green Teen Program which has secured funding for over 2,200 local jobs.
Service Person Award
Winner: Richard Jason Ory
Hometown: Groton, CT
Nominated by: Lisa Ory
Recognized for: Richard is a First Class Aviation Warfare/Naval Air Crewman with over 12 years of active service to Navy. He is currently assigned to Naval Health Clinic at Subase New London in Groton, CT as a substance abuse rehabilitation counselor, he has facilitated counseling and care for Abuse Workshops, Outpatient , Intensive Treatment and Continuing Care Groups. Richard has volunteered his personal time to children and parents of Dolphins Sports and Recreation as a T-Ball Clinic Coach and Head Soccer Coach and serves on Advisory Panel Board of Balfour Beatty, a local housing community and is organizing a neighborhood watch and local events for residents. |
|
| |
| 2006 Hometown Heroes Day Award Winners: |
Community Service Award
Winner: Susan M. Macinick
Hometown: Bayside, NY
Nominated by: Sonia M. Pagan
Recognized for: Volunteering over 5,000 hours with the military personnel of Fort Totten, providing relief and food to the canine units and search and rescue animals after 9/11, and serving as "Team Chief Leader" of the New York City Community Response Team.
Youth Community Service Award
Winner: Matthew Ryan Rodriguez, Age 11
Hometown: Oyster Bay, NY
Nominated by: Shirley Rodriguez
Recognized for: Creating "Kids for Cleats," which collects and delivers sports equipment to poor children in the Dominican Republic, and for dedication and fundraising to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes.
Mentor Award
Winner: Susan Wilson
Hometown: Rocky Point, NY
Nominated by: Michael Poveromo
Recognized for: Developing the Rocky Point Career Partnership, helping to make high school students aware of higher education options and preparing them to enter the local workforce.
Service Person Award
Winner: Mark H. Getman
Hometown: Lawrence, NY
Nominator: Steven Getman
Recognized for: Dedicating ten years to civil service as an Auxiliary Police Officer and then in the Civil Air Patrol, before enlisting in the New York Guard - the state’s all-volunteer defense force - after 9/11. |
|
| |
|