ork happens quietly — in classrooms, food pantries, recreation centers and small businesses — I Am My Sister is preparing to shine a spotlight on those whose impact has reshaped lives across Glen Cove.
The nonprofit will honor Edward P. Norris III, Phyllis Barnett, Irma Gente, Officer Darren Pittman Jr. and Nicole Robinson-Helmus for their sustained commitment to youth, families and community empowerment, at The Black History Month Gala and Legacy Awards, held on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.
I Am My Sister, founded by Lela Watson, now its executive director, is a Glen Cove-based organization focused on youth leadership development, mentorship, empowerment programming and community advocacy. It works with students through in-school clubs, workshops and initiatives centered on confidence-building, representation and opportunity, and also organizes community-wide events such as Juneteenth celebrations and cultural programming.
The gala, Watson said, grew out of a desire to continue recognizing community members who quietly shape Glen Cove without seeking atten ion.
“We wanted to make sure that we were continuing on with highlighting people in the community, and Black people in the community, that are doing the work without the expectation of the pats on the back or the awards, that [are] passionate about youth and families and community,” she said.
“It’s our responsibility to highlight those people so that the young people see themselves and see opportunities that they can aspire to,” Watson added. “These people are doing the work that’s going to carry on for generations to come. And they do it because of the love and the passion that they have for youth families in our community.”
Honorees are selected through a board-led nomination and voting process that focuses on long-term impact rather than a single achievement. “We’re looking at legacy,” Watson explained. “So, what have they been doing on a continual basis to change lives? There’s people in the community that’s better because of the things that these people do.”
Norris, the director of choral music at Glen Cove High School, is being recognized for his leadership in arts education, which has broadened students’ exposure to opportunities far beyond their hometown.
“Mr. Norris has made it his life’s work to expose these young people to the best of the world’s art and music,” Watson said. “Wherever he takes these young people, they now have a whole world that they see that now they have the ability to touch. They’re no longer afraid of what the future holds.”
Norris said he considers the award an extension of his commitment to student advocacy. “I think the organization is wonderful,” he said of I Am My Sister. “I think it’s giving a voice to a population that is sometimes underrepresented and underserved. I’m very excited to be a part of this and very excited to share it with my students. My service is really to the students in the school community.”
In recent years, he said, supporting students emotionally has become just as important as musical instruction. “I try very hard to make each child that’s in my care feel loved, feel appreciated, feel like they have a voice that can be heard, feel safe,” Norris said. “I just want to continue to be a voice and an advocate for them to be their best selves.”
Honoree Nicole Robinson-Helmus is the founder of Level Up Glen Cove and its nonprofit arm, Level Up Cares, launched in November 2023 to expand access to health and wellness services.
“We often give free classes to seniors and to young adults in the community,” Robinson-Helmus said. “Last year I opened it up for anybody, I Am My Sister and anybody else in the community who didn’t have things to do for the summer all teens who came in had a free workout to keep them busy, keep them occupied and to keep them healthy for the summer.”
Community investment, she said, is fundamental to her mission. “If you want a business, if you want people in your community that you’re serving to be empowered, to feel supported, you also have to give back to that community,” Robinson-Helmus said. “With health and wellness, if you’re healthy physically, but not just physically, mentally healthy, that you can feel strong, you can feel empowered. You make your own destiny.”
For Watson, the gala is ultimately about ensuring that young people see models of leadership that reflect possibility.
“These people are doing the work that’s going to carry on for generations to come,” she said.
The gala will be heldat the Metropolitan Caterers, 3 Pratt Blvd. in Glen Cove. Tickets can be purchased at iammysister.org.
