Thanking NYCHA’s Essential Workers

New York Knick Taj Gibson grew up at Ingersoll Houses in Brooklyn and has never forgotten the people or place that helped shape his childhood. In May, he went back to Ingersoll to acknowledge staff members —part of NYCHA’s team of 9,000 essential workers — for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his Taj Gibson Foundation, he provided them with free lunches as a thank you. 

“We thought it would be a good idea to show a little token of appreciation to the first responders of NYCHA,” said Howard “Geo” Miller, one of the managers of the Taj Gibson Foundation. “Since COVID hit, they’ve been outside working strenuous hours and we see them because we’re part of the community, and a lot of the workers are part of the community. They’ve been on the front line and we wanted to do something nice for them.” 

The foundation worked with Officers Jorge Ramos and Luis Sandres from NYPD Police Service Area 3 to organize the lunch distributions, which began with Ingersoll and continued on to Walt Whitman, Lafayette Gardens, Marcy Houses, Sumner Houses, and Tompkins Houses. 

Michael Wyands, Property Manager of Ingersoll Houses, said his staff members “were very appreciative of the luncheon and were happy that their efforts as essential workers were acknowledged by other first responders.” 

More of NYCHA’s essential workers will be getting a free lunch from the foundation: Mr. Miller said they’ve decided to take the show on the road, expanding their thank-you lunch program to staff at 93 developments in Brooklyn and a couple Queens developments through 2021.