Staten Island deli celebrates neighborhood students

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — The neighborhood deli is a central location on the block.

It’s a place to get food, household supplies, and a connection to residents.

One corner store on Staten Island has been recognizing students and people in the area.

Zack’s Finest Deli and Grocery is at the corner of Heberton Avenue and Ann Street in the Port Richmond Neighborhood.

Wail Alselwi has worked at the spot for a few years. He has created social media videos that highlight his customers and neighbors.

The clips have hundreds of thousands of views.

“I like to interact with people. I like my job. Just make them smile. They make me smile,” he said.

The conversation is just as good as the convenient concessions, snacks, and sandwiches.

This week, a video on his TikTok account celebrated 12-year-old Zamier, who lives around the corner.

“I set a goal to get honor roll before the end of the school year. I kept going and going and got it. I ran to Wally first,” he said.

Zamier and his dad brought in the honor roll citation. Other neighborhood students also check-in. They get to pick a snack for good grades. Sometimes, they talk about interesting facts they learned in school or try to stump the man behind the counter.

Some encouragement goes a long way.

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