Just one story of how Ted Kennedy touched a New Yorker’s life.

Jessica Katz was born in a Moscow hospital in 1977 with a nutritional deficiency that stopped her from growing. Without proper care, she would have died, yet she was denied permission to leave the Soviet Union because her father had been exposed to government secrets.

In September of 1978, Kennedy stepped in. After learning of the “little refusenik’s” struggle, he traveled to Moscow for a meeting with Brezhnev himself to ask him to let the Katz family leave the country for Western medical attention.

Long story short (but you should read it and watch the video), the Katz family were greeted by Kennedy when they arrived in Boston and they all lived happily ever after (except TK, RIP).

Inspired by Kennedy’s life of public service, Jessica Katz now works at the Department of Housing and Development finding housing for NYC’s homeless population.

From their website: “HPD is the largest municipal developer of affordable housing in the nation. They work with governmental, community, non-profit and for-profit partners to strengthen neighborhoods, increase the availability of well-maintained, affordable housing and enable more New Yorkers to become homeowners.”

“HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program provides financing to not-for-profit organizations to develop supportive housing for homeless single adults, including people suffering from disabilities such as mental illness and AIDS.”

Talk about paying it forward!