Volunteer Philanthropist Hero
Robin Poulous
Robin Poulos has been involved with Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services for over fifteen years. In her time with LSA she has volunteered in many different areas, including the thrift shop, food pantry, and coordinating events and outings for the PCD Program. She joined the Parent Committee in 2017 and took over as Chair in 2019. Through the Parent Committee, she works to connect local area schools with LSA to increase awareness, raise funds, recruit volunteers, and encourage students and their families to get involved with drives and other events.
Robin and her husband, Michael, live on the Upper East Side with their three children, Annie (19), Teddy (17), and James (12), all of whom have been regular volunteers at LSA, and two dogs, Orwell and Winston. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College with a degree in Economics and Math and worked as a management consultant at Oliver, Wyman & Co. Robin currently is engaged in many local organizations. She is the Committee Chair for Scouts BSA Troop 662, in which both of her sons are members. They spend a lot of time hiking, camping, and performing service. Robin currently is the President of the Parents’ Club at Regis High School and for many years visited the NY Presbyterian Hospital in-patient pediatric department with her dog, Winston, as a member of a Good Dog Foundation therapy dog team. She is an active member of the Church of St Thomas More, including serving as a member and officer of the Parish Council. She is committed to teaching kids everywhere the importance of giving back to their communities and definitely leads by example.
Volunteer Hero
Asucena Ramirez
In 2012 Asucena Ramirez migrated from Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, Mexico. She is the mother of two children, 13-year-old Ashely and 18-year-old Brian. Like most immigrants, she came to America with big dreams; for her, this meant her children attending college. “LSA has given me the tools to support my children, thus I am delighted to volunteer there and provide help for other families,” she states in regards to her work at LSA.
Asucena’s son Brian has been offered early acceptance and a full scholarship to his college of choice, fulfilling his mother’s dream and making us all very proud.
Corporate Sponsor Hero
Joe Cruz Jr.
Born and raised in East Harlem, Joe Cruz Jr. started his successful spirit brand, YAVE Tequila, in the neighborhood. From the beginning, Joe has been an incredible champion of his community and dedicated his efforts to helping young entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs in East Harlem get started on their climbs to the top.
During the onset of the pandemic, YAVE and Joe worked tirelessly alongside community partners to feed 5,000 people each day in the neighborhood. YAVE and Joe’s mission is to give back to the East Harlem neighborhood where they started. They are passionate about using their platforms to lift up and empower others, and bring more resources to East Harlem. Read this Forbes article to learn more about how YAVE and Joe have supported East Harlem.
Community Partner Hero
Church of the Heavenly Rest – Rev. Anne Marie Witchger
The Outreach Ministries of the Church of the Heavenly Rest seek to build “a community that is compassionate, inclusive and just.” The congregation has manifested this mission in its long-standing support of our programs through its volunteerism. Church of the Heavenly Rest works with us to support our youth programming with student volunteers in our Young Minds program. And during the pandemic when they became aware of the food needs of our clients they helped connect us with donations from local restaurants to increase our ability to serve the rise in demand. Church of the Heavenly Rest currently partners with us to provide hot meals and snacks for 12 students and 8 parents twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays (Young Minds Program). A volunteer from the CHR makes these arrangements possible. They also distribute diapers and shelf-stable food for two events which the church hosts for LSA families annually, and approximately 50 families have benefited from these distributions. The church also links us to their broader community as the conduit for funds and donated food for the Pantry from Episcopal Charities. Leading this aspect of the church’s life is Associate Rector and Outreach Director Rev. Anne Marie Witchger. Rev. Witchger’s message on the church website reads, “We are called to build a better world. Join us!’ It’s a simple statement, but one that clearly leads above and beyond, and we are so grateful to be included in its scope. We are happy to recognize Rev. Witchger and Church of the Heavenly Rest as an LSA Community Partner Hero.
Community Partner Hero
Mount Sinai Health System – Jeremy Boal, MD.
Mount Sinai has been a close partner and supporter of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service for more than 65 years, and was instrumental in LSA’s relocation from the Lower East Side to serve patients and their families in East Harlem.
Mount Sinai supports LSA with program design and evaluation. We have partnered in prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric research projects.
During the pandemic, Mount Sinai converted asthma research with LSA into an asthma/COVID-19 research project that informed LSA’s programmatic changes to better serve the community. Mount Sinai also supported LSA by sharing their limited vaccine supplies – when it was first available – with our staff, and then our program participants. This enabled LSA staff to continue to provide food and other services throughout the pandemic. We are happy to be able to recognize Mount Sinai Health Systems as an LSA Community Partner Hero.
& OUR LIFETIME & LEGACY HEROES