There are some remedies a doctor can't prescribe. For Danny Monge, that medicine is giving back.

"I can't just sit on the couch and watch T.V.," said Monge.

The 54-year-old has lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and an itch to do good for others. Monge is an army veteran. He checks on the elderly. Early on in the pandemic, he shared his disinfectants and wipes with a friend who couldn't find any.

Inspired by a friend doing something similar in Yonkers, he started The Riverdale Project. He and his neighbors visit essential businesses, thanking the owners and employees for their work. Each gets signs, balloons and lunch from the local restaurant of their choice. 

"If we can do something to put a smile on themself for the day, make them feel important for the day, whether it's the homeless or an essential worker or a frontline worker, I like to do what I can."

He was all set for his team's first visit in late July, until the day before.

"I went to check his breathing. I've been sleeping with him so long I know how he breathes and he just wasn't breathing right," said Danny's wife, Jessy Monge.

It was a heart attack. 

"Don't you dare die on me. We have a plan to leave a legacy," she said.

She pounded on his heart for 13 minutes, keeping him alive until the paramedics arrived.

And after just two weeks of rest and medication, Monge finally hosted his first Riverdale Project event: a pizza lunch at a local post office.

"My heart starts beating a little faster. I get excited as we're heading there," he said. "During this pandemic it's pretty selfless for them to put them themselves at risk and put their own families at risk to serve the community." 

Last week, it was a visit to the staff at Larry the Locksmith and Hardware.

"I'm almost speechless. It's like you can't put into words the appreciation that you feel. It's incredible," said Sara Rodriguez, who works at the store. 

Monge says treating essential workers has been the ultimate treatment for him. 

"This keeps me going 'til the next one. I'll be thinking about this one for days now 'til I start planning for the next event," he said.

For, as he calls it, serving essential workers the way they served us, Danny Monge is our New Yorker of the Week.