FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com OCTOBER 8, 2015 • THE COURIER SUN 29 SCOTT BARON’S STAR OF QUEENS ERNA BLACKMAN FOUNDER BUTTERFLIES BBI brought to you by star OF queens Photo courtesy of Erna Blackman SCOTT BARON & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Attorneys & Counselors at Law 1-866-WAS-HURT (866) 927-4878 718.738.9800 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Erna Blackman was born in Queens and attended Grace Lutheran Elementary School in Malvern, NY. In 1984, she graduated from Jamaica High School and subsequently received a BA in journalism from Delaware State University. Blackman is married and the mother of two children. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND CAREER: Blackman had a 20-year career with New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. In 2012, she founded Butterfl ies BBI, which is a nonprofi t organization that provides free hair replacements and solutions to children with medical hair loss. At Butterfl ies BBI, a special interest is given to inner-city children as they are a group that is often overlooked. MOTIVATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY: Blackman has seen the devastating effects of low self-esteem in underserved communities during her 20-year career in law enforcement. She has also volunteered at the American Cancer Society as a stylist in their wig program and was inspired by the smiles she would bring to the faces of her clients as she assisted them while they dealt with their personal illnesses. This inspiration was the motivation to bring her services to children in need, hoping to raise their self-esteem to help them become successful members of society. BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Blackman’s biggest challenge was transitioning from a daily 9-to-5 job, which she could no longer do due to an injury, into the nonprofi t world. “When you’re used to getting up every morning to work for someone, it’s hard to stop that learned behavior. No matter how much you say you’d like to stop working, when you’re faced with an unplanned event, it’s tough. And it’s diffi cult to accept that you no longer have a scheduled salary to rely on. But on the other hand, fulfi lling your dream by providing the services to children in need seems to lighten the load and balance things out.” GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS: Providing a stable home and comfortable lifestyle for her family is one of her greatest personal achievements. And professionally, her greatest achievement is founding Butterfl ies BBI. “There’s nothing like creating something from nothing. Building an organization from the ground up with only your own ideas and passion is an achievement in and of itself. But when you see the faces of those you’ve helped and you know that you’ve made a positive difference in their lives, that alone makes it a great achievement.” BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF Attention People with Hearing Loss! CELE BRATE WITH US! EXCLUSIVE HEARING EVENT! 28TH ANNIVERSARY! Let the HearUSA team get you back in the conversation with affordable solutions for better hearing. • Hearing aid prices starting at $995 • Free Demonstration of the latest hearing aid technology • Risk-Free 60-Day Trial on all purchases • 100% Quality Guarantee on all products EXPERIENCE BETTER THAN NORMAL HEARING IN NOISY SITUATIONS* with Siemens binax smart hearing aids, recipient of the 2015 Gold Edison Award 800OFF $ purchase of a pair of Siemens Level 3 binax Hearing Aids Everyday retail price for Siemens Level 3 binax is $2,895 each, Sale Price $2,495 each. Offers cannot be combined. Excludes previous purchases. Call for details. Offer expires 10/31/15. or FREE42” Smart TV with purchase of a pair of Siemens Level 7 binax Hearing Aids Gift Retail Price $499. Offers cannot be combined. Excludes previous purchases. Call for details. Offer expires 10/31/15. 2 8 TH 2828ANNIVERSARY EXCLUSIVE HEARING EVENT! 28th Anniversary Hearing Aid Repairs 30 %OFF FREE25 $ Most makes and models. Call for details. Not valid on hearing aids 5 years or older. Offers cannot be combined. Offer expires 10/31/15. Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card with a FREE Hearing Screening Must have hearing loss. Call for details. Offers cannot be combined. Offer expires 10/31/15. Attention all NY State and Federal Employees, Retirees and Spouses: You may be eligible for hearing aids at minimal or no cost. Call us for more information! Call today for your FREE Hearing Check-Up! Elmhurst - 91-31 Queens Blvd., Ste. 214 Howard Beach - 160-10 Cross Bay Blvd. Call Toll Free: 855.236.1707 Extended hours available upon request. Welcome Empire MediBlue, Health First, Touchstone, Wellcare, GHI Emblem Members, HIP and Medicare Advantage HMO plans. *Studies conducted at University of Northern Colorado (2014) and Oldenburg Horzentrum (2013) showed that Speech Reception Thresholds (SRT) in cocktail party situations improved up to 2.9DB for wearers with mild to moderate hearing loss using the latest BestSoundTM Technology with Narrow Directionality compared to people with normal hearing. This corresponds to over 25% improvement in speech understanding. www.hearusa.com © 2015 HearUSA, All Rights Reserved.
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