After nine families were displaced by a massive fire on Endicott Avenue last May, Broadway Towers Property Manager Hennisse Gómez was quick to act. Last Monday night, the City Council presented Gomez with a Certificate of Appreciation for helping families find emergency shelter following the fire.
“Last May, we had six houses that caught on fire on Endicott Avenue, and we had nine families that were displaced; they lost everything,” said Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna. “I got a call from Hennisse, and she said she was the property manager of 250 Broadway, the Broadway Towers, and she said, ‘I would love to assist you. Do you need any assistance for the families who lost everything?’”
McKenna said she reached out to the families affected by the fire to let them know Gomez was offering reasonable rates to the families who needed somewhere to stay, with one family accepting the offer. “The family really needed this, because they lost everything,” McKenna said.
Gomez’s kindness and willingness to help has extended beyond assisting the fire victims, McKenna said. “I’ve had people call and say I really need an apartment and I need reasonable rates, because everyone knows that rents are so expensive, so I called Hennisse again, and she said, ‘Sure, I have a two-bedroom apartment available at this price and a one-bedroom apartment at this price – just have them come down and see me,’” McKenna said. “She has been an angel to me, because when you are a councillor and people reach out to you in need, you don’t always know where to go. She’s the person I’ve been going to, and I want to thank her for her kindness.”
Gomez thanked the councillors for the honor. “I’ll tell you, I have learned and I have humbled myself to learn of the needs of people,” said Gomez. “I’m thankful to have met Ms. McKenna. She has given me the opportunity to look at my job role as being deeper than just collecting rent.”