As a cancer survivor, Russell was extremely cautious while working during the pandemic, knowing he was at higher risk of developing a serious case of COVID-19 if he became infected. He also didn’t want to pass the illness on to his son, Russell Jr., who lives with him. “I would suggest that everyone get vaccinated,” says Russell, who got the vaccine in the spring. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

After all he has been through, Russell takes staying healthy very seriously. He’s changed the staples of his diet from burgers and fries to salmon and kale. He also lifts weights at the gym, walks a mile twice a day and meditates 30 minutes each day. And he’s on a mission to let others know how important healthy living can be. He even self-published a book about his experience, Tragedy into Triumph: Surviving Prostate Cancer. “If I can save someone from the pain I’ve endured, I’ve done my job,” he explains.

Looking back, Russell never realized when he started working at Montefiore 28 years ago how much his benefits would mean to him. “My benefits supported me 150 percent,” he says. “So, it’s only right that I share my story with my 1199SEIU brothers and sisters, to let them know how their benefits take care of them. I urge everyone to use their benefits, not just to stay healthy, but maybe even to save their lives.”

That’s why Heidi is grateful that her benefits include coverage for mental health visits. After starting weekly video therapy sessions just before the pandemic began, she continues to rely on them. “My benefits helped me so much, I don’t know how I would have been able to deal with everything without them,” she said. “They cover the full cost of my sessions, so that was one less thing to stress about. We even lost six co-workers—it was so difficult. But it helped me so much to know I could speak with an unbiased professional when I felt bad.”

Heidi is proud that she was one of the first people to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available last December. “I took it to help others,” she said, “to decrease the risk that I could spread the disease to my mom, my daughter, Angelina, or my neighbors.” In fact, she hopes getting vaccinated might have sent a message to people in her community who are skeptical of the vaccines: ”Because I have a medical background and I trust the science behind the vaccine, maybe they will feel comfortable to do so, too.”

Heidi continues to do all she can for those in her neighborhood. She plans to register for the Funds’ COVID-19 and nutrition webinars on the Benefits Channel to learn more about those subjects. She’s also preparing to become certified as a critical care nurse, again using her training benefits to help cover the cost of her classes and exam. “Hopefully, I’ll learn more about my patients, so I can provide better-quality care for them,” she explained. “It’s stressful, but I’m so happy to do the work I do. It helps me feel connected to the people in the community where I was born and raised.”