Duo belled for raising supplies for Native American communities

What: Ben’s Bells promotes kindness and community involvement. Each week a person who makes Tucson better is “belled.”

Last week’s recipient: Rusty Ramirez and Angel Kunzman Soto.

Nominated by: Deirdre Brosnihan

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Why: For organizing donation drives for Native American communities. Local activists Rusty and Angel saw the need for assistance and decided to take action to support their communities. They were both unemployed as the restaurant they work for has been closed. Rusty and Angel have been coordinating donation drives and have completed three delivery runs with rented box trucks to Navajo and Hopi communities and reservation hospitals. Those deliveries provided face masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene supplies, food, and pet/livestock supplies. Brosnihan is the community service chair for the Southern Arizona branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In July, the group hosted a fundraiser for supplies and monetary donations to help support Angel and Rusty’s efforts. As Angel explained to Brosnihan, “Rusty and I both believe that our communities have the power to support each other directly, on a personal level, when we’re in trouble and it was that belief that brought us and the donation drives to where we are now.” What these two individuals have accomplished is the definition of kindness, writes Brosnihan.

For more information: Go to tucne.ws/bellee to submit a name. Go to bensbells.org or call 622-1379.