‘It’s a passion, something of giving back to my community in Guatemala and being able to also connect here with the opportunities that I received in the U.S.’

Greenport

“I was born in Guatemala, and I was there until I was 9. I moved to the U.S. in 2001. There was a bunch more opportunities for us here in the U.S., so that’s why we migrated. It was extremely hard to leave what I knew, the culture, my grandparents, friends and family.

“When I moved to the U.S., things were difficult because of the language barrier. I knew that I wanted to learn English and be able to communicate and pursue my goals.

“I was the first in my family to graduate from high school and attend a university: SUNY Oneonta. I pursued a computer science degree and a minor in mathematics.

“One of the most memorable things that occurred during my time in college was the internships that I obtained. In 2012, under the Obama administration, I had the opportunity to work for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. After I graduated, I started working, and a couple years later, the school had an opening. Now, I’m a lead programmer analyst at SUNY Oneonta.

“Throughout my time while working and pursuing my career, I kept thinking about how I got here and how I achieved my goals. I had a lot of mentorships, coaches, people giving me help and being there for me.

“That was one of the things that sparked the idea to continue with a nonprofit organization: Yuntos. This is something that I do after — and sometimes before — work hours. It’s a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS.

“What we do is bring new and gently worn shoes to those in need in Guatemala. It’s like giving back to that community where I grew up and being able to connect both worlds: Guatemala and the opportunities that I’ve had here in the U.S. It’s all grassroots.

“The warehouse is in my parents’ basement in Long Island. My sibling, Rosario, helps me collect shoes along Long Island. Then my grandparents in Guatemala, they’re the ones that receive the shoes and boxes when they arrive. They hold them for me, and then when I’m there, we distribute.

“In 2023, I am looking at achieving the goal of 800 pairs of shoes. It’s a passion, something of giving back to my community in Guatemala and being able to also connect here with the opportunities that I received in the U.S.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘Mental health needs to be talked about more.’

Greenport

“I am a cancer survivor, a suicide-loss survivor and a Parkinson’s disease warrior. Steve and I met in 1981. We were partners for 33 years before he took his own life.

“I knew he had some mental health issues because he saw a psychiatrist once a week at the time. We believe he was bipolar since he would have both manic and depressive episodes. These episodes got closer together and lasted longer. He would manically create more races and then panic that he couldn’t handle it all. His family and I would have to step up and help until he emerged from a depressive episode.

“He took his own life on March 15, 2015, and was just 54 years old. He had attempted a few months before his suicide. After that attempt, he promised me that he would never do it again. I believed him. It was the first time that he lied to me.

“I knew he had mental health struggles, but I never expected him to take his own life. He was extremely good looking, loved by so many, and an amazing swim coach. Steve did a lot for the community. Steve and the company he built laid the foundation for the sport of triathlon on Long Island. Some of the races he created still exist today.

“He was born and raised on Long Island and went to Stony Brook University. He was a Jones Beach lifeguard, developed the triathlon landscape on Long Island, and was so well-known in the triathlon community as a coach, triathlete and race director. He coached swimmers at the Nassau Aquatic Center and in Patchogue. He also coached open water swimming at Corey Beach and TOBAY Beach. It was his mission in life to help people.

“Mental health needs to be talked about more, especially in men. He was a coach, so maybe he didn’t think he could speak up because he didn’t want his clients to know he was suffering since they looked up to him. He wanted to get better. He tried it all. He tried therapy and medications, but nothing helped him. He couldn’t get out of it. He dug himself so deep.”

‘I am sharing my story with the hope that it can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.’

“The day after Steve was released from a mental health facility in Arizona, he took his own life. I was with a friend in New York City when we got the call. His mom called her and told her she didn’t want me to be alone. I saw my friend’s face, and I’ll never forget it. It’s burned in my memory. It was all a blur.

“Afterwards, I felt all the emotions: anger, sadness, grief. I started writing his memoir, and it was very cathartic for me. I hadn’t published a book before, and I wasn’t a writer, but this was special to me. I also went to therapy and met some people through Facebook groups, but there weren’t many suicide survivors’ groups at the time. I built a Facebook page in Steve’s memory. I just want to help people who are going through this. I want to connect with others because I didn’t have that when I went through this. It’s tortuous. Nobody should have to go through this. Recently, I created a podcast where people who lost loved ones to suicide came on to speak about their experiences. There are some former pro triathletes on the podcast as well.

“Along with losing my partner, Steve, I also lost a good friend to suicide. His name was Michael, and I knew him for many years. We went to high school together. He always did triathlons and met and became friends with Steve through them. He died after Steve, and I just couldn’t believe it was happening again. Michael’s son, Michael Jr., was coached by Steve. Michael Jr. wrote a chapter in my book. If even one person gets help or feels supported from my book or podcast or Facebook group I created, then I’ve done my job. I just want to give people the courage to talk about mental health.

“I previously had tonsil cancer in 2007. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease just a few months after Steve’s passing. It’s horrible to witness somebody you love struggle for years. It’s my belief that the trauma triggered my Parkinson’s. I was lucky that I had people to support me, like my cousin and two close friends.

“I want to raise mental health and suicide awareness to help people. I am sharing my story with the hope that it can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.”

If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.

When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

The current Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, even after 988 is launched nationally.

Veterans can now dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line.

Suicide warning signs can be found at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website at afsp.org.

Interviewed by Melanie Gulbas

‘Every day, I wake up excited to continue to build, and everything I do is motivated by my family. I want to give them the world.’

Greenport

“I left “Corporate America” in 2008 and moved back to Greenport, the village where I grew up. It called me back, as I missed the small town feel but knew I wouldn’t miss the hour-and-a-half commute I was making from Brooklyn to Manhattan. I had done some baking in college and opened a cupcake shop called Butta’ Cakes Bakery in 2008 until SuperStorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc on the store, destroying equipment and my passion for baking, leaving us wanting to transition to something different.

“Around the same time of the storm, my son, Joseph, was born, and he spent some time in the hospital after his birth due to high fevers. During a trip to Boston, we had ended up at this cool luchador-themed restaurant. Being a wrestling fan since a young kid, I fell in love with the concept. My son’s experience and the luchador theme came together as the inspiration for my restaurant, named “Lucharitos,” which translates into “little fighter,” because that’s what he is.

They give me a reason every morning to smile and be thankful and stay humble.

“We launched in Greenport in 2013, and then everything changed. Things caught on quickly. We expanded in 2015, then opened a second location in Aquebogue in 2017. In 2019, we bought a small farmhouse in Center Moriches and transformed it into this kind-of taco and margarita oasis restaurant with its own farm, chickens and a giant sand box where we host events.

“Over the pandemic, we also launched a “burrito bar” in Mattituck, next to the Mattituck Cinemas movie theater—which led to our taking over its concession station—and now we’re working on a location in Melville, which will be opening in late August and will be a blueprint for future locations we hope to see rise across the East Coast.

“Every day, I wake up excited to continue to build, and everything I do is motivated by my family, by my three boys. I want to give them the world. I owe them that. They give me a reason to keep building. They give me a reason every morning to smile and be thankful and stay humble. Being a restauranteur makes me challenge myself and our teams to be consistent, accountable, proactive and prepared, but at the end of the day, being a parent makes being a restauranteur seem pretty easy. They also remind me to enjoy the ride.”

Interviewed by Ian J. Stark