A Queens Family’s Tradition of Feeding Those in Need — 365 Days a Year
Since 2004, Jorge Muñoz has gathered with his family in their small kitchen in Queens, New York where they cook meals for those in need. Together, they’ve provided more than one hundred meals per day to day laborers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, in the city.
They’ve kept up the tradition year-round for the last 16 years, providing approximately 500,000 meals — until May, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Using StoryCorps Connect, Jorge spoke with his sister, Luz, to remember the beginning of their journey, and how their mother inspired them to give to those in need.
Top Photo: Siblings Luz and Jorge Muñoz spoke about how their meal program began in their recent StoryCorps interview from their home in Queens, NY.
Middle Photo: The Muñoz family, (from left to right) Jorge, Justin, Blanca, and Luz, prepares meals from their kitchen in 2010.
Originally aired December 4, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“I Took An Oath To Respond To The Needs Of My Nation”: An Army Chaplain Remembers The Height Of COVID-19 In New York City
As a military chaplain, Army Major Ivan Arreguin has seen many overseas deployments. But in April 2020, while serving with the 44th Medical Brigade out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he was deployed stateside for a mission unlike any other.
At the time, New York City had been dubbed the epicenter of the coronavirus. Hospitals were overrun with patients, and doctors and nurses were spread thin. Relief came in many forms, including military medical units, who were providing additional support and care.
Over StoryCorps Connect, Chaplain Arreguin told his wife, Aileen, what it was like to be stationed in New York City during the height of COVID-19.
Top Photo: Army Major Ivan Arreguin (center), and other soldiers, escorting the remains of a veteran who died from COVID-19 while being treated at the Javits New York Medical Station, in New York City, April 19, 2020. Photo by U.S. Air National Guard Major Patrick Cordova.
Middle Photo: Army Major Ivan Arreguin and Aileen Arreguin at their son’s wedding in Sanford, NC, in June 2020. Courtesy of the Arreguin family.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Originally aired November 14, 2020, on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
For Teachers And Staff In New York City Schools, Work Is An Act Of Love
In 1999, Debra Fisher worked in film and TV in New York City. But when her father became ill and required occupational therapy as part of his treatment, Fisher was impressed by the care that his therapists brought to their work. That’s when she decided to make a major career change.
Twenty-one years later, Fisher works in New York City public schools, providing occupational therapy to a wide range of students in elementary and middle school.
Fisher met Emma Pelosi, a special education teacher, on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. They came to rely on each other for support and friendship as they invented new ways to do their jobs.
Fisher and Pelosi recorded a conversation through StoryCorps Connect in September 2020, just as schools were preparing to reopen their doors to more than one million school children. In their interview, they talk about how it feels to work in the country’s largest school system during this unprecedented moment.
Top Photo: Emma Pelosi and Debra Fisher after their StoryCorps interview in New York City on September 18, 2020. Courtesy of Debra Fisher and Emma Pelosi for StoryCorps.
Originally aired September 25th, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“This is Ours Too”: A Father Instills a Sense of Belonging in His Daughter
When Erin Haggerty was just a teen, her father George Barlow moved the family from Union City, California to the stark, white landscapes of Iowa. At the time, Erin was excited by the prospect of moving to a new place. But she soon realized that, as one of the only Black teens in her community, life would not always be so picturesque.
Photo: (L) George embracing (R) Erin at her high school graduation in 1991. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Erin spent years trying to find her sense of belonging in this new town. But overtime, she began to withdraw into herself. Her father George had always assumed Erin was just a shy teen; someone who kept to herself, was well behaved, and had no interest in high school parties.
But in August of 2020, Erin opened up to George for the first time about what it was like being a young Black woman in Iowa, and how it was his words and kindness that saw her through those difficult times.
Top Photo: (L) Erin Haggerty and her father (R) George Barlow in 2010. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Bottom Photo: Three year old (L) Erin with her father (R) George in 1975. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Originally aired September 18, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Touched By Tragedy Twice: Father, Who Later Died from COVID, Remembers Losing Son on 9/11
Albert Petrocelli Sr. survived more than his share of hardships during his 73 years.
As a young man, he fought in Vietnam. Returning to his native New York City, he started a long career fighting fires, eventually rising to the rank of Battalion Chief. Then, a year after retiring, Chief Petrocelli lost his youngest son, Mark, a commodities broker, in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
But what war, fire, and unspeakable grief couldn’t do, a global pandemic did. On April 1, 2020, Chief Petrocelli died from COVID-19.
Before his death, Chief Petrocelli and his wife, Ginger, recorded a remembrance of their son Mark. They remember the last time they saw him, on September 9, 2001, at one of their family’s weekly Sunday meals.
This recording was made in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum as part of StoryCorps’ effort to collect one recording for each life lost that day.
Top Photo: Ginger Petrocelli and Retired New York City Fire Chief Albert Petrocelli in 2017, at their 50th wedding anniversary. Courtesy of the Petrocelli family.
Middle Photo: Retired New York City Fire Chief Albert Petrocelli in 2002, with a photo of Mark that he carried inside his hat. Courtesy of the Petrocelli family.
Bottom Photo: Albert Petrocelli Jr., Mark Petrocelli, and Albert Petrocelli Sr. on Father’s Day 1989, at Mark’s home in New York. Courtesy of the Petrocelli family.
Originally aired September 11, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
For Brooklyn’s Bianco Brothers, Keeping it Sharp is a Labor of Love
Small family businesses have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re going to hear from one of them.
Bianco Brothers Instruments is owned by twin brothers Joe and Vinny Bianco. They took over the shop from their father, and now their sons are working beside them, expertly sharpening all types of tools. Over the years, their business has grown to include manufacturing a wide array of sharp instruments, from chefs knives to dental cement spatulas.
In a remote interview recorded through StoryCorps Connect, Joe and his son Peter reflected on their craft, and the legacy they are carrying forth in their Brooklyn storefront.
Top photo: Joe Bianco and Peter Bianco.Courtesy of Peter Bianco.
Bottom photo: Joe Bianco grinding at the wheel at the family shop in the 1980s. Courtesy of Joe Bianco.
Originally aired September 4, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
From The School Bus To The Hospital, A Doctor’s Experiences With Racism
As nationwide protests in the United States continue, conversations about racial inequity have come into the forefront. And many are reminded of experiences from our not-so-distant past — like Dr. Ayim Darkeh and his mother, Shirley, who moved to Westbury on Long Island, New York in the 1970s.
When Ayim started attending elementary school, he was one of a handful of Black students in a predominantly white school.
Ayim and his mother had a conversation over StoryCorps Connect to talk about the discrimination Ayim faced as a child, and how that’s shaped his approach to parenting.
Content Warning: this story contains some offensive language.
Top Photo: Shirly Darkeh and Ayim Darkeh at Shirly’s 85th birthday celebration at a church on Long Island, NY in 2019. Courtesy of Ayim Darkeh.
Bottom Photo: Ayim Darkeh and his children at their Brooklyn home in 2019. Courtesy of Ayim Darkeh.
Originally aired August 28, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Three Generations Of Women Pharmacists On Living Through The Pandemic
Vivian Garcia Leonard came to the United States as a Cuban refugee and fought to make a name for herself as a hospital pharmacist. She’s been on the job for 59 years, but in the wake of COVID-19 has had to stay home. Now her daughter, Vivian Janet Leonard, and granddaughter, Marissa Sofia Ochs, carry on the family legacy.
They spoke through StoryCorps Connect about the tough choices the coronavirus pandemic demands.
Top Photo: Vivian Garcia Leonard (left), Baby Liana, Marissa Sofia Ochs, and Vivian Janet Leonard. Courtesy of Marissa Ochs.
Bottom Photo: Vivian Garcia Leonard working as a pharmacist.
Originally aired July 3rd, 2020 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Together At A Distance: How One Doctor’s Family Is Navigating The Risk Of COVID-19
As the Director of Microbiology at a hospital in Rochester, New York, Dr. Roberto Vargas has been working long hours in the lab running COVID-19 tests.
Because of the risk of exposure, he’s been isolating himself from his wife, Susan, and their four young kids over the past two months. At first, he stayed at a hotel near his job, but more recently, he’s moved into the basement of their home.
That’s where Roberto was when he recorded a remote StoryCorps interview with Susan, and their 10-year-old son, Xavier, to talk about what it’s like having to keep their distance from him, even at home.
Top Photo: Roberto Vargas (left), Xavier Vargas, and Susan Vargas at home in Stafford, New York on May 16, 2020. Courtesy of the Vargas Family.
Originally aired May 29, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘We Have A Driver’s Heart’: New York City Bus Operators On Work And Loss During COVID-19
Tyrone Hampton and Frank de Jesus are New York City bus operators and close colleagues. To date they’ve lost 30 fellow bus operators to COVID-19. In all, more than 80 New York City transit workers have died in the pandemic.
They had a remote conversation about work and loss using StoryCorps’ remote recording platform, StoryCorps Connect.
Top Photo: New York City MTA bus operators Tyrone Hampton and Frank de Jesus in their respective homes. Photos courtesy of Hampton and de Jesus.
Originally aired April 24, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.