BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 38 EC. 17-23, 2021 BTR
On Dec. 2, Council Member Vanessa
Gibson, Essen Health Care and
Select Health VNSNY hosted World
Aids Day. This event was held at Essen
HealthCare’s 149th Street Bronx location.
The program featured confi dential
HIV screening tests for community
members, grocery distributions,
valuable information, hand sanitizers,
masks , condoms and more available
at no cost by different vendors.
SSave Our Streets’ Stephen Williams and
Marisol Rivera stand near their table with
bags and umbrellas.
Mario Tirado holds his Cubmaster of the
Year award.
The Bronx Council Boy Scouts of
America granted their district awards
for 2020 and 2021 at Rory Dolan’s restaurant
in Yonkers on Dec. 2.
The Scouting program helps
youth develop academic skills, selfconfidence,
ethics, leadership skills
and citizenship skills that influence
their adult lives. Scouting in the
Bronx began in the 1920s.
Due to COVID-19, the Bronx
River District of the Boy Scouts of
America did not hold its annual recognition
dinner last year, so this
year the dinner honored adult Scouters
for both 2020 and 2021.
The highest recognition awarded
went to District Commissioner Tony
Puleo for the Silver Beaver Award,
which is bestowed by the National
Court of Honor for noteworthy service
of exceptional character.
The District Award of Merit is the
highest award a local district can
bestow upon a volunteer, and this
year’s recipient was Rev. David Powers,
the pastor of St. Helena Church
in the Bronx and the chaplain of Boy
Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 65.
The District Scouter of the Year
went to Joseph DeTiberiis. The
Scoutmaster of the Year for 2020
went to James Goonan and for 2021
went to Angel Morales. The Cubmaster
of the Year went to Mario Tirado
from St. Helena Pack 65.
The Unit Scouter Awards went
to Brendan Delaney of Pack 211
and Jim McGaughan of Troop 211
for 2020. For 2021, the award went
to Brian Kenny of Troop 211, Renee
Matos of Pack 211, Michel Tambwe
of Pack 24 and Taisha Pratts of Pack
65.
The Founder’s Award recognizes
individuals responsible for the organization
and establishment of the
fi rst Scouts BSA female troop in the
Bronx Council. The recipients were
Barbara Hartnett, the organizer;
and Michelle George, the scoutmaster
of St. Helena’s Girl Troop 65.
David Malatzky was recognized
for his 58 years as a scouter with
the Bronx Council. The Den Leader
awards went to Pat Keaney and William
McKenna. The Scouter Training
Awards went to Lulzim Dibra,
Declan Lafferty and William McKenna.
The Scouter Key Award went
to Joe Carballo of Troop 65.
The Special Needs Scouting
Service Awards provides recognition
to those who serve the special
needs community within the Scouting
movement. The award went to
Maureen Ellis-Davis and Barbara
Hartnett of Pack 65. St. Helena’s
troop and pack have 12 special needs
scouts, fi ve of whom have attained
the rank of Eagle Scout.
-Bronx Times
Drimmers Appliances, of Brooklyn, donated a new 20-cubic- foot Frigidaire
refrigerator to the St. Helena Food Pantry. The pantry is open every Wednesday
at 12 p.m. at the St. Helena Green Building on Westchester Avenue.
From left, Naomi Ortiz and Zayda Diaz, both food pantry volunteers, pose with the new
fridge. Photo courtesy Dariff Power
Taisha Pratts holds her United Scouter
award. Photos Ty Delgado
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson (center) at
the Destination Tomorrow table with Jahaira
Gonzalez, director of outreach, and
Persephone Dolce, founder of the Dolce and
Campbell Foundation. Photos Jewel Webber
Food pantry gets new fridge
Bronx Scouts grant awards
Gibson, Essen Health Care and Select
Health VNSNY Host World AIDS Day Event
Call 718.260.2555
..to sell your car in our
CLASSIFIED SECTIONS
& get...Real Results!