From left to right: Andre’s daughter, Anaya; his wife, Timia; Council Member Nantasha Williams; and Penny
Penny is a participant in The Child Center of NY’s Cash+Community Works (C+C), a peer-based initiative that invests in under-resourced families, trusts them with power, and connects them with peers to uplift whole communities. Through C+C, Penny established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization—For the Love of Dre—to bring attention to gun violence and advocate for safe neighborhoods. One especially meaningful goal of Penny’s was to name a street after her late son. She reflects on the culmination of this goal in the story below.
My name is Patricia, a.k.a. Ms. Penny. On June 7, 2025, I had the honor of having a street in Jamaica, Queens, co-named after my son. At the corner of 109th Road and 169th Place, there is now a street sign proclaiming it Andre (Dre Most) Saunders Road.
My son Andre was an MTA bus driver and self-proclaimed violence interrupter—meaning, Andre would singularly stop lots of potential street violence before it would erupt into people getting hurt or killed.
Unfortunately, Andre was an innocent bystander who was murdered on January 11, 2009. He was and still is a legend in the community and surrounding communities. Our family history goes back as far as I can remember on this block. All the way back to my great-great-grandmother, who passed away at 102 years old. My brother and his family still reside on the block.
One night or day, I had an epiphany that Andre said he wanted his name on the block. I told him I would fight tooth and nail, even if I had to put it up on cardboard. By the grace of God, Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, and the community, it was manifested.
I thank Cash+Community Works for all the support they have extended to me, by supplying treats, waters, and other support at the gathering after the street-naming event, and especially for the grant I was awarded. With funds from the grant, I was able to officially register For the Love of Dre as a nonprofit. We’ve hosted several giveaway events to bring the community together, and to honor and promote Andre’s legacy of nonviolence, community, and making the most of life. Andre lived every day with gratitude, joy, and purpose. He built people up and brought them together instead of tearing them down and apart. This is what For the Love of Dre is all about. I can’t think of a better way to honor my son’s memory than by instilling these values in the next generation, in the community he cared so much about.
