Monica Morales
PIX11
New York, NY, United States
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Recent articles by Monica:
South Bronx basketball team needs equipment and support
SOUTH BRONX (PIX11) — Two Bronx fathers are volunteer coaches for a high school basketball team called the South Bronx Panthers from the Mill Brook Houses. The team is in need of new uniforms, equipment and a place to practice. Mike Fish and Rich Ayala are Bronx fathers off the court, but on the court they […] → Read More
Brooklyn playgrounds locked or in disrepair
BED-STUY, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Some Brooklyn parents want their playgrounds unlocked and repaired before summer so their children have a safe place to play. Kesha Crawford, the tenant president of Stuyvesant Gardens I in Bed-Stuy, said locking children out of their playgrounds isn’t the answer to keeping them safe. Harold Cincley said it infuriates him […] → Read More
Correction officers help make prom happen for Brooklyn teens
BED-STUY, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Prom is an exciting time. It’s a celebration of high school and a job well done. However, between the fancy clothing and accessories, many students worry they may not be able to cover the costs. This year that won’t be a problem for dozens of Brooklyn teens, all thanks to some correctional […] → Read More
Follow-up Friday: Harlem community steps up to help fire victims
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Back in March, 20 families in Harlem lost everything in a fire. Since then, the community has rallied to help. Luckily, no one was injured in the fire on West 142nd Street. But the families lost everything. City Councilmember Kristen Richardson Jordan sprung into action. The JCC Harlem saw PIX11’s coverage […] → Read More
‘Playground Libraries’ coming to city NYCHA developments
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — Some NYCHA playgrounds are getting libraries this spring, which will help children get a head start on reading. But a Bronx educator needs the community’s help to make it happen across the city. Eighth graders at PS/MS 29 visited a playground across the street, at the Jackson Houses, and replenished […] → Read More
Exclusive: Cargo containers converted into COVID clinics at Queens NYCHA development
ASTORIA, Queens (PIX11) — Those looking to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 now have another free option in New York City. On-the-go cargo containers have been converted into clinics in Queens. The 40-foot-long repurposed shipping containers are smack in the middle of the Astoria Houses. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York said these containers […] → Read More
Grieving mom fighting for memorial at site where her daughter died in Queens car crash
SOUTH OZONE PARK, Queens (PIX11) —A Brooklyn mom, spurred on by the death of her daughter, launched a fight for a roadside memorial at the site where her daughter and two others were killed in Queens. Katrina Thomas experienced every mother’s worst nightmare on Oct. 6, 2020. Her 20-year-old daughter, Kimani Foster was killed in […] → Read More
NYC Summer Youth Employment Program to reach 100,000 young people
NEW YORK (PIX11) — They’re hiring! New York City announced an expansion of its Summer Youth Employment Program. The city is investing $236 million in funding. A record 100,000 jobs will be available this summer across the five boroughs. Destiny Figueroa, 18, grew up at the Dyckman Houses in Inwood; now she works there. It’s […] → Read More
Bronx grandma wants ‘to put my foot in somebody’s a–’ over heartbreaking conditions at NYCHA home
THE BRONX (PIX11) — An 85-year-old Bronx grandmother is furious over the conditions in her public housing home of decades. Julia Green has lived in NYCHA’s Forest Houses in the Bronx since 1973. Over the past few months, the home she loves has fallen apart. The ceiling is crumbling, with pieces falling down. Garbage bags cover […] → Read More
Follow-up Friday: Harlem military family home repaired and Bronx kids’ library damaged by leak to be rebuilt
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Sgt. Orias Strungys served 13 years in the Army and now has two sons on active duty in the military. He’s proud of his service to our country but disappointed by the city’s inaction to make repairs in his apartment. Sgt. Strungys now lives at the Polo Grounds Towers in Harlem. […] → Read More
NY Gov. Hochul talks affordable child care as NYC advocacy groups push for funding
Business owner mom Michaella Blissett-Williams got a visit from Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of a small business walking tour Wednesday. PIX11 News exclusively spoke with Hochul, who shared her own experience and struggle as a working mom. → Read More
Public advocate shares 5 point plan to overhaul public housing in NYC
NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York City’s Public Housing authority has been plagued by issues for years, but Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is heading up a new push to address these issues. PIX11 News went with Williams to visit Rena Marie Mungin’s apartment at the Lincoln Houses in Harlem back in December 2019. “The state […] → Read More
Harlem great-grandmother with no hot water bathes with coffee pot
HARLEM, Manhattan — The tenant president of a Harlem NYCHA development said people who live in the three buildings are freezing because of inconsistent access to heat and hot water. One of those tenants, great-grandmother Johnnie Mae Hooks, showed PIX11 News’ Monica Morales the extreme measures she goes through to take a shower. The 86-year-old […] → Read More
Follow-up Friday: Heat returns to NYCHA complex, $11 laptops distributed
NEW YORK – From $11 laptops to free space heaters, Monica Morales is making sure NYCHA residents are equipped with wi-fi and have heat during the winter. It was a cold and wet holiday for seniors who live in one Bronx NYCHA building. Sixty-nine year-old Steve Tellie lives alone at the Bronx River Houses and […] → Read More
‘Age is just a number’ says 108-year-old Brooklyn legend
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Elnora Bryant says age is just a number—and when that number is in the triple digits, there’s reason to celebrate all year round. The 108-year-old said she’s not one to like a big fuss about anything, but on Wednesday, the community treasure was honored with a birthday bash. Bryant is the […] → Read More
Turkey giveaways in NYC ahead of Thanksgiving: Full list
NEW YORK — NYCHA residents on the Lower East Side were treated to 1,500 free turkeys and chickens on Monday as part of a holiday giveaway. The door-to-door event was hosted by Vision Urbana, a non-profit organization that serves the neighborhood. Need a turkey? There are still a few charitable events going on around the […] → Read More
Pickle chips and a fixed fridge: See how Monica is making it happen this week
In October, the Washington Houses community fridge was vandalized. Community leaders said the electrical cord was cut. Thanks to the community coming together and help from the Gotham Food Pantry, the fridge was repaired and is now full of food again. Harlem Baking Company and Big Dipper Caramel saw PIX11’s story about the fridge and they are […] → Read More
Brooklyn mom feeding families with turkey, trimmings and hope
BROOKLYN — You know that saying: If you want something done, give it to a busy mom! That’s true in Boreum Hill, Brooklyn, where one mom has decided to tackle food insecurity this Thanksgiving in her neighborhood, hoping to make a big impact. Althea McDonald, 35, is the mother of a 5th grader at P.S […] → Read More
New Brownsville building opens as 100 percent affordable housing at NYCHA development
BROWNSVILLE, Brooklyn — Over a hundred of families now have an affordable place to live in Brownsville thanks to the city and private developers; it’s a beacon of hope in the middle of a housing crisis. The New York City City Housing Authority’s Van Dyke Houses used to be a parking lot. Now it’s a […] → Read More
Bronx program shelters formerly incarcerated with supervision sentences
A youth supportive housing program for men and women transforming lives in the Bronx was awarded $200,000 to expand. Five Mualimmak said the space on Tinton Avenue looks like any other Bronx building. But instead, it’s a place of hope and healing for five young men trying to change their lives, he said. Mualimmak is […] → Read More