With so much tough news to contend with lately, it’s never been more important to look for bright spots — and that’s exactly what I found earlier this week, when I had the pleasure of attending the Robin Hood Heroes Breakfast in New York City.
Robin Hood is an amazing organization that fights to lift New Yorkers out of poverty. Through partnerships with government and high-impact community groups, this essential institution works to make the Big Apple a place of upward mobility for everyone, with a special focus on help for those who need it most.
This fantastic breakfast honored three highly impressive recipients of the Robin Hood Heroes Award, which celebrates people who have triumphed over enormous challenges. Their stories embody what Robin Hood calls “the best of New York: standing tall, uplifting others, and proving we’re strongest when we come together. Their stories remind us that there’s a hero in all of us if we’re brave enough to fight for a brighter future.”
I was so moved by each honoree, I wanted to share their stories with all of you. So without further ado, allow me to introduce you to these inspiring heroes.
Derrick Henderson, FDNY Foundation
Derrick Henderson grew up in California and moved to East New York as a teenager. Life there wasn’t easy. He faced serious personal challenges that left him without many resources and ready to give up on school. At 16, he was on the verge of dropping out of high school when a guidance counselor stepped in and saw something in him that he couldn’t yet see in himself.
With that encouragement, Derrick committed to turning things around. He graduated in 2012, earned his EMT certification, was accepted to the FDNY EMS Academy and ultimately hired by FDNY. After five years as an EMT, he was assigned to Engine 26 in Midtown Manhattan, where he now serves as a firefighter. As he studies for his Lieutenant’s exam, Derrick looks back on his experience at the Captain Vernon A. Richard High School for Fire and Life Safety — the place that gave him the structure, support, and second chance that changed the course of his life.
The FDNY Foundation supports the mission of the Fire Department of New York by promoting fire and life safety education across the city. It invests in the Department’s future through the FDNY Youth Workforce and Pipeline Programs, including the Captain Vernon A. Richard High School for Fire and Life Safety. Located in East New York, a community where 30 percent of families live in poverty and only 23 percent of adults finish high school, the school stands as a beacon of success, achieving an 88 percent graduation rate for the 2025 school year. Watch his amazing speech here:
Wendy Poveda, Teaching Matters
Wendy Poveda, principal of P.S. 132 in Washington Heights, is a born and bred New Yorker with a lifelong passion for education. But as a first generation college student at Columbia University, people told her, “You don’t go to Columbia to become a teacher.”
Inspired by an ad she saw on the subway to become a New York City teaching fellow, she returned to District 6, where she and her brothers grew up. Under Wendy’s leadership, P.S. 132 has flourished. Since partnering with Teaching Matters in 2022, reading proficiency soared from 19 percent to 47 percent, and math jumped from 4 percent to 63 percent. This success shows what’s possible when a school’s culture of learning and focus on equity is matched by a powerful investment in teachers and students.
Founded 30 years ago, Teaching Matters is a professional learning organization dedicated to increasing teacher effectiveness, a critical factor in student success. Headquartered in New York City, Teaching Matters now serves more than 2 million students nationwide through a blend of technology and teacher training. Over the last six years, Robin Hood has invested more than $3.1 million to expand Teaching Matters’s impact in New York City, helping the organization grow from serving 50,000 students in 110 city schools to more than 200,000 in 420 schools. It is one of the most effective education partners in Robin Hood’s portfolio. Her speech below made me realize how lucky we are to have great teachers and educators:
Jaylen Jackson, Anthos|Home
Jaylen Jackson’s childhood was marked by constant movement. Her family of six relocated from state to state, often facing housing instability. By the time she was 12, Jaylen was commuting long hours each day from a shelter in the Bronx to her school in Queens. Despite entering the foster care system, she excelled academically, graduating high school in three years.
At age 18, she navigated multiple housing placements while working and attending college. In 2023, Jaylen became Anthos’s very first client and, with their support, secured her first apartment just before her 21st birthday. Today, she and her husband are raising their young son while she works as an administrative assistant and pharmacy technician and finishes her degree.
Seeded by Robin Hood, Anthos|Home is a nonprofit that combats homelessness by helping New Yorkers use housing vouchers to secure, and remain in, permanent homes. By partnering with government, landlords, and nonprofits, Anthos|Home works to ensure every available voucher is used to move people out of shelters and into homes faster — increasing the supply of affordable housing in the city and freeing up government resources to address homelessness. In just two years, Anthos has moved 500 households into permanent housing with 100 percent housing stability. I was so impressed by Jaylen’s resilience. Like the other honorees, her remarks moved me to tears.
