STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
Nonprofit honors BK dogooders
BY ROSE ADAMS AND ELISSA ESHER
A local non-profit organization
joined a Bensonhurst lawmaker
to celebrate four Brooklyn-based
grant recipients at the New Utrecht
Library on Oct. 1.
“It’s really exciting to see so
many grant-winners in my area,”
said State Sen. Andrew Gounardes,
who co-hosted the celebration. “This
is how we build and strengthen
community. It’s about ordinary people
stepping up to make a difference
and organizations like this giving
them the tools to make it happen.”
The Citizens Committee for New
York City honored the four groups
that it awarded grants ranging
from $500 to $3,000 to benefit charity
work in the area, including Bay
Ridge Cares a nonprofit formed by
a group of Bay Ridge neighbors in
the aftermath of 2012’s Superstorm
Sandy to deliver meals to affected
residents.
These days, however, the group
provides a range of services, such
as meal delivery and local building
renovations, and a rep for the
group said the cash injection from
Citizens Committee allows them to
provide immediate services to local
seniors.
“What’s great about Citizens
Committee is they aren’t bureaucratic,”
said Johanna Dahler, the
corresponding secretary for Bay
Ridge Cares, “The government can
take a long time to get things done,
but Citizens Committee saw our
needs with the senior center and
jumped in quickly.”
Other recipients include My
Friends Place NY, which is using
its grant to help residents address
mental health challenges through
dance and aerobics, Friends of New
Utrecht Public Library, which hosts
art workshops for LGBTQ teens,
and 400 Bay Ridge Parkway Block
Association, which is leading renovation
projects.
“These groups are a great representation
of what’s going on in our
community,” said Conor Greene,
Director of Communications and
Public Affairs for Citizens Committee,
“It’s the residents, primarily,
who are bringing the community
together and addressing the problems
in their neighborhoods, we
just provide a small grant and ongoing
project support to help them
out.”
On top of awarding 529 grants
just in the past year, Citizens Committee
offers workshops teaching
grass-roots organizations how
to fundraise, start block associations,
work with elected officials,
and achieve a nonprofit tax status.
COURIER L 44 IFE, OCT. 18-24, 2019
by Joanna DelBuono
Locals had a chance to pose with Mr Met and the Fidelis Care mascot, Fidelisaurus, at
the opening of Fidelis Care’s new branch in Bensonhurst.
Senator Gounardes, who previously
worked for Citizens Committee, recently
put $500,000 into the state
budget to support their work.
“They’re doing a whole host of
things to help support community
groups who have nothing,” said
Gounardes. “The leaders of these
groups are ordinary folks with fulltime
jobs and busy lives who just
need a little guidance and expertise
to make a difference. That’s where
Citizens Committee steps in.”
Citizens Committee is accepting
applications for their 2020 grants on
a rolling basis now through January.
They hope to award 600 grants
next year.
BY JOE HITI
Locals got their picture taken
with New York Mets mascot Mr.
Met at a ribbon cutting ceremony
in Bensonhurst on Oct. 10.
The ribbon cutting celebrated
the grand opening of Fidelis Care
health insurance’s new 1,900
square-foot community offi ce,
where Mr. Met was joined by the
Fidelis Care mascot, Fidelisaurus,
along with local pols including
Democratic district leader Ari Kagan.
BY JOE HITI
Photo by Andrea Reese
A nonprofit dedicated to enriching
the lives of emotionally
and developmentally disabled
children and adults began collecting
gently worn and new
shoes at locations throughout
the borough on Oct. 14.
The League Education and
Treatment Center will trade the
shoes it collects through Oct. 31
with Funds2Orgs, which will
distribute the footwear to small
businesses in developing countries,
according to do-gooder.
“We are excited to launch
our first-ever shoe drive in
partnership with Funds2Orgs,”
said Courtney Benenson, Chair
of the LETC Board of Directors.
In exchange for the shoes,
Funds2Org will provide the
League with funding to build
a new playground for special
needs students attending the
League School in East Flatbush.
The proceeds from the sales
of the shoes after Funds2Orgs
sells them are then used to help
the families of the small business.
Whether it be feeding,
clothing, or helping housing
them Funds2Org is working to
help build up these entrepreneurs.
One Haitian business owner
even earned enough to send her
son to law school thanks to the
Funds2Orgs initiative.
“We know that most people
have extra shoes in their closets
that could use a new home,
and we hope they will donate
to us. In so doing, we help them
to clean out their closets,” said
Benenson. “While they help
us to raise money to build a
playground, and we share in
a great opportunity to help entrepreneurs
and families in
developing nations who need
economic opportunities. It’s a
win-win-win for everyone involved.”
Mr. Met heads to Bensonhurst!
Photo by Derrick Watterson
School kicks
off shoe drive
Senator Gonardes and the Citizens Committee honored southern Brooklyn charities for their
service. Photo by Rose Adams
League of Education and Treatment
Center head Courtney Benenson.