If you know someone who has performed an act of kindness,
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Little Neck Boy Scout gives back
with Eagle Scout service project
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Little Neck teen is
using his Eagle Scout
service project to give back
to refugees this winter.
At the end of summer
2018, 16-year-old Dani
Heba was inspired to
help refugees after past
trips to Syria opened his
eyes to the hardships
that people faced in the
war-torn country.
“You can’t help but
feel sympathy for the
people in Syria,” said
Heba, who shared that
he is of Syrian and
Egyptian descent.
Heba, a Life Scout
in Troop 153, said that
before a Life Scout
reaches 18 years old, he
must complete a service
project in order to
advance to the rank of
Eagle Scout. According
to the Boy Scouts of
America website, a
Life Scout must “plan,
develop, and give
leadership to others in a
service project helpful to
any religious institution,
any school, or your
community.”
His aunt introduced
him to the Arab-
American Family
Support Center (AAFSC)
and he proposed his idea
to donate school supplies,
hygiene items and winter
clothing to refugees.
The AAFCS was
established in 1994 as a
non-profit, non-sectarian
organization.
The group aims to
“provide culturally and
linguistically competent,
t r a uma - i n f o rme d ,
multigenerational social
services to immigrants
and refugees.”
“I had a meeting
with the president of
the organization and
he liked my idea so
they were willing to be
the beneficiary of my
Dani Heba (far l.) with fellow Scouts at a collection event in December 2018 at Saint Nicholas Antiochian
Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn. Photos courtesy of Dani Heba
project,” said Heba.
In early December 2018,
he began collecting items
through two collection
boxes in Alley Pond
Tennis Center and Keller
William Realty on Francis
Lewis Boulevard. He also
hosted several collection
events at local churches
and enlisted the help of
his fellow Scouts to collect
items and hand out fliers.
The teen said that
the collection will end
this weekend after about
a month and a half of
accumulating items for
refugees. Since Heba
started the project, he
said that he has collected
a “garage full of items”
for donation.
Once items are
delivered to the AAFSC,
the organization will
donate them to refugees
ACTS OF KINDNESS
Dani Heba (r.) with fellow Troop 153 Scouts.
in need this season.
Heba will also go to the
support center to talk
to some of the recipients
and explain his project.
Heba has been a Scout
since age 9 when he joined
the Cub Scouts with one
of his “closest friends.”
He transitioned to the
Boy Scouts at 10 years
old and has continued
his involvement through
middle and high school.
“At first I was shy
about joining but after
the first few meetings,
I really liked it and
I really wanted to do
it,” said Heba, who
added that joining the
organization has helped
to build his character,
make friends and break
out of his shell.
In his spare time, the
Brooklyn Tech Junior
said that he enjoys
playing tennis, piano,
basketball with friends
and “spending time with
the people I care about
the most.”
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at
jbagcal@qns.com or by
phone at (718) 224-5863
ext. 214.
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