Anitza Bermudez, 33, had been thinking about next steps since she stopped working at the onset of the pandemic to help her 7-year-old son with remote school. When she came across the HOPE Program, she knew this was the right thing for her. Not only would she learn all the necessary skills she’d need to enter the workforce as an electrician, but she would also be able to make an environmental difference in the South Bronx neighborhood she grew up in. For 10 weeks, Anitza painted the roofs of buildings in a reflective white paint which is supposed to help reduce the buildings heat and energy consumption during the summer and when in concentrated areas, generally lower the ambient heat of a neighborhood.
Music by: Clark Adomaitis
Reported by: Olivia Bensimon