July 26, 2022 by Talia Winiarsky

While many residents see problems in their neighborhoods, a few voluntarily step up to tackle them. On Monday evening, Goddard Riverside, the longstanding Upper West Side social service agency, honored eight of these activists for their contributions to their local communities, including the Upper West Side, Harlem, East Harlem, and Yorkville.

The recipients of the “Good Neighbor Awards” represent a diverse group of projects and advocacy.

Linda Carter Cooper advocates for neighbors with a variety of problems. Ann Cutbill Lenane founded “One Block” to clean Upper West Side streets. Mark Diller is an active member of Community Board 7. LaDreamer and Daisy Lark assemble care packages for underserved people. LaVera Sutton fights for tenant rights. Alan Winson discovers the stories of community members on his podcasts.

Goddard Riverside hosted the award ceremony in the garden behind their building on West 88th Street and Columbus Avenue. Presenters of the awards, family members of the recipients, Goddard staffers, and local elected officials attended.

Community residents nominated about 25 people for the awards. The selection committee included seven former winners. “People are so creative in the ways they find to be stewards,” Committee Member Susane Lee said. John Del Vecchio, the emcee of the night, acknowledged Covid’s role in recent activism. “Humanity proved that we are very social creatures because we went out of our way to help each other,” he said.

Read more: https://www.westsiderag.com/2022/07/26/youre-never-too-young-to-be-a-good-neighbor