Friday, October 23, 2026
For four Rockville Centre residents, helping others is more than an occasional act of kindness. It is a commitment shaped by family, personal experiences and a willingness to support people facing life’s toughest challenges.
Sisters Meagan Nocella and Katie Twomey and married couple Mary Ellen Lehr-Owens and Kenny Owens were recognized at Assemblywoman Judy Griffin’s 2026 Community Heroes Awards ceremony on Sept. 29 at the Rockville Centre Public Library. The annual event honored residents from 13 communities in the 21st Assembly District.
Their work ranges from disaster recovery and emergency response to helping families facing serious medical challenges.
From disaster recovery to emergency response
For Nocella, 35, the award came as a surprise. Having her sister honored alongside her made it especially meaningful.
The sisters grew up in Rockville Centre and joined the village fire department together, completing firefighter training before becoming emergency medical technicians. Both are members of Defender Hose Company No. 1.
“We really wanted to make sure that we were making some sort of good impact in this community that we’ve grown up in,” Nocella said.
A lifelong resident and one of seven children, Nocella credits her mother, Maureen Remy, and aunt, Mary Testa, who have led Rockville Centre’s Adopt-a-Family efforts for as long as she can remember, with instilling a commitment to service.
Each holiday season, relatives and volunteers raise money, wrap gifts and deliver meals and presents to neighbors in need. Nocella’s daughters, Charlotte, 6, and Molly, 4, now help select toys for children in the program.
“It really was something that they modeled for us and then we’re modeling for our kids, which I’m really happy about,” she said.
After graduating from the University of Delaware, Nocella joined AmeriCorps through SBP, a nonprofit that rebuilds homes after disasters. She began working in disaster recovery after Superstorm Sandy struck New York, expecting to stay only a few months. Eleven years later, she runs the organization’s AmeriCorps program, overseeing recruitment, training and grants and supporting deployments to disaster-affected communities.
Her uncles, Walter and Joe, also influenced her path. Both served in the South Hempstead Fire Department, where family gatherings often took place. Inspired by their example, Nocella and Twomey eventually joined their own community’s department.
“I think that people need help, and we can be the helpers,” Nocella said. She hopes her daughters learn that service can take many forms.
Making service part of everyday life
Twomey’s commitment to service also grew from watching her mother and aunt support families through Adopt-a-Family.
“When you see that there are inequities that exist around you and you are in a place of privilege, it is your job to correct that wrong,” Twomey said.
She brings that outlook to her work as senior vice president of finance and operations and chief compliance officer at Illumen Capital, which seeks to reduce bias in investing and direct more investment toward women, people of color and historically underrepresented groups.
Previously, Twomey was chief operating officer of Mama Hope, a nonprofit that connects communities, particularly in East Africa, with resources. Her nonprofit experience showed her how access to funding affects communities’ opportunities and futures.
After returning to Rockville Centre from Boston in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, Twomey joined the fire department with her sister. She described the firehouse as a “third space” beyond home and work, where she continues learning from experienced volunteers.
“It filled me up and allowed me to kind of show up to my other spaces in a better way,” she said.
Twomey lives in Rockville Centre with her husband, Kevin, their 19-month-old daughter, Nora, and their dog, Bodie. She hopes her daughter grows up seeing service as part of everyday life.
“Giving back is a non-negotiable and just kind of fully part of who we are,” Twomey said. “And I want that to be carried on with the next generation for sure.”
Turning loss into a legacy
For Lehr-Owens and Owens, helping others is a way to honor Kenny’s brother, Kevin Owens, who died of cancer in 2017.
Through the Kevin Owens Memorial Foundation and its annual Run to Remember, the couple support families facing serious health challenges. Kevin spent his final 27 days in the intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital. In tribute, Kenny takes on a 24-hour challenge that includes running 27 miles.
The event marked its sixth year in 2026, bringing together community members, sponsors and local businesses to help families facing serious illness, childhood medical challenges and other hardships.
Lehr-Owens coordinates fundraising and sponsorships alongside Kenny.
Kenny, who grew up in East Rockaway and now lives in Rockville Centre, also coaches youth basketball, emphasizing kindness and responsibility. He was named the Rockville Centre Herald’s 2024 Person of the Year for his community contributions.
Neither Owens nor Lehr-Owens could be reached for comment by press time.
In her welcome message, Griffin encapsulated the efforts of these people and emphasized that community service is defined by action, not status.
“What makes a community hero is not a title or position, but a willingness to step forward when help is needed,” Griffin wrote.
