Laura Levine-Pinedo is The Press' person of the year

She does a lot of things to bring our community together and she’s exactly the type of person that we need a whole lot more of. I'm very grateful that she's at KRVC now and she's doing a great job.”

Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz

She’s the executive director of the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation, founder of the 4Bronx Project, co-founder of Riverdale Restaurant Week and Riverdale Pride, gives to the needy, celebrates her local heroes and loves to sing cabaret and Broadway showtunes.

Meet Laura Levine-Pinedo -- The Press’ person of the year.

A kid from Kingsbridge, Pinedo’s roots lie in Ireland. Her grandfather, Patrick Malachy Hennessy from County Tipperary, found success as a world class hurler, which allowed for him to migrate to NYC in 1961. Two years after his arrival, he married his beloved wife, Alice Hennessy (née Normoyle.) The two were wed for 54 years before her sudden death from breast cancer in 2017. Patrick Hennessy died one year later.

Alice Hennessy was a warm and caring soul who inspired kindness and generosity for others in her grandchildren, especially Pinedo, who founded the 4Bronx Project to preserve her grandmother’s legacy.

“I grew up with my grandmother in Review Place in apartment 4B and I wanted to name this project after her,” she said. “As someone passes away, it’s like you start hearing about them less and less and she was so important to me that I couldn't let that happen to her legacy or her memory.”

Hennessy didn’t have much, according to Pinedo, but every week she would save five dollars in a cup and use those funds to go on a Christmas shopping spree at the now-closed, National Wholesale Liquidators in Yonkers.

But the items purchased weren’t for her family. Instead, Hennessy filled the shopping cart with gifts she donated to Visitation, a now-shuttered Catholic school in Kingsbridge, which were then dispersed amongst local homeless shelters.

“It’s one of my favorite memories growing up with her,” said Pinedo of being a wide-eyed child, buying up, what seemed like, the whole store. “That’s where I got my first taste for [charity.]”

Pinedo continues in that tradition, providing for several shelters in the community, including the Concourse House, a shelter for women and children at 2751 Grand Concourse.

“The 4BronxProject has been an incredible support system to the Concourse House families,” said executive director, Manuela Schaudt. “Providing essential items such as coats, clothes, diapers and beyond -- Laura and her volunteers are the true definition of community and empowerment.”

Pinedo attended Visitation School and her mother sang at the weekly mass for 30 years. Pinedo credits the school’s parent-teacher association with creating a sense of community and helping her through her parent’s divorce. As well as the struggles she faced from having a father who was a disabled veteran in and out of homelessness – a path not unfamiliar to veterans in this country.

More than 30% of veterans have reported having at least one disability, according to USAFACTS. And while veteran homelessness is at an all-time low, it plummeted nearly 90% since 2011, where nearly 6,000 veterans were without a home in NYC, according to the state comptroller’s office.

Pinedo’s father worked hard to overcome his struggles, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Sharing in that experience at a young age, illustrated to Pinedo how U.S. veterans were often overlooked and underappreciated and it motivated her to host veteran lunches through the 4Bronx Project, which she founded in 2020. The widespread lack of resources, closing of soup kitchens and food pantries and overall death and suffering, during the COVID-19 pandemic, made it even more important for her to do charitable work.

Through social media, Pinedo asked locals residents and organizations for donations which poured out generously and allowed for the luncheons that hosted 20 to 30 veterans. A full meal was provided, and free raffle tickets were distributed, the prizes were donated as well. 

Pinedo is also on the board of the Riverdale Main Streets Alliance, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012, dedicated to supporting the growing network of community members and local businesses.

She believes local businesses are the cornerstone of thriving communities and focuses much of her efforts on promoting restaurants, both for the benefit of the business owners and for the neighborhoods.

“She came and introduced herself and said, if I ever needed anything, help or anything, she opened the door to me,” said Mario Curanaj, owner of Salvatore’s of Soho and YoBurger, both on Riverdale Avenue.

Pinedo, along with Michael Gabert, founder of Flexis Media, created Riverdale Restaurant Week to mitigate the disparity of Bronx representation in NYC Restaurant Week. The popular foodie “holiday” features more than 500 restaurants across the city, but in most iterations, Bronx eateries made up less than 5% of the total participating businesses.  

And if wearing so many hats and having her hands in so many projects, weren’t enough, Pinedo also bartends part-time at Saints and Scholars, a neighborhood bar for sports and karaoke on McLean Avenue in Yonkers.

Working in the service industry was a great way for Pinedo to get her face and voice out there.

“I met Laura her first night working at the Bronx Burger House,” said Adam Prato. “I’m hoping for one day to vote for her as mayor.”

That was about nine years ago. Then she became manager. Then her charity work began getting busier.

All the titles and activities may be dizzying for some, but Pinedo stressed, she doesn’t do it alone.

Shari Hall, associate director of KRVC for the last 17 years, handles operations and logistics so “[Pinedo] can be the visionary,” Hall said.

Barbara Zentner and Sylvia Gottlieb spend every Tuesday afternoon at KRVC and help with sorting, wrapping and receiving deliveries. Judith McVey dos the same every Friday. Cara Kagan facilitates a monthly book club inside the space and has over 30 residents that participate. Angie Rivera hosts monthly paint nights for the community. Peggy Garcia hosts monthly popups to support local businesses. Amy Perry facilitates a meditation group. Two local teachers, Stephen and Mila host weekly math prep for students and all KRVC programming in free.

Rich Feldman, Robert Ackerson, Theresa Henry and Xavier Molina helped with transporting items to the shelters and Elite Rubin assists with the newsletter.

Danny Monge, fellow community advocate, co-hosted a community leaders’ event at RiverSpring Living with Pinedo last month to recognize volunteers from 225^th Street to the Yonkers border.

“There are so many volunteers that are instrumental to our success,” Pinedo said. “They really are the people of the year.”

She also wanted to recognize RiverSpring Living for everything they offer to Pinedo and her organizations, including free parking for her to keep the truck when it’s not transporting goods to the community.

Earlier this month, Pinedo was also instrumental in saving the tree-lighting ceremony that has been a tradition of Riverdale for decades. She reached out to the Bronx Borough President’s office, seeking a tree. What they received was a beautiful conifer about 30 feet tall.

The Press spoke to Pinedo’s mother at the ceremony, who was seen standing on the sidelines, grinning ear-to-ear.

“She always stood up against bullies. That was one thing she could never tolerate,” said Ann Marie Hennessy. “I remember her always advocating and being supportive. As you can see, she really wants to make a difference in this world.”

On a personal note, Pinedo loves to travel and hopes to one day see the Taj Mahal in India. She binge watches “Queen of the South” and “Chicago PD” and would die if she ever met Lady Gaga.  

She also wants to thank her husband, Andrew Pinedo, who does all the work quietly behind the scenes.

Despite her constant generosity and charity, Pinedo doesn’t consider herself much of a hero, although she recognizes those same qualities in others. Her disposition is sweet, but strong. She’s particular about how she wants things done and can sometimes micro-manage, but it’s all in good faith and for the greater good. Her smile is bright and whoever knows her is familiar with her work, because it’s who she is. Her giving nature is inherent and her grandmother would be proud. Seems everyone already is.

“She does a lot of things to bring our community together and she’s exactly the type of person that we need a whole lot more of,” said Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz. “I'm very grateful that she's at KRVC now and she's doing a great job.”