Youth leader scholarship winner Elijah Peters with Cynthia Loesch-Johnson and Stafford Lewis. Kenny Pritchard Jr. photo
In keeping with the Thanksgiving season, the Codman Square Neighborhood Council and the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition praised neighborhood adults and teens who often shy away from the spotlight at the annual Hidden Heroes & Sheroes gala held last Saturday (Nov. 22) at Southline Boston on Morissey Blvd.
Now in its 38th year, the celebration recognizes individuals and groups who are dedicated to improving the two communities while also helping to raise funds for scholarships for deserving high school seniors. The need for additional room for the event made this the first year that it was held at a location outside of Codman Square.
Two people were honored with the groups’ Neighborhood Leadership Award: Rafeal Barruos, the vice president of the Commonwealth Bank, and Seth Daniel, The Dorchester Reporter’s news editor and a longtime resident of the West of Washington community near Four Corners.
The Civic Leadership Awards were presented to Richard Scott, program coordinator for the BOLD Teens, and the Monseratt Aspirers Inc., an organization based on Washington Street.
The Millennium Award went to All Dorchester Sports & Leadership (ADSL), the Fields Corner-based organization established in 1983 that prioritizes sportsmanship, leadership, and community engagement.
The second half of the ceremony focused on the young members of the communities. This year, the Rev. Dr. Bill Loesch Memorial Scholarship Fund provided four awards totaling $8,000 to youth leaders Elijah Peters, Jayden Martinez, Tiffany Cox, and Victoria Lamarche-White.
Civic leaders in attendance included Mayor Wu, who came to congratulate the winners and the conveners for their service to Boston and offer remarks along with state Rep. Russell Holmes, City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, and Councillors John FitzGerald, Brian Worrell, and Julia Mejia.
The 2025 selection committee included Amy Winter, Antoine Brewster, Cynthia Loesch-Johnson, Dynell Andrews-Blake, Erica Davis, Marvin Martin, Mayra Duran, Rev. Brilton Levy, Vicma Desir, and Tayla Alfred.
As the awards were presented, guests enjoyed drinks and a buffet meal while sitting and standing in the Southline lobby, which for most of the night was illuminated purple.
In her remarks, CSNC president Cynthia Loesch-Johnson said of The Reporter’s Daniel:
“Seth is well-suited for this newspaper. He’s really good at his job. He understands the community that he covers, and he takes the time to be thoughtful and respectful with his coverage.” In covering a sensitive story involving teens and online sales of tobacco products, she noteds that he “took the time to meet with the teens, to understand their research, their advocacy, their campaign. He helped them understand journalism and how best to cover the story.”
Over the decades, the Hidden Heroes and Sheroes celebration has recognized 276 people, according to the CSNC. Nominations for next year’s event will be accepted through next July 31, 2026. Go to codmansquarecouncil.org for more information.
Cynthia Loesch-Johnson with Neighborhood Leadership Awardee Rafeal Barruos and Stafford Lewis. Kenny Pritchard Jr. photo
Richard Scott, program coordinator for the BOLD Teens, received his award from Cynthia Loesch-Johnson and Stafford Lewis. Kenny Pritchard Jr. photo
