Lt. Lenora Moody
Lt. Lenora Moody is a 32-year NYPD veteran with a career dedicated to improving the lives of children and their communities. Despite battling her own challenges, including a fight with breast cancer, she has never wavered in her mission to provide opportunities for youth. After a shooting in 2018 that killed a child, she sought to create a program that would protect children from gang violence. Inspired by the LAPD's work with the Watts Rams to improve police-community relations through sports, she bought her own flight to LA to learn how a program like this could exist in NYC.
Lt. Moody's relentless pursuit of creating a safer community, while providing the best education for youth, is what led to the creation of the Far Rockaway Giants in 2018. While the families of Far Rockaway were hesitant to create relationships with police officers, Lt. Moody's experience and passion for enhancing the lives of children is what brought the community together. This program has a dedicated unit of 17 officers and partners with the New York City Police Foundation and NYC Department of Education to provide 100 boys with mentoring, tutoring and the opportunity to play flag football while being coached by the officers. The boys are picked up from school every day by the officers and are brought to the host school for their hour of tutoring, a hot meal, and football practice. The program runs year-round and uses the summer months to provide the boys with an opportunity to take immersive field trips across the tristate area. Lt. Moody was instrumental in establishing the partnership with the New York Giants and continues to be the driving force behind the success of the program. She never seeks recognition for her countless hours of work and is often using her own money to take care of these boys and their families.
While Lt. Moody does not have children of her own, she is often referred to by the boys as "Mama Moody" and serves as a stable source of love, guidance, and care for all those involved in the program. After just a two-year partnership with the New York Giants, the program has expanded into the city of Harlem with the Harlem Giants, and the goal is to be in all 5 boroughs. Lt. Moody exemplifies what it means to "inspire change" and the New York Giants are honored to recognize her as our Inspire Change Changemaker.