La Casa del Pueblo: Honoring the Family of Ryan and Raldy Reyes

By: Sarabeth Weszely, Senior Writer
May 21, 2020

We have been using our social media platforms to give shout outs to some of our families who continue to do incredible work in and for our community. When we started to list the many ways the family of Ryan and Raldy Reyes (5th and 8th grade) serve our community, it became much too long for social media, and so we chose to spotlight them here, on our blog.

Ryan and Raldy’s mother, Wanda Mora, works two jobs. She has worked for more than 13 years at New York Community Financial (CFsc), which she calls her home. This company serves the community with local branches and is considered essential work. Some nights and on weekends, she works at the local hospital in the emergency room.

When Mrs. Mora and several of her children became ill with COVID-19 this year, she decided to stay home to care for her family and now only works for CFsc as a regional manager.

Raldy and Ryan’s father, Raldy Reyes, is also an essential worker, working as a bus driver for the MTA. He has been driving the local routes for about 7 years and is now working double shifts when needed.

 

Raldy and Ryan’s maternal grandmother is Maria Rosado, a nurse of over 10 years. “She is my warrior and my role model,” says Mrs. Mora, noting that her mother previously worked in New York State jails and now works at a local Bronx hospital. “She just got over COVID and returned to work a week ago,” Mrs. Mora says with admiration.

Maria is a cancer survivor who also suffers from asthma, and the whole family celebrates her recovery from COVID with pride.

“It was emotionally exhausting spending time in the ER, seeing so much suffering and so many lives lost,” Wanda remembers. “We hope in God that all will come back to normal soon.”

 

 

Raldy and Ryan’s family engages whole-heartedly in public service, even still during these hard times. They have distributed coats in the winter and school backpacks in the fall from their home. “We look for ways to give back to the community,” they say humbly. Recently, the family have been giving away hotdogs from Maria’s front porch to help feed those in need. Maria’s neighbors refer to her house as the ‘La Casa del Pueblo,’ or translated, ‘The People’s Home.’

The Reyes family has expressed much gratitude for Inwood Academy over the years and are proud to announce Raldy and Ryan’s cousin, Heather Lopez, will be joining our fifth grade class this fall.

In recognition of Staff Appreciation Week, Mrs. Mora writes:

On behalf of the entire family of Raldy and Ryan Reyes, we want to thank everyone at Inwood Academy for their constant support. From day one, since Ryan started 5th grade, it has been an unforgettable experience, and the same with Raldy’s transition into eighth grade, changing schools almost mid-year. I thought it was going to be difficult and I remember the words of Mrs. Orquidia, Mrs. Nancy and Mrs. Tatiana which were the same: ‘don’t worry, he will be fine,’ and they were true, Raldy was and is fine. Thank you! These days when there is so much turbulence in the world you are each exceptional. Thanks for being so human. Thanks for your support. Thanks for always being there for parents and students!

Blessings,

Wanda and family