A Drive to Help Kids and the West Side
Martina Garcia knows the power of positive thinking. It, along with her faith and drive to succeed, is what leads the single mother of five children to succeed not only in her personal and professional life but in bringing a true sense of community to her Upper West Side home. Garcia has lived in her apartment on West 107th Street for 35 years, and she remembers when the block wasn’t as diverse and friendly as it is today.
Now, when she looks out her window and point to the trees she’s worked to get planted along the street, several of which she has adorned with Christmas lights and ornaments. Garcia is also planning to light up the faces of local children this holiday season; she’s organized a toy drive and will be giving out the collected items to kids currently living at the Regent Family Residence for the Homeless on West 104th Street and Broadway.
Martina Garcia, who started a toy drive for homeless children, did not play much growing up. “When I give the kids the toys…I feel like I’m the one receiving them,” she said.
“When I was younger, I was not able to play with toys,” said Garcia, who started working when she was only 14 and often had to help take care of her younger siblings. “That will be a great satisfaction for me, when I give the kids the toys, because I’ll feel like I’m the one receiving them,” she said with a laugh.
Garcia’s community outreach extends far beyond Christmastime. Her apartment walls are lined with commendations from the New York State Assembly and the House of Representatives and photos of her with Rep. Charles Rangel, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on the campaign trail and scores of other local politicians. Garcia is widely recognized for the organization she started six years ago, the Hispanic Community Organization for Life, which sponsors yearly health fairs in her neighborhood.
Garcia, who put herself through college and worked as a nurse’s assistant for 12 years before beginning her current career as an actress, knows how important it is to educate people about staying healthy. “I’m not a doctor, I’m not God,” she said. “By doing these health fair, I’m able to save a life.”
The health fairs bring blood pressure screening, free mammograms for uninsured women, HIV testing and education and information about preventing diabetes, heart disease and generally staying fit and active to the neighborhood.
Garcia runs her organization with City Council funds and grants and gets young people involved whenever possible, giving teenagers stipends to plant flowers on the street or help out in other ways. She wants to start a food pantry and an after-school childcare program for single parents as a way to help them support their families and give the kids better opportunities.
She often celebrates kids in the neighborhood who succeed in school, putting their smiling faces on her health fair flyers to show other kids what happens if they achieve the honor roll.
“Over here, they see other things besides the negative things,” Garcia said. “That’s the reason I do this, so they can see the positive things.”
Photo by Andrew Schwartz
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