BY JASON COHEN
In keeping with the celebration
of Women’s History Month,
Borough President Ruben Diaz
Jr. recognized essential workers
last week who have been
giving back to the community
this past year during the pandemic.
These visits were part of a
series of socially distant events
being held to honor essential
workers in the borough. They
were sponsored by Empire
BlueCross BlueShield, but were
not open to the public.
“We cannot minimize
the important contributions
women have made to our borough,
and I am proud to have
been able to honor so many
deserving women that have
served the Bronx throughout
this pandemic,” Diaz said.
“The women honored have not
only stayed their course to accomplish
their dreams and are
champions and role models to
our young girls of today, but
they have also gone above and
beyond to help our borough
this past year. I thank them for
the daily work that they do in
making our communities a better
place.”
This year’s honorees included
Miguelina Germán, director
of pediatric behavioral
health services and director
of HealthySteps at Montefi ore
Medical Center, Melissa Baker,
chief operating offi cer at the National
Black Leadership Commission
on Health, Inc. and Iris
Rodriguez-Rosa, Bronx Parks
commissioner as well as parks
team members Marta Vega, Nathanya
Rosario, Dila Pernocia,
Silvia Munoz-Torres and Jennifer
Cucchiarella.
Miguelina Germán has been
serving the Bronx community
fi rsthand on the front lines of
the COVID-19 pandemic. She
has been providing bereavement
If you’re 60 or older, a TLC licensed driver, a home health care aide, a restaurant or
delivery worker, a grocery store or bodega worker, you are eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines are available to eligible New Yorkers at no cost,
regardless of insurance or immigration status.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 20 ARCH 19-25, 2021 BTR
counseling to those who
lost loved ones, facilitating
video visits between patients
and families and creating survival
kits for families facing
economic distress.
Baker has served the Bronx
through education and community
mobilization programs
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
She has shown leadership
on a number of awareness
campaigns, testing programs
and vaccine education efforts.
Rodriguez-Rosa and her
team joined the Offi ce of The
Bronx Borough President and
other elected offi cials for the
Meaningful Monday initiative.
This project began in
July and ran through October,
and aimed to promote volunteerism,
civic engagement and
neighborhood pride among
Bronx communities through
weekly park clean-ups.
Photo by Jason Cohen
BP Diaz recognizes
essential workers for
Women’s History Month
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