New York City's Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. honored three FreshDirect employees in a surprise ceremony, in keeping with Black History Month celebrations.
for their courage and service during the COVID-19 pandemic
Diaz celebrated Kisha Brown-Anderson, Raymond Talovera and Larry Scott Blackmon for their courage and service during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.
The event was sponsored by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and held at the FreshDirect campus in the Bronx.
“Each year, Black History Month offers us an opportunity to celebrate both the African-American heroes of the past and those who are building on their good work and legacy today,” Diaz said in the release. “While we were not able to physically join together as a community like we have in the past, I am thrilled we had the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals who have showed up every day for our borough when we needed it the most and made efforts to tackle food insecurity in the Bronx.”
FreshDirect is an online fresh food grocer that delivers directly to customers throughout seven states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Launched in 2002, FreshDirect was acquired by Ahold Delhaize and Centerbridge Partners in January 2021.
Photo courtesy FreshDirect
Empire BlueCross BlueShield recognizes that access to affordable, nutritious food is at the foundation of good health, Alan Murray, president, said in the release.
“Putting food on the table has become even more difficult during the pandemic, with nearly 23 percent of people in the Bronx experiencing food insecurity in 2020, according to Feeding America,” Murray said. “We've learned a lot from this pandemic, including the fact that its impacts are not the same on all of us.”
- Kisha Brown-Anderson: The native New Yorker is a senior operations manager who supports the transportation and customer service departments. She's worked for FreshDirect for 15 years, striving for customers to have the perfect shopper experience, according to the release. Brown-Anderson helps coordinate all the company's special events including Relay for Life, Operation 5-Borough Food Drive and the annual turkey donations.
- Raymond Talovera: A Brooklynite and U.S. Air Force veteran, Talovera is the mobile operations team driver for the transportation operations center. He supports routes that need assistance and handles deliveries that don't fit into the normal delivery process. He was the lead driver on the Operation 5-Borough Food Drive project, helped open and run the company's New Jersey pickup service in the summer and also works the annual F.D.N.Y block party.
- Larry Scott Blackmon: Born and raised in Harlem, Blackmon is the vice president of public affairs. He leads the company's community and governmental interactions, expanding current partnerships and cultivating new relationships. Blackmon is one of the lead architects of the successful Operation 5-Borough Food Drive in partnership with the five borough presidents and mayor's office. He also launched FreshDirect's annual GiveEmber Thanksgiving turkey drive and is responsible for many of the company's various charitable and community partnerships across a variety of issues, including fighting hunger, nutrition education and career development. Before joining FreshDirect, Blackmon held several New York City government positions and worked with many state and federal elected officials, preparing him to fight for the interests and issues affecting the families in the communities he serves. He was recognized as one of the “40 under 40” people to watch in both city and state news and the Network Journal publication. Blackmon received a master's degree in public administration from Metropolitan College of New York, where he is an adjunct professor, teaching intergovernmental relations.