Passaic, NJ - On August 14th, Mayor Hector C. Lora cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the US Army National Guard Office in Passaic. Mayor Lora was also joined by Passaic City Council members Thania Melo, Maritza Colon, and Business Administrator Rick Fernandez, who assisted Mayor Lora in cutting the ribbon. The event was held at 14-16 Howe Avenue, Passaic, New Jersey. Sergeant First Class Jesse Delacruz and Sergeant Kiara Sorano hosted the special occasion.
The US Army National Guard is an excellent resource for the youth in Passaic's Community. Regarding their educational journey, the services and opportunities they provide will benefit them in the future. Mayor Lora praised Sergeant Delacruz, “ This is what it means to be a recruiter. To guide our youth to position them in a more reasonable place where they can have college paid for. Where they can have a better pathway to a greater career set before them and where they can receive advice and guidance”.
Passaic Native Sergeant First Class Jesse De La Cruz expressed his great admiration for Mayor Lora and explained that it took him three years to bring this center to fruition,“ It’s an honor, Mayor Lora, thank you so much for always supporting the city and the members of Uniform. It took three years to get this building up and running”. Sergeant De La Cruz explained that there will always be a way to persevere, “Our job as recruiters are to give back to the community and to give the kids from Passaic an option”. First Class Sergeant Delacruz also voiced the importance of serving his hometown. “ Sergeant Serrano and I were born and raised here, so our job is to come back here and tell kids our stories. You can get out of Passaic, do well, and come back and serve”.
Minnie Hiller-Cousins, who was sworn in as Passaic’s first Deputy Mayor of Veterans Affairs in 2017, was also in attendance. Mayor Lora expressed his admiration for the Iraq war veteran who also served as a sergeant, “ I am proud to stand here with our Deputy Mayor of the City of Passaic’s Veterans Affairs, who will be the first ever to lead three branches coming out of one centralized office, our DAV, our VFW, and our American Legion. You are a testament to our leadership”.
The grand opening of the US Army National Guard Office also held a school supply drive to help those in need. The importance of the school supply drive at this event shows that the US Army National Guard office is assisting the Passaic community. Supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, and other student essentials were distributed to help kick off their school year. The school supply drive was open to the public and educational organizations. Please Visit: https://www.cityofpassaic.com/
