Cleaner Honored For Ground Zero Work After Brother's 9/11 Death

LOWER MANHATTAN, NY — Carmen Cecilio Hernández, an office cleaner who continued to work at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks claimed her brother's life, was honored at the 32BJ SEIU annual service worker awards Wednesday.

Hernández, of Ridgewood, was named Downtown Manhattan's top office cleaner for working for more than two decades at the site where she lost her brother during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"At the beginning, it was harder because it was the beginning of course," she said. But today, "I feel that he gives me the strength everyday to do what I have to do."

On a given afternoon, you might find her sitting by the 9/11 Memorial thinking of and honoring her brother — one of 2,753 people who died during 9/11.

"I feel really peaceful when I go there," said Hernández, mother of two who lives with her husband, son and grand-daughter in Ridgewood, Queens. She thinks of her brother often, and says she practically raised him since he was eight years old.

"I don't even know how to express myself about [losing him]. Sometimes I get anxiety and I wish he was here."

She, too, worked in the area during the attacks, but happened to not be working on Sept. 11, Hernández said.

After the attacks, Hernández worked at Ground Zero doing cleaning and disaster work at a slew of different buildings, eventually taking up a job at 200 Vesey St., the American Express Tower, where she works to this day.

On Wednesday, she was one of more than two dozen service workers a part of the union honored at the 13th Annual Building Service Worker Awards, organized by 32BJ and Straus News.

Hernández starts her work days at 5 p.m., about when thousands of Financial District office workers bustle out of the buildings.

"I love what I do," she said. "I like heavy jobs. I don't like to be sitting around doing nothing."

She cleans office spaces — vacuuming, sweeping, and wiping up coffee stains from laptop-bound employees. She's a people-person and likes helping others, and her job helps others enjoy their work day a little bit more, she says.

"The work is hard, but it's important to get the work done," said Hernández.

Hernández, who moved with her family from Puerto Rico at five years old, was surprised at the award, saying, "I've never received an honor like this in my life." This week, her anxiety had all been faded — and she only felt a happy kind of nervous ahead of the ceremony.