Postal Service recognizes Senior Citizens with 'I Love Harlem' Award at Harlem Week Elders Jubilee

NEW YORK, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Postal Service recognized four community minded senior citizens this afternoon with "I Love Harlem" awards at the Harlem Week Elders Jubilee at the National Black Theatre, located at 5th Avenue and 125th Street. The Postal Service created the award to find

the senior citizen who best demonstrates their love of Harlem through mentoring, community involvement, activism, volunteerism or involvement in beatification projects. Nominations by the general public were accepted at the Manhattanville Post Office on 125th Street through August 4. Choosing one winner proved to be next to impossible. Therefore, instead of picking one winner, two finalists and two runners-up were selected for recognition. The four awardees include finalists: Florence Rice and Stephen Adeyinka, and runner-ups: Leroy Young, and Orundun DaCosta-Johnson.

Ms. Rice was recognized for her consumer education efforts, Adeyinka for his decades of involvement in youth mentoring, Mr. Young for his work with the local food pantry and delivering food to other seniors and shut-ins, and DaCosta-Johnson for significant efforts in the field of education. The "I Love Harlem" finalists and runner-ups were awarded beautifully framed presentation pieces featuring enlargements of the Postal Service's stylized swan love stamps, with the inscription: "I Love Harlem Week", presented by the United States Postal Service, for the New York City Senior Citizens "Elders Jubilee", Harlem Week 2006.

Harlem Week began in 1974 as Harlem Day. Over the course of Harlem Week's 32-year history, it has developed into one of the largest cultural celebrations in the United States. Each year, Harlem Week attracts millions of attendees to its many cultural events and activities. The "I Love Harlem" senior citizen outreach activity illustrates how Postal Service employees are active members of the communities where they work and live.

Source: United States Postal Service