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Heroes of New York
Heroes of New York
#1 Erwan Saunier - I know what it feels like to want help
Welcome to the 1st episode of Heroes of New York!
Erwan Saunier - Program Director at Manhattan Kickers Soccer club - had to close down his business on Mar 16th when the pandemic started to spread through NYC. A week later his wife lost her job. Their 17 year old son is waiting and hoping that college will open later this year, but he fears not. Despite the fact that their world turned upside down during this crisis, Erwan stepped up to help others in his neighborhood in East Village. From picking up and delivering groceries, walking the dogs to taking out the trash, Erwan is a godsend to many in this part of the city.
In this episode, Erwan opens up about what motivates him, why he doesn't follow the news and what you can do to help others during this crisis.
spk_0: 0:02
Hello and welcome to Heroes Off New York, a podcast about everyday heroes who have refused to let the pandemic stop them from serving others. In every episode, I will introduce to you someone who has risen about the odds to up lift people around them. I'm your host unseen. Hello and welcome to Heroes off New York. Today we have Urban Sonia on the show. Urban is a long time New Yorker and a resident off state on a large residential complex in Manhattan. A soccer coach and the director off Manhattan kicker soccer club, Urban was out off a job since the pandemic gripped the city earlier last month. Ever since, he has been on a mission to help people in this neighborhood. In this episode, urban shares what keeps him going? Why he's still upbeat and positive, despite the challenges he and his family face on what lessons can do to help their neighbors during this crisis. Welcome over into the show.
spk_1: 1:01
Thank you for having me in your first, but guess you know I'm honored and I should know pressure
spk_0: 1:08
tennis a bit more about yourself.
spk_1: 1:10
Well, I was born in France, in Brittany, in the early seventies. I lived in the countryside. My parents were artists and kind of he piece. My dad was a partner. My mom was, ah, painter on silk Anna sculpture. We lived in a farm in a stone house that they bill themselves we faced. We hunt, we folks, we trap. You know, we picked up flowers that we sold on the side of the road to match couple box and buy a few things. But we were pretty much, you know, on our own independent. I was born with cleft palates, which was, you know, a different experience. Being in the countryside leave a lot of farms around, and it was difficult, you know, people believe me. And I had to, you know, be extra strong to prove myself all the time. And that's when I got into soccer and I started playing the game against my parents. Will. I would bite to practice when I was eight years old to play. So I was in, you know, in pretty good shape compared to the other kids, cause I would buy four miles to go for my stoop, come back and practice. So I became a really good player went through the academy system in France on did a playing professionally. At 21 years old, I had an accident with my knee on the field and broke my A c l I ended up to of having surgery on He turned bad because they messed up the surgery. You know, Genest, Asia. So I ended up in a wheelchair for eight months total. So I was in a center. We've people had car accidents and things like that. And I I knew already what these two, you know, sir, for being came and need help on. But this, you know, was the second coat on needing help and leading people to, you know, learn everything again. I mean, I was basically paralyzed my all right side from head to toe. So I had to relearn, to write, to walk, to go upstairs, to talk. So it was a long process. I came out of it. A 23 years old. Took a year and 1/2 total to get back on my feet on from there, I went back to college. My soccer career was over, and I studied languages, translation, Spanish and English business, and and then I moved to Paris where I started modeling, which was for me like a real inch. You know, after kids threw rocks at me because I was really and that I was in a wheelchair and finally I could deal magazine covers, so that was kind of cool. I did that for a few years. Then I worked in retail on retail, brought me to New York City, where I came toe open, you know, luxurious French brain store in SoHo. In 1999. I worked in the company for four years. We built a big business in the US We opened eight stores. I got to travel. And, you know, at first I was coming for three weeks and he turned out I'm still here 20 years later. So that brings us to 2003. Where my partner in business, you know, things during bad. You got rid of me and I ended up without a job. We in the meantime, I got married with my wife in 2000 and two. We got our son Julian's now 17. What I call the September 11 baby. I was conceived in actually, October 2000 and one on after being unemployed, we moved to style is in town in 2003 and I started going out every day dragging my soccer ball, and some kids started to come around and keep the ball with me. Never heard of soccer, and I was like, Okay, so I started doing sort of classes for free for any age group. I started with eight kids. Um, after a few months, I had 300 kids, so I have to now do a schedule by age groups every day. I was actually hired by my style is, um, Stuyvesant Town Peter Cooper to run those soccer classes, which gave me a job. It was great to be to get me to meet everyone in the community. And then I got approached by Manhattan Kickers Soccer Club, which is, AH, soccer organization for youth in the neighborhood that back then other shoe teams and had a recreational program. I started as a soccer coach. Andi is being, you know, a long time. And now, when program director unfortunate, it work with people who are passionate about the game, you know, I have a president. Karen for here was amazing, was released, boarding me, so I run the program. I tried to reproduce what I did in France as a player when I went through. Those academy be So it's recreational. It's travel, It's competitive. It's fun. It's soccer. But it's also life lessons on Don't bite your fingers. You don't bite your nails don't speed. Don't courage be sportsmanship. Shake hands. Respect the ref. It's also, uh, you know, it's not just teaching soccer. Basically, we are like life teachers to these kids. And that brings us to what I'm doing today. I'm club director. I worked full time from a hat and kickers on. Um my wife works in the garment district in the beach room where they re prison different lines. That the sale to department stores. And my son is now a 17 years old, waiting to go to college. Super silly noticed.
spk_0: 6:17
Wow, that's an inspiring story. From the village in France to New York City. I'm very impressed with what you told me that a lot to learn from the open. Tell me, how has this crisis affected you?
spk_1: 6:30
Well, uh, things started for us. Um, February, March 12 actually had my last practice indoors with 12 year old boys, Andi. Before the practice was over, some parents came in the gym and picked up their kids and told me There are case off coveted 19 at uni School. The kids are going to that school. We don't want the kids to be exposed. Me taking them out. And the parents were freaked out. I was barely aware of, you know, I heard about the Corbett 19 but was Ike okay? This is weird. It was pretty intense on that's March 12. On March 16 I shut down the club. I decided I didn't want to take a chance to expose any of the kids to an eventual virus. But they can. You risk because it's about health, life or death. I can't, you know, take a chancellor of the Klingon trade down prairie. My wife lost their job a week after that because that industry really suffered from, you know, people not shopping. Of course. The online, the online shopping, Togo her. But it's not enough to sustain showrooms and the Artman stores. I mean, you can see in the news all the stores closing and banqueting. I mean, so she got. But I think you're ready to. You know, she's unemployed right now, and we're hoping things will settle early so she can find a job again. My 17 year old, he's, you know, freaking out, not college, of course, because things are postpones by the day. Right now, you know, we hoping is gonna be able to go in August, maybe September, and have, Ah, studies college before the end of the year. Now we hear it might be in 2021 so it's a lot of stress. I mean, again, he's a 9 11 baby on. He's not going to get problem is not going to get, you know, the senior your trip on all of that stuff. So for him, it's difficult. It's stressful, like for all of us, I believe.
spk_0: 8:27
I'm really sorry to hear that. It's definitely not easy, but what prompted you to reach out and help other,
spk_1: 8:34
you know, as you can understand, You know, I I thought most of the kids that are from six years old to now, almost 30 years old, uh, at one point I was their coach or they know me from soccer sign one of the families, I have a lot of friends in the community, and I realized I have neighbors that are elderly or disabled or we have nobody. And I knew they needed help right away that they would be scared to go out. So I you know, I offered my health to a neighbor, and I saw how much it meant to her. I said, Look, I know there's other people like her. I gotta go out there and offer my help Whoever needs it. So that's how you know how I started helping people I couldn't add Almost. I wasn't, ma'am. Uh, Website and I started having calls and emails and text time. You know, it is kind of overwhelming at first, but I turned out great. I'm, you know, I'm picking up laundry, dropping it off on doing a lot of grocery shopping. So I'm, you know, used to waiting in line at Trader Joe and other stories. I go to the post office, I go pick up press quick trend walk dogs. I do some handy jobs If people need to, you know, put a nail in the wall or build up a bad anything you know that can help people because I know some people need help.
spk_0: 9:56
Your polls and Facebook are very popular and that you started a movement and kindness at least within this community.
spk_1: 10:02
Well, if I did that, I'm really happy about it. I mean, I have people who stepped forward and offered their help to help me help people, which I think is great. Eso four. I managed to, you know, handle everything on my own. And again, I feel healthy and strong enough so I can do it. I feel weird giving other people responsibilities. I tell them, you know, go pick up the laundry day and do that. I don't know if they, you know, they offer their, but I don't know that. So I'm not sure they're cool. We've taking a risk and doing it. So as long as I can, you know, handle May customers on that, You know, that's what I'm doing.
spk_0: 10:42
The biggest risk off the Corona wireless is obviously coming in contact with someone who's infected. What precautions are you taking to make sure that you stay safe and healthy?
spk_1: 10:51
Uh, well, I'll be honest. I have been in contact with people who got infected and got six who recovered I have a few people like that. You were too are scared to come out who are forced to stay in current ing because they were tested positive on how they good. All of them are recovering. So you know, I stay. Usually I don't see people, you know. I drop things at their door. They either slide an envelope, say thank you through the door or, you know, I don't see all the people, Some people, I know them by name. I have no true what they like if I see them in the street. So you know that the chute opened the door I created in a relationship with them, You know, I care for them. I know how much they need me. You know, I have people that are over 90 years old a couple and thinking about that are the man is very old, very, you know, in poor health, the woman as dementia. I know they don't come out for the last month and someone contacted me asking to go buy food for them because they couldn't go outside and buy food as well. How can I say no to that? Of course I'm gonna buy food for them. I have a lot of ah, single mom. You know, I wish I could say seeing old as it must have them, a single moms to have a kid who are scared to go out and either the kid with catch it's on what they would catch it in. The kid would end up by himself, so they just, you know, freaking out there, right? We not going out. So I go again sharp and do things for them because it really helps again.
spk_0: 12:25
Definitely your away brave person and the greatest reward of services. The ability to serve others and see them happy, but have being any rewarding or memorable moments in the past few weeks for you.
spk_1: 12:36
Well, I mean each moment where I feel the how grateful people are. Great moments. No, when I I know that you needed me and I provide a service that we help them to meet prices, you know, again, it's it's not about money. It's not about anything else. Then carrying for people who are not as fortunate as I am to around to feel healthy. Yes, I'm scared, you know, to catch it, but I feel like, If I don't do it, who's gonna do it? You know, I mean, people are all your hero. I don't think so. I think just what everybody should do it. You're able to when you feel good, you should do it. It's not. There's nothing heroic about it. You dress. I will start that way on. You didn't help on. And I know what it is to need help. So, you know, I really feel for these people. I created good relationship with some people who are now, like I can see they're like friends. I mean, I'm thinking of a woman boy offered to make you cupcakes. I thought that was vehicle. Some kids give me drawings. People give me food through. So you know, they thank you. They may attend that again. I'm asking for nothing else, because to me it's a way to get back to my community. I live here. I know everybody. I care for everybody. The oldest people you know, important people. There's nobody. You should be left alone and suffer and scared you won't be able to go buy food. I have. It shouldn't be this way. On the way. I protect myself is off course. I wear a mask. Since these things started, I'm wearing a mask and people, you know, at first people made fun. They were like, Oh, what's from your mother? Wear a mask, you know? So I wash hands a lot. The main thing is not touching my face. I don't touch my face unless my hands just got washed. And I think that's the main thing. And that's someone cough in your face. If you do not put your fingers to your face, the risk you catch it are very small. Now. I coach kids and I suited by the fingers that by their nails scratching and those they broke their eyes. They share balls. So, you know, I know that it's human thing to touch your face a lot. I see people doing it. And today I still see people doing it like through the master act. My God, don't do it. This is the worst thing you can do right now. Restart your face.
spk_0: 14:49
That's right. How does your family feel about yourself in the service? You're providing your neighbors?
spk_1: 14:54
Oh, well, my son is 17 years old. I think he looks at the whole situation. Like what is going on? Where is my world? I want my friends back. Even though it didn't like school and I was missing it. This is what I mean. You know, we already stressed by the whole situation, but I think they appreciate that. I'm doing something, you know, keeps me busy, keeps my sanity. Um, I don't know. I hope they're happy. I'm helping others.
spk_0: 15:22
Is anything that concerns you Anything that keeps me awake at night.
spk_1: 15:25
Well, im you know, I see again. I have long days. I start very early and I do it in a biting a lot of walking around off, carrying things. So I sleep like a baby at night. I'll tell you, I'm I get really target. I tried to not go into the thinking too much of the situation, even though I think we should all know what's going on and pick information where it's smart to do so. I don't want to go in the negative of thinking. Oh, my God, this is end. And it's so bad. And I'm hoping good things will come out of it that we will hopefully learn something this
spk_0: 16:02
urban you mentioned early around that this affected your work. What are you doing to sustain your likelihood?
spk_1: 16:07
Well, first, when I shut down the club, I decided to keeping my coaches because they don't pay rent with what I and then. But I know for some of them really matters that in Queens that don't have a lot of money on the club consisting paying them for a while. So I decided to, you know, do that for myself. I'm you know, I'm trying to make a living. Selling its I have a friend in the meat market was I will seller very good quality meat on. I don't worried for him and make a little profit that river to people's door on. And it's the delicious meat. It's cheap and it's at your door. So I think you know so far, one water reordered, so that's always a good sign. I'm also keeping my club going online because I ran zoom classes with the kids, each coach for those their team. It's good for the kids moral. It's good for their fitness. The parents are desperate to have escaped doing something. So which do I think, two hours a week online off course running the club. There are league meetings. There are, you know, still operations to run. I'm also I noticed. So I do oil painting and I do fly fishing, which is a passion. I don't make a living with it, but this is my heaven on Earth. Used to go fly station the mountains in the Catskills.
spk_0: 17:31
Wow, I assumed platters open to kids who are not attending your regular classes.
spk_1: 17:36
No, those are teams that practice. Usually you're around that are called travel socket. Seems so The kids are, I would say, advancing levels. So we do advanced fitness, advanced balance, exercise, stretching, bulwark in small space and things like that. We try to keep it fun off course, but it's, you know, it's worth
spk_0: 17:57
interesting. A lot of people are feeling helpless in the current situation, given the media and the news that they receive on the fact that they cannot step out of their homes to help others. What is your advice to them?
spk_1: 18:10
Well, when you watch the news, you understand if you helpless because the messages are very confusing, they come from all level of, you know, political people, doctors. You have things on Facebook. Instagram your A family. Reporting things is a lot of information going all over the place I need. If you watch the news too much, it's not good for your moral because that's very shoe Good news. Right now. They focus on bad news, so that's not have I leave? You know, I wake up hoping it's gonna do good. They're not thinking it might dear that day, so that's my personal things. I think he's healthy for your help for your brain to not what's news and try to get too much information to speak to the basics. You confined great things on Google. You don't need to watch TV read newspaper on. I think the less you talk about it and the less you watch everything about it, the better it feels like for your personal mental health. That's how I function, and I would tell people slow down, leave the information you're gonna go. That's relax.
spk_0: 19:19
That's very youthful. Also, you have been out there more than a lot of people have been out there on the street. You've seen what the city looks like. What is your message to the listener?
spk_1: 19:29
Well, first I see things that I wish I didn't have to see. That reminded me of number 11. You know, when that happened, I went down the 12 to help clean up and all those things the Indians in the street is, you know, ambulances, trucks with bodies in it. You know, it's disappointing to find a lot of gloves on the ground and masks and syringe. And there's a lot of I don't understand why people, you know throw their garbage like that in the street. It's heartbreaking because we're thinking this hard time of hardship people would be more conferences about it, and they're obviously not. So when I want to be optimistic about the future, when I see this, I don't like it. It's no, it shouldn't happen. So my message to people with the, you know, royal stuff in the garbage truck this take and yeah, that would be my main message on Don't you know? Don't watch the news too much on This is real. This is happening, you know. It's not fake news. It's it's real. You know. People are dying and it is a scary situation.
spk_0: 20:35
Thank you. What did you hope for the future
spk_1: 20:37
Well, my hope for the future is that, you know, my wife finds a job that she enjoys doing that my son can go to the college. He wants to go, and I taken. Go back to keep the ball with kids. That's my hope to be healthy through the whole thing. You know, right now, it feels like playing Russian roulette you don't know is gonna can't cheat when and where. I think the first thing is to survive it. Try to be smart. Followed the advice, the health advice, washing hands, wearing gloves, masks, not touching your face. Typical social distancing, avoiding people. And I'm hoping that things will get better. I mean, you know, human nature is to adapt and overcome. So my whole pieces, we we learn from it and maybe change our ways. But I'm worried we will go back to our old as close to a little normal as became. We can see, like the positive effects of this Corbett 19 on the environment, for example, it should, you know, make everyone aware that we can do it. If we make an effort, this forces us to do it. It shouldn't be that way. We should be smarter and not wait for the problem. Toe arrive to sail. It's do something about it. We I'm hoping it's gonna wake up everyone, but I'm worried it won't. Do
spk_0: 21:55
you have a message? Especially for the Children,
spk_1: 21:59
For the Children? I would say, you know, try to be safe and remember what we had before when we could kiss, hug, play together, be together. Uh, we take it for granted. And today we realize our price. As those things are hoping, when this is all over, we appreciate real things more, and we'll be more helpful to each other. Anyone can help in some way their neighbor or elderly people in their building.
spk_0: 22:28
It sums up what each one of us wants for ourselves help, happiness and stability. It was a pleasure talking to you.
spk_1: 22:35
Thank you. You too. You know, Thank you for having me. And I hope everyone out there stay safe. We'll overcome, you know? Well, we'll make it all of us, and we'll be happy again.
spk_0: 22:46
That's an absolutely lovely weighted Sum it up. Thank you, Irwin. I hope it's not Enjoy listening to this episode of ours. Thank you.
spk_1: 22:53
Thank you.
spk_0: 22:55
Thanks for joining us this week on Heroes of New York. Make sure to visit our website unseen and dot com where you can subscribe to the show in iTunes. If you love the show, please. We were rating on iTunes so that we can continue to bring you amazing episodes. Thanks for listening and see you in two weeks from now.