‘I’ve seen firsthand how hard my colleagues work every single day. Working with children is much harder than people think.’

Romina Keper, Long Beach

“I’ve been a school speech pathologist for 13 years. I’ve seen firsthand how hard my colleagues work every single day. Working with children is much harder than people think. Between social, emotional and academic needs, there’s a lot to juggle at once. Teachers sometimes get overlooked and should be celebrated more. We love mugs and gift cards, but I’ve always felt there has to be a better way for parents to show their appreciation for the people who work with their children every day. Teachers love puns, and I decided to create something based on the popular trend gift of a charcuterie board.

I like to think he’d be proud to see me making things with my hands … things that brighten people’s days.

“I was putting together a retirement gift for a teacher’s party, and I thought, wouldn’t it be cute if it had school supplies on it instead of food? And just like that, CharTEACHerie gift boards were born. I always wanted to do something with my hands like my father, as well as generate some extra income because living on Long Island is incredibly expensive. Starting this business has been a tribute to my dad, who passed away two years ago. Designing these boards became a therapeutic process where I channeled my grief into something productive and meaningful for others.

“Making things brought him peace, so it was DIY all day every day in our house, aka ‘mini Home Depot.’ I like to think he’d be proud to see me making things with my hands, too, things that brighten people’s days, just like the little creations he’d put together for us, whether it was a table, swing or playhouse. It almost feels like we’re making the boards together. I’ve been in business for over a year and a half and sold over 220 gift boards thus far. I’ve donated several raffle gift boards to things like PTA nights, fundraisers, churches, networking events and continuing education conferences. I include commonly used school supplies and customize it with a personal element based on what the teacher likes and needs, like a favorite color, hobby or TV show. Balancing it all is challenging, but I love knowing that the gift is going to someone who needs the recognition, like the first one into school in the morning and the last one to leave. The best part is knowing that it’s going to someone who deserves it.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘I have moments that are really challenging, but most of the time I’m like, “All right, today’s another day. Today is a new beginning. Today I’m alive and I’m just thankful.”’

Long Beach

“As a child, I had a lot of allergies and asthma. I didn’t know what going to the chiropractor really did, but I knew if I went, I was able to play outside. My dad was sick, and he started going to the chiropractor and he lived an extra two years. I saw a glimpse of what chiropractic could do for somebody and decided to become a chiropractor. I opened my practice in Bellmore in 2006.

“I believe that everybody’s chosen to do something in life, whatever is close to your heart. I love what I do, helping people and helping families. But I also realize that I have to take care of myself. When my wife and I lost a baby last year at 31½ weeks, it triggered an autoimmune response, and that’s what attacked my kidneys. In February, I went to the hospital, and they said that I would have died in two days from renal failure if I didn’t get there. I said, ‘This is your will, God, not my will,’ and I just surrendered. There are days and I have moments that are really challenging, but most of the time I’m like, all right, today’s another day. Today is a new beginning. Today I’m alive and I’m just thankful. My wife and I, our faith is very strong. It’s lifted me up when I felt like there was no hope.

Sometimes, when you’re in the storm, you can’t see the ‘why,’ or you may never know the ‘why.’

“I had been turned off by religion because my dad was sick and everybody said to pray for him, and he died anyway a week after my bar mitzvah. Then my sister, when she was 21 years old, was killed in a drunk driving wreck. She was in the back middle seat, and everyone else walked away from that same car wreck. Now, though, going through what I’ve been going through, without my faith in God, I wouldn’t be here.

“When I put out my letter on social media sharing everything, 55 people wanted to get evaluated for a kidney transplant. It’s amazing to see the love and support, even with the GoFundMe page that we have.

“Sometimes, when you’re in the storm, you can’t see the ‘why,’ or you may never know the ‘why.’ You’re getting up at 4:30 in the morning for dialysis three days a week, and it’s four hours a pop. But I don’t want to wait for the perfect situation. I want to live life fully now, even more so. I’m not going through this situation; I’m growing through it.”

Interviewed by Joe Rizza

‘Hopefully, one day, we could send gifts to every single nursing home resident everywhere, but we’ll do a little at a time.’

Long Beach

“I’m a Brooklyn transplant and I came to Long Island three years ago. My parents were in two different facilities here: Dad was right down the block in a nursing home in Long Beach and my mom was in an assisted living home in Far Rockaway.

“In the beginning of COVID-19, their facilities got locked down and in the end of March, we got a phone call that my dad wasn’t doing so well. We didn’t really expect that a few hours later we were going to get the call that he passed away. And then we didn’t know until we got the death certificate that it was COVID. We had to tell my mother over the phone.

“Then she started not feeling well but she always had a nervous stomach, so we figured it was that. She didn’t have a fever or a cough. But she called and had shortness of breath. My brother asked the assisted living facility to check her oxygen level and it was extremely low. She went to the hospital and passed away from COVID-19.

“From talking to the nursing home administrators, we learned there were so many seniors in these facilities that have no one and never receive a card or a gift, so last Christmas, we started taking up collections for seniors in homes. A bunch of us ladies got together and made gift bags for 130 residents. Then Valentine’s Day came around and we had students make cards for seniors.

“A friend donated party gifts, like heart necklaces and tiaras, and we dropped all of this off. A nursing home administrator told me they heard laughter coming from the residents’ rooms when they were reading the cards and looking at the silly gifts. She said, “We haven’t heard laughter here in almost a year.”

From talking to the nursing home administrators, we learned there were so many seniors in these facilities that have no one and never receive a card or a gift, so last Christmas, we started taking up collections for seniors in homes.

“We’ve now collected gifts for many other holidays: St. Patrick’s Day, Veteran’s Day, July Fourth. I was just named one of Assemblywoman Melissa Miller’s Women of Distinction. I’m almost 60 years old and starting The Micky and Dee Charitable Foundation Operation Gifts for Seniors is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

“We’re not a foundation that’s getting all kinds of money. Hopefully, one day, we are that big that we could send gifts to every single nursing home resident everywhere, but we’ll do a little at a time. We’ll take a few smiles.”

‘I find that kids are more willing to puzzle out the difficult questions than adults seem to be.’

Long Beach

“I’m originally from a tiny town called Quaker Street in upstate New York — it had one stop light, a general store, Quaker meeting house, a tavern and my grandfather’s diner. My parents owned the store in town, and we lived in an apartment over the store. I grew up in this supportive fishbowl where everyone knew you and what you were doing. It was a really nice way to grow up.

“I started teaching at FDR High School in Hyde Park upstate and it was a very difficult contract battle. The superintendent was known for union busting and for a first-year teacher, it was overwhelming. The social studies department chair at Oceanside High School was looking for someone. I didn’t know where Oceanside was and I heard Long Island and I said, ‘I have to get back to you.’

“Since 1997, I have devoted so much of my energy to teaching social studies in Oceanside. I have hobbies, but in terms of the thing that I put my energy into, it’s this job and the kids that I’m with every day that helped me win state teacher of the year in 2021.

We went from being heroes in March 2020 to being the villains trying to indoctrinate people’s kids.

“At Oceanside, they hired great teachers without picking the same kind of teacher – there were conservative teachers, people of color, LGBT, old, young, new teachers, it was really awesome. A great administrator makes you be an effective teacher. Dr. Kevin Sheehan was director of social studies when I started, and he understood that the key was to hire people who were smarter than him and get out of the way and make sure they had the tools they needed. There’s so little of that now.

“We went from being heroes in March 2020 to being the villains trying to indoctrinate people’s kids. I don’t know any teacher who’s trying to indoctrinate anyone. I listen to and entertain all arguments and the students know that I welcome that kind of discourse, so when you watch people fight and not listen to one another, it’s terrible.

“I teach government class, but I also teach AP human geography which is having kids think about why this thing is happening, at this time, with these people, in this place – we look at population, immigration, urban development and we get into a lot of conversations about it. I find that kids are more willing to puzzle out the difficult questions than adults seem to be.”

Interviewed by Rachel O’Brien – Morano