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Meet a Do Gooder

Meet a Do Gooder

In Fall 2010, to mark the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s first year of service, we launched a campaign to recognize local heroes: The Brooklyn Do Gooder Awards. Thousands participated in an online vote, which resulted in hundreds of nominations, and ultimately six winners representing Brooklyn’s dynamic nonprofit community through our five Field of Interest Funds: Arts for All, Caring Neighbors, Community Development, Education and Youth Achievement, and Green Communities. In 2012, we will relaunch the campaign to recognize the volunteers whose commitment to service and giving back is vital to the strength of our nonprofit community.

Here are the stories of Brooklyn’s Do Gooders, who help make Brooklyn the greatest place on earth:

Erin Barnes

Green Communities

Neighborhood: Boroughwide

Erin is a co-founder of ioby.org (as in "in our backyards"), an online platform where people can find local volunteer opportunities or find small projects to which they want to donate.

DK Holland

Community Development

Neighborhood: Boroughwide

DK is always thinking of the welfare of others before her own.

Chinita Pointer

Arts for All

Neighborhood: Boroughwide

Chinita Pointer is a passionate do-gooder! She's quiet in her methods but her actions are loud - making a difference using music in our youth.

Melony Samuels

Caring Neighbors

Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant

Dr. Samuels has worked tirelessly for the past 10 years to end food poverty in her community and positively touches the lives of others through her food pantry: part food bank, part community garden.

Chip Cafiero

Community Development

Neighborhood: Bay Ridge

Chip Cafiero is the go-to person for all of Bay Ridge's community events. He coordinates our many parades and festivals, educates our children, protects our community, and preserves our parks.

Julie Stein Brockway

Education & Youth Achievement

Neighborhood: Sunset Park

For nearly three decades, Julie Stein Brockway has worked to build the Sunset Park community, strengthening public education through school based youth work and enriching the lives of young people.

Mariadele Priest

Community Development

Neighborhood: Boroughwide

For over 20 years Mariadele has worked tirelessly on behalf of Brooklyn's families and individuals for access to safe, affordable housing; building coalitions; and directing much-needed resources.

Anne Pope

Green Communities

Neighborhood: Flatbush

Anne Pope founded and directs Sustainable Flatbush, a grassroots non-profit organization that brings neighbors together to discuss, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in Flatbush and beyond.

Greg Jackson

Community Development

Neighborhood: Brownsville

Known as "Jocko" to his many friends, Greg is a community institution in Brownsville: the neighborhood's most avid champion, and its residents' most loyal and passionate advocate.

Jonathan Askin

Community Development

Neighborhood: Boroughwide

Jonathan Askin devotes his career to enabling would-be Brooklyn innovators and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into sustainable ventures. He has been a tireless advocate for Brooklyn's tech startups.