Gotham Gazette Publishes Op-Ed by ICD's Co-Presidents, Diosdado Gica and Joseph T. McDonald III

Gotham Gazette published an op-ed written by ICD’s Co-Presidents, Diosdado Gica and Joseph T. McDonald III, titled, “Build a Workforce Pipeline for New Yorkers with Disabilities.”

The piece highlights a historic opportunity to engage people with disabilities more fully in the workforce, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as New Yorkers with disabilities continue to face disproportionately high unemployment rates despite the climbing number of job openings, which was most recently reported at 11.3 million nationally.

ICD’s Co-Presidents call on New York City to create a robust pipeline to expand the number of individuals with disabilities in the workforce, and offer the following three key actions to accomplish this:

1. Specific funding to support the training and pre-training of individuals with disabilities

2. Greater apprenticeship opportunities for individuals with disabilities

3. Incentivized hiring of individuals with disabilities

Mr. Gica and Mr. McDonald state,

It’s time for New York City to build the pipeline needed to transport that human energy so that it can revitalize the economy as well as the lives of New Yorkers with disabilities.

To read the full piece, click here.

QNS Publishes an Article on ICD's Partnership with Richmond Hill High School for Pilot Program

ICD’s partnership with Richmond Hill High School was highlighted in an article by QNS titled, “Richmond Hill High School Partners with Institute for Career Development to Launch New Citywide Program to Help Students with Disabilities.”

In the piece, Richmond Hill High School’s Principal, Neil Ganesh, says,

We are pleased that the benefits will start to flow in the fall to our students. They will receive long-term, holistic support through their high school years and beyond that we expect will result in greater self-determination, better economic mobility and improved overall well-being.

ICD’s Co-President, Joseph T. McDonald III adds,

It offers enormous potential to build the self-confidence, resilience and agency that they will need to continue overcoming the biases and barriers to employment that they will face as adults.

To read the full article, click here.

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The Forum Publishes a Feature Story on ICD’s Partnership with Richmond Hill High School for Pilot Program

The Forum published a feature story on ICD’s partnership with Richmond Hill High School on a pilot program called “School to Success,” which is designed to support youth with disabilities as they transition from high school to career success.

The piece, titled “Richmond Hill HS to Help Youth with Disabilities,” highlights that the partnership completes the 2022 launch of a new initiative that begins with two New York City high schools and will grow to be citywide in the future.

In the story, Richmond Hill High School’s Principal, Neil Ganesh, says,

Richmond Hill High School is excited to help launch this new citywide initiative. We are pleased that the benefits will start to flow in the Fall to our students. They will receive long-term, holistic support through their high school years and beyond that we expect will result in greater self-determination, better economic mobility, and improved overall well-being.

To read the full story, click here.

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Press Release: ICD Announces Partnership with Richmond Hill High School in Queens

New York, NY – June 21, 2022 – The Institute for Career Development (ICD) announced today a partnership with Richmond Hill High School in Queens. The partnership completes the 2022 launch of a new initiative that begins with two New York City high schools and will grow to be citywide to help youth with disabilities transition from school to career. The other school – announced on March 30th – is Discovery High School in The Bronx.

Tens of thousands of students with disabilities leave public high schools every year only to find themselves face to face with a gap where the services they depended upon to finish school had previously been. This new initiative, created by ICD, is designed to bridge this gap by providing services that will enhance college and career opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Through this initiative, the 105-year-old Institute for Career Development will work with high school students with disabilities to prepare them to make the jump to college or vocational training and start their careers. ICD staff members will serve as navigators for individual students to guide them around obstacles and over hurdles as they work toward building the skills needed to launch fulfilling careers.

ICD identified this citywide gap in support for youth with disabilities while working with the nonprofit consulting firm The Bridgespan Group on a new strategic plan and is now shifting its focus to bridge that gap. ICD has similarly adjusted its focus at different intervals in the past, always retaining its commitment to people with disabilities but adapting to contemporary priorities. Most recently it has focused on vocational evaluation, career planning, and job training and placement primarily for adults with disabilities.

“ICD is excited to be working with Richmond Hill High School to launch this much-needed new initiative,” said Diosdado Gica, ICD President of Programs and Operations.

“This new initiative will help students with disabilities to better understand how to advocate for themselves and successfully navigate their way through the complex systems of services and supports available to them after they leave school,” said Joseph T. McDonald, ICD President of Development and Communications. “It offers enormous potential to build the self-confidence, resilience, and agency that they will need to continue overcoming the biases and barriers to employment that they will face as adults.”

“Richmond Hill High School is excited to help launch this new citywide initiative,” said Neil Ganesh, Principal of Richmond Hill High School. “We are pleased that the benefits will start to flow in the Fall to our students. They will receive long-term, holistic support through their high school years and beyond that we expect will result in greater self-determination, better economic mobility, and improved overall well-being.”

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com.

About ICD
The Institute for Career Development is a New York City-based, not-for-profit, workforce development organization, whose mission is to help people transform their lives through career development and employment. A leader in the field of vocational rehabilitation since its founding in 1917, ICD specializes in serving people with barriers to employment – providing vocational evaluation, career planning services, job skills training programs, internships, and job placement services to youth and adults with disabilities.

About Richmond Hill High School 

Richmond Hill High School’s mission is to promote young adults who are happy, goal-oriented, well-adjusted, and academically prepared to face the challenges of the future and to contribute significantly to societal progress.

ICD Students and Staff Participate in a NYCETC Rally at City Hall

NYC Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) held a rally on the steps of City Hall to advocate for increased funding for workforce development across New York City.

ICD staff members and some of our Custodial and Building Repair Technician students proudly joined NYCETC and many others in support of additional funding that is needed to provide the no-cost programs and services that ICD offers to youth and adults with disabilities throughout all five boroughs of New York City.

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Bronx Times Publishes a Feature Story on ICD's Partnership with Discovery High School for Pilot Program

Bronx Times published a feature story on ICD’s partnership with Discovery High School for a new pilot program called “School to Success” that supports high schoolers with disabilities as they transition from school to career success.

The piece, titled “Initiative to Help Disabled Students Transition to Workforce Launched in Fordham Heights High School,” includes quotes from ICD’s Co-President, Joseph T. McDonald, and Discovery High School’s Special Education Coordinator, Lillian Lai.

In the piece, Ms. Lai says,

Once the kids graduate the services and support we provide, it ends. We’re extremely excited. Everybody wants to help the kids transition to college and life after high school, but we don’t know how. By bringing in ICD, they’re going to help us.

To read the full story, click here.

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Center for an Urban Future Features ICD's Co-Presidents and a Graduate in a Report

Center for an Urban Future released a report titled, “Access Opportunity: Expanding Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities”, which features ICD's Co-Presidents, Joseph McDonald and Dio Gica, as well as a graduate from our Human Services Assistant training program, Nuris Mercedes.

In the report, Mr. Gica states,

We really need to present solutions that are going to be reality-informed, and COVID helped us get there where we otherwise would’ve taken a lot longer.

Mr. McDonald adds,

There’s a lot of new councils and committees and conversations where individuals with disabilities are in some ways for the first time being invited to the table.

The report also includes a short profile on ICD graduate Nuris Mercedes, which can be read below or on page 12 of the report.

Nuris Mercedes, 21, works as an intern at Brooklyn Collegiate High School, helping teachers set up their online classes, ensuring students know how to enter remote sessions, and attending sessions to make sure classes run well. She found this job after taking a human services assistant training program at the Institute for Career Development (ICD). After emigrating from the Dominican Republic, Mercedes had tried to enroll in Bronx Community College but failed the assessment tests. She was able to find a job at McDonald’s but the environment was stressful, and as a slower learner she struggled to teach herself how to use the cash register and other tasks. Her Adult Career and Continuing Education Services–Vocational Rehabilitation counselor referred her to ICD, where she learned professional skills such as writing a resume and public speaking, but also specific training such as how to report child abuse or show empathy for a client or coworker. “It’s been meaningful because I learned a lot of things that I didn’t know how to do before, and I feel very confident about myself now,” says Mercedes. “Honestly, I’m really interested in child protective services. That’s where I’m kind of leaning. If there are any other trainings that I have to take, I’ll take them.”

To read the full report, click here.

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Press Release: ICD Announces Partnership with Discovery High School in the Bronx

New York, NY – March 30, 2022 – The Institute for Career Development (ICD) announced today a partnership with Discovery High School in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx. The partnership launches a new initiative that will grow to be citywide to help youth with disabilities transition from school to career. Tens of thousands of students with disabilities leave public high schools every year only to find themselves face to face with a gap where the services they depended on to finish school had previously been. This new initiative, created by ICD, is designed to bridge this gap by providing services that will enhance college and career opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Through this initiative, the 105-year-old Institute for Career Development will work with high school students with disabilities to prepare them to make the jump to college or vocational training and start their careers. ICD staff members will serve as navigators for individual students to guide them around obstacles and over hurdles as they work toward building the skills needed to launch fulfilling careers.

ICD identified this citywide gap in support for youth with disabilities while working with the nonprofit consulting firm The Bridgespan Group on a new strategic plan and is now shifting its focus to bridge that gap. ICD has similarly adjusted its focus at different intervals in the past, always retaining its commitment to people with disabilities but adapting to contemporary priorities. Most recently it has focused on vocational evaluation, career planning, and job training and placement primarily for adults with disabilities.

“ICD is excited to be working with Discovery High School to launch this much-needed new initiative,” said Diosdado Gica, ICD President of Programs and Operations.

“This new initiative will help students with disabilities to better understand how to advocate for themselves and successfully navigate their way through the complex systems of services and supports available to them after they leave school,” said Joseph T. McDonald, ICD President of Development and Communications. “It offers enormous potential to build the self-confidence, resilience, and agency that they will need to continue overcoming the biases and barriers to employment that they will face as adults.”

“Discovery High School is pleased to help launch this new initiative,” said Rolando Rivera, Principal of Discovery High School. “It will benefit our students greatly by providing long-term, holistic support through their high school years and beyond that we believe will lead to greater self-determination, better economic mobility, and improved overall well-being.”

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com.

About ICD

The Institute for Career Development is a New York City-based, not-for-profit, workforce development organization, whose mission is to help people transform their lives through career development and employment. A leader in the field of vocational rehabilitation since its founding in 1917, ICD specializes in serving people with barriers to employment – providing vocational evaluation, career planning services, job skills training programs, internships, and job placement services to youth and adults with disabilities.

About Discovery High School

Discovery High School’s mission is to prepare students for the rigor of college and life after high school. Students learn how to learn, how to think about their own thinking, and how to acquire the necessary skills they will need to be successful in the world of tomorrow.

THE CITY Features ICD Graduate, Nuris Mercedes, in an Article on Employment for People with Disabilities

An ICD Human Services Assistant Graduate, Nuris Mercedes, was featured in an article published by THE CITY titled, “Unemployment Soars for New Yorkers With Disabilities as Challenges Outweigh New Opportunities.”

The piece highlights that despite the unemployment rate for working-age New Yorkers with disabilities doubling during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City has cut funding to many programs that help people succeed at work.

After a six-month internship program at a Brooklyn high school, Ms. Meredes found that she enjoys case management and other administrative tasks. She hopes to work in a hospital, or as an administrative assistant in the future.

Regarding her experience in the workforce, Ms. Mercedes states,

I’m in a good work environment if I see that the person working with me is patient and has patience with me. I can tell them that I need, in order for me to perform the job well, I will need extra assistance and someone to help me whenever I need help.

To read the full piece, click here.

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ICD's Co-President, Joseph T. McDonald III, testifies at a NYC Council Joint Hearing

ICD's Co-President, Joseph T. McDonald III, testified at the NYC Council's Joint Hearing on The City's Evolving Workforce Development Plans in the Wake of the Pandemic with the Committees on Economic Development and Oversight & Investigation.

In his testimony, Mr. McDonald said,

For the work that we do to be most effective, its components cannot be siloed... A permanent centralized Workforce Development Fund that recognizes the need to support holistic career services for young people with disabilities would be an incredible economic engine for New York City.

He also highlighted that,

City funding is unnecessarily difficult to apply for and restrictive in its application. The result is that service providers lose time and money working to weave together various strands of funding for different purposes from different sources to be able to provide services in a holistic way that sees, serves, and preserves the dignity of people with disabilities seeking employment.

To find the full hearing, click here.

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Press Release: ICD Names Co-Presidents as it Shifts its Focus to Helping Youth with Disabilities Transition from School to Career

New York, NY – January 10, 2022 – Richard Weber, Chair of the Board of Directors of the 105-year-old Institute for Career Development, announced today the appointment of Diosdado Gica and Joseph T. McDonald III as Co-Presidents of the organization with a mandate to shift its focus to helping youth with disabilities transition from school to career. Previously, Mr. Gica served as ICD’s Chief Operating Officer overseeing programs and operations, and Mr. McDonald served as its Executive Director of Development and Communications. They will retain oversight of those areas of responsibility in their new roles as Co-Presidents. Both served as Interim Co-Leads of the organization, while the Board of Directors considered the shift in overall focus.

 The Institute for Career Development has adjusted its focus at different intervals in the past, always retaining its commitment to people with disabilities but adapting to contemporary priorities. Most recently it has focused on vocational evaluation, career planning, and job training and placement primarily for adults with disabilities. That experience, however, has highlighted a gap in serving people with disabilities that, if filled, could enhance career opportunities earlier in life. That gap exists in the transition from school to career, during which school-based support ends and career opportunities – as distinct from job opportunities – have not yet arisen.

 In its new direction, ICD will focus on filling that gap, working with youth with disabilities – starting while they are in high school – to prepare them to make the jump to college or vocational training and start their careers. In that regard, ICD staff members will serve as school-based navigators for individual students to guide them around obstacles and over hurdles as they work toward building the skills needed to launch fulfilling careers. ICD will approach students’ needs holistically to reduce dropouts for in-school youth and to increase High School Equivalency diplomas for out-of-school youth.

Working in collaboration with the nonprofit consulting firm The Bridgespan Group, ICD identified this gap and developed a braided-funding model for filling it. While ICD will make initial investments to launch its directional shift, long-term plans include growing support from a network of partners including schools, individual donors, institutional funders, and government entities.

“The Board of Directors of ICD is excited about this new direction and about the leadership of Dio Gica and Joseph T. McDonald III,” said Board Chair Richard Weber. “Each has a vital set of skills needed to implement this new direction. They both have years of experience at ICD, and they collaborate seamlessly in a way that offers the best possible option to lead the organization.”

“The new direction that ICD’s Board of Directors has approved represents a major advance in assisting youth with disabilities in achieving their career ambitions,” said Co-President Dio Gica. “I look forward to implementing the innovative programs needed to make this advance a reality.”

“The programs that ICD will be building require the interweaving of funding from a variety of sources,” said Co-President Joseph T. McDonald III. “We are already reaching out to potential partners and funders who share our commitment to serving youth with disabilities in ways that advance the field.”

The new ICD programs will include a school-based transition program for high school students with disabilities and a program for out-of-school youth with disabilities who want to pursue a High School Equivalency diploma. Some of the new initiatives are expected to begin within a few months; others will start with the new school year in the fall. The entire shift in ICD’s direction will take place over three years. In the meantime, ICD will continue to provide leading-edge vocational evaluation, career planning, and job training and placement for adults with disabilities.

 For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com.

---

About ICD

The Institute for Career Development is a New York City-based non-profit whose mission is to help people with disabilities transform their lives through career development and employment. A leader in the field of vocational rehabilitation since its founding in 1917, ICD specializes in providing vocational evaluation, career coaching, planning, and navigation services, job skills training programs, internships, and job placement services.

ICD's Cisco CCNA Training Program Highlighted in Cisco Piece for International Day of Persons with Disabilities

ICD's Cisco CCNA training program was featured by Cisco for International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, 2021. The piece is titled, “abilITy Cisco Academy graduates solve IT issues for New York City’s Department of Social Services,” and includes quotes from a program graduate, Ray Hui, and ICD’s Organizational Co-Lead, Joseph T. McDonald III.

The story highlights how graduates of ICD's Cisco CCNA program served as interns and provided expert technical support to the nation's largest social services agency during the COVID-19 pandemic. These interns, including Mr. Hui, worked with thousands of DSS employees to resolve IT issues as they aided the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

In the piece, Mr. Hui said,

"Prior to joining abilITy Cisco Academy, I was working in the financial services industry as a call center associate with little hope of the vertical advancement I needed to sustain myself and my family financially...

Today, thanks to my education from ICD and internship experience at NYC DSS, I’m living out my career aspirations as an IT Support Technician for Silverline and look forward to further growth opportunities in the future.”

ICD’s Cisco CCNA training program, founded in 2018 in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, is the first fully accessible computer networking certification program for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Mr. McDonald said,

“At ICD, our vision is a world where all people feel welcome, included, and valued in the workplace and have equal opportunity to secure economic mobility... Through our abilITy Cisco Academy, we are providing students with the skills and resources they need to pursue meaningful careers in IT. Integral to this are our partnerships with Cisco Networking Academy and NYC DSS, which are helping us to pave the way to a more inclusive and accessible landscape in the tech sector."

ICD Holds Hybrid Online and In-Person Graduation Ceremony

On October 28, 2021, ICD held a hybrid online and in-person Fall 2021 Graduation Ceremony.

The ceremony served as an opportunity to safely gather and see the excitement of students and their family and friends as we celebrated their incredible accomplishments.

The night was filled with smiles, laughs, and excellent speakers, including Adrian, a Custodial Graduate (pictured to the left with his instructor, Deshaun), who gave a beautiful poetry reading in American Sign Language.

In addition to celebrating our graduates, ICD also presented two partner awards during the ceremony.

ICD was honored to present the Internship Partner of the Year Award to New York City Department of Social Services' (DSS) Partnership for Inclusive Internships program. This past year, ICD’s Cisco CCNA students served as interns at DSS and provided expert technical support to thousands of employees as they aided New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ICD was also honored to present the Employer Partner of the Year Award to Goodwill NYNJ. Over the past year, Goodwill NYNJ assisted ICD's employment specialists by helping to place over 20 Custodial and Building Repair Technician graduates in jobs at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Dio Gica, ICD's Organizational Co-Lead, Spoke at NYATEP & NYSEDC 2021 Fall Conference

On October 27, 2021, Dio Gica, ICD's Organizational Co-Lead, spoke on a panel for the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP) and New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) 2021 Fall Conference.

The panel was on Developing Career Pathways for People with Disabilities.

Mr. Gica shared learnings from ICD’s Cisco CCNA training program that was formed in 2018 in partnership with Cisco and New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

This first-of-its-kind program in NYC continues to pave the way for individuals with disabilities to earn the industry-recognized Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification and pursue careers in the tech sector.

Joseph T. McDonald III, ICD’s Organizational Co-Lead, Testifies Before a New York State Assembly Committee

On October 20, 2021, ICD’s Organizational Co-Lead, Joseph T. McDonald III, testified at the New York State Assembly's historic Public Hearing on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities.

The committee welcomed various agencies, service providers, advocates, and people with disabilities to share the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the disability community.

This first-of-its-kind meeting signified an increased level of focus and commitment to a workforce that is inclusive of the talents and assets of individuals with disabilities.

In his statement, Mr. McDonald said,

“There's a growing line of potential workers with disabilities, businesses are clamoring for employees, workforce providers are open for services, but our classrooms are empty. Something must be done...

The disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic offer a once in a lifetime opportunity . . . to reevaluate and rebuild our systems to better support individuals with disabilities and boost overall economic development at the same time.”

Triet Le, Cisco CCNA Instructor at ICD, Publishes Op-Ed in Crain's New York Business

Crain's New York Business published an op-ed titled, “Here’s How Businesses Can Open the Tech-Job Pipeline for New Yorkers with a Disability” by Triet Le, ICD's Cisco CCNA Instructor.

In his op-ed, Mr. Le shares how and why the tech sector should be more inclusive of people with disabilities. He offers many recommendations to promote inclusion within the tech sector, such as work “tryout” opportunities like paid internships and train-to-hire apprenticeships, replacing academic degree requirements with certifications and credentials, and more.

In the piece, Mr. Le says,

"Disability inclusion is in the financial interest of tech companies and the business community at large. . . companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting more people with disabilities in their workforce have outperformed their peers."

Aaron Yi, Past Cisco CCNA Graduate and Current Teacher at ICD, is Featured in Queens Daily Eagle

Recently, Queens Daily Eagle published a story on Aaron Yi, a lifelong Queens resident, Army veteran, and student-turned-teacher for ICD's Cisco CCNA training program.

ICD’s Cisco CCNA training is the first-of-its-kind program created in 2018 in partnership with the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to credential people with disabilities with the industry-recognized Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification.

The piece, titled, “Queens veteran makes leap from student to teacher at school for disabled students,” highlights Aaron's journey from student to teacher in the program and how his experiences, both in the Army and as a student at ICD, are shaping the way he aids a cohort of nearly all Veterans as they work towards their certification.

In the piece, Aaron says,

“The transition from student to teaching assistant is refreshing and enjoyable. I’m now able to better cater to the students’ lessons and help them understand better. I know the certification course that they are taking, and what will be on it and how hard it is and I know what to put, what to emphasize and what to have them keep up with.”

Carl Callender, Employment Specialist at ICD, Contributes to First-of-its-Kind Blueprint for Inclusive Economic Growth in New York City

In February 2021, the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development, and Regional Plan Association established the NYC Inclusive Growth Initiative Steering Committee to develop a plan for inclusive economic growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several months later, the committee produced a blueprint with over 50 recommendations for NYC’s next Mayor and the incoming City Council to prioritize future economic development, workforce development, and affordable housing.

ICD is incredibly proud of our Employment Specialist, Carl Callender, who served as a workforce development expert on the Steering Committee and contributed to this blueprint.

In the press release, Mr. Callender said,

“As a Black Veteran, an advocate for individuals with disabilities, a workforce development professional and a lifelong New Yorker, the invitation to work with the NYC Inclusive Growth Steering Committee represented to me the possibility of a new day for New York City. The Inclusive Growth Blueprint we have prepared for our next Mayor is a visionary pathway to greater economic mobility and a more ethical, inclusive and diverse workforce for all.”

The Inclusive Growth Blueprint is a new framework for changing how decisions are made and improving how growth and development happen in New York City. City leaders have an opportunity to provide all New Yorkers with access to good jobs, affordable housing, and economic opportunity if they utilize this blueprint that centers the communities who are routinely left behind, including the disability community.

Brent Gallenberger, Manager of Workforce Readiness at ICD, Publishes Op-Ed in Gotham Gazette on the Importance of Internships

Gotham Gazette published an op-ed by ICD's Manager of Workforce Readiness, Brent Gallenberger, on the crucial role that internships play both for career seekers and employers.

The piece, titled, “As New York’s Economy Recovers, There's a Crucial Role for Internships for People with Disabilities,” discusses how New York’s business and nonprofit communities can aid in the economic recovery of people with disabilities by seeking out job candidates and by providing internships.

In the piece, Mr. Gallenberger says,

"For people entering the job market for the first time or at a new level, internships are especially important...they give the intern a chance to gain relevant work experience and a credential that can be parlayed into a permanent position."

Mr. Gallenberger also shares the wide range of fields within the labor market that would benefit from interns, including real estate, human services, and care-providing industries. Additionally, he cites research showing that companies that are inclusive of people with disabilities are more financially successful.

ICD Custodial Graduate, Michael Bell, Featured in The New York Times Piece on Essential Workers

The New York Times recently interviewed and photographed more than 130 of the 2.5 million service workers in NYC.

The resulting photo essay is a beautiful homage to the people who kept New York City afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, including one of ICD's very own Custodial graduates, Michael Bell.

“These 115 workers were among the more than130 people that The New York Times photographed and interviewed. They kept the city going, from Riverdale to Staten Island and from Bensonhurst to Astoria.

They were dog walkers and fitness trainers; cooks, cleaners and store clerks; and the army of people criss-crossing the city to deliver food and drink to those who spent the lockdown inside.

They were part of that delicate economic and social tapestry that connects us all.”

In the piece, The New York Times says, "If the city doesn’t sleep, it’s because hundreds of thousands of service workers who cater to any conceivable need don’t either...Service workers do the kinds of anonymous jobs that make the city run smoothly. They perform vital tasks like caring for the incapacitated or keeping public spaces clean.”

ICD could not be more proud of Michael for the dedication and perseverance he has demonstrated in his work during such difficult times.