Mt. Sinai South Nassau Celebrates MLK Day With Community Service Awards

OCEANSIDE, NY. — Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital gathered community members, hospital staff and elected officials Thursday to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a celebration titled, “Keeping the Dream Alive Through Service And Compassion.” As part of its celebration efforts, the hospital awarded two honorees for their community service efforts and a pair of local students for their own commitment to community.

First among the honorees was Chiren “Sheena” Curry, Board Chair at the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center, who was honored for her work at the center. That work includes helping to secure IRS grants for tax assistance provided at the MLK Center, spearheading the MLK Center’s food security efforts and partnering with the Long Beach School District to create a homework help program.

MSSN President Adhi Sharma said Curry, “Embodies the spirit of Dr. King’s dream of justice and equality for all, through her community service.”

For Curry, the celebration was a chance to be recognized for something she would be doing even if there were no trophies.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m still in shock. Being honest, I’m still in shock, and it’s an honor, but what I do is from the heart,” Curry told Patch. “I don’t do it to be recognized, so, to be recognized for it, I’m appreciative. But what I do, it just comes from the heart. That’s why I was shocked that they could call me, and give me an award for things God just placed me [here] to do.”

Also honored at the celebration was Dr. Jonathan Altus, who chose in his remarks to highlight the community service legacy

“You come across people that are going to be takers and takers, and the legacy of Dr. King, in terms of service to the community, is something that should never, ever, be minimized,” Altus said. “That young man was 39 years old when he was unfortunately killed. I’m 66, and the magnitude of his reach, his dedication and what he’s done still resonates today. So I’m so deeply humbled to receive this...It really is one of the highlights of my life to receive this award from my colleagues.”

Throughout the celebration there were also musical performances, with Mount Sinai RN Allison Moloney performing Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me” on guitar.

(Tom Gambardella/Patch) Registered Nurse Allison Moloney performs Bill Withers' "Lean On Me" at the Mount Sinai South Nassau celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Also performing Thursday morning was Gamar Josama, who played a piano arrangement by legendary jazz musician Bill Evans.

(Tom Gambardella/Patch) Gamar Josama performs at Mount Sinai South Nassau's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

After the performances, Mount Sinai South Nassau awarded its student honorees, Baldwin High School graduate Daniela Peralta Santana and Freeport High School student Ahmari Vassell.

Peralta Santana graduated from Baldwin’s life skills program before studying childcare with BOCES. After graduation, she joined the staff at Hangout One Happy Place, where she has supported students and individuals with disabilities. In her introduction, Peralta Santana was described as someone whose kindness and ability to create a welcoming environment bring out the best in every student she works with.

In her remarks, Peralta Santana thanked the team at Hangout One Happy Place that hired her, and her own mother, for her support. In her acceptance speech, the Baldwin High School graduate said it wasn’t just her work or the community around her that got her to this point, but the work of the almighty.

“God really does show up in places where he can be unexpected,” Peralta Santana said. “We can all have faith and trust in God to show us where to go.”

Mount Sinai RN Stanley Morin introduced Vasssell, a Freeport High School senior who was described as an active member of the community around Freeport high. An active member of the NAACP youth council, Vassell was described as someone who serves as a leader in his school’s student body and outside school.

“He actively engages in community service initiatives and exemplifies the values and principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his commitment to equity, civic engagement and positive change,” Morin said.

Vassell thanked the administration at his school and the hospital for the opportunity, also thanking his mother.

“Growing up, I would often hear stories about these legends of Black history who fought for our rights, for our power to vote, for our power to be in spaces we deserve to be in. And it always inspired me to fight for more, not just in my academics, but outside school,” Vassell said. “In the words of my dearest friend…There comes a day when us youth need to stop being the people who receive the information from our elders and become the elders who send that information to the youth.”