Tina Chen
Midwood 

Tina Chen and her family immigrated to the United States from Taiwan over twenty years ago.  Tina is the president and founder of the Excel Learning Center, which provides tutoring for students in elementary grades through high school.  Over 1,000 students each year receive help through the Center, which is especially resourceful in assisting ESL students by serving as bridge between the parents, the students and the New York educational system.  In the past eleven years the Center has expanded to three locations and has established an excellent reputation within the Asian community. 

Tina also serves the Brooklyn community as vice president of the Homecrest Community Service Center.  For twelve years she has worked with elderly immigrants, helping them to overcome language and social barriers.  Sharing in celebrations and meals with these seniors, Tina has formed a deep connection to them. 

Tina has served as a board member of Community Board 15 since 1997.  As a dedicated community leader, she is committed to building a better place for the residents.  Tina was the director of the Asian-American Service Center of New York.  During her tenure she established a Chinese school to preserve the language and culture for first and second generation immigrants.

02

Mazie Henderson

Bedford Stuyvesant 

In addition to her own six children, Ms. Henderson has been a foster mother to two teenage girls for the past four years.  Recognizing the great need for foster parents of teens, Ms. Henderson has truly stepped up to the plate, taking in two 17 years olds (one of whom is a young mother herself).  Ms. Henderson is currently seeking to foster yet another teen. She has traveled to Albany to speak at a conference on behalf of foster children, and she is very involved in helping at the Foster Care Agency with which she is connected. 

Ms. Henderson has eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild with whom she is extremely involved.  She takes them to church; they helped her bake for Thanksgiving; she even took one of them to the polling station on Election Day to help with the meals they had prepared for the people working the elections.  She is truly a positive role model to every child she encounters. 

03

Bronya Krishtul

Gravesend 

Born in Mogilev-Podolsky, Ukraine, Bronya Krishtul came to the United States in 1991 after a long nursing career. Soon after her arrival, she decided to form an association to help her friends still living in Ukraine. She created the New Mogilev-Podolsky Friends Association, an organization devoted to preserving memories of Jews who perished in Mogilev-Podolsky ghetto and helping those who survived the Holocaust. 

As the most active member of the association, Ms. Krishtul has been instrumental in funding and collecting exhibits for the Museum of Holocaust in Mogilev-Podolsky and the creation of a number of memorials for Holocaust victims. The Association supports Holocaust survivors living in Mogilev-Podolsky and also supports an orphanage and a hospice for children. 

Because of her continuous involvement in the life of the Russian community of Brooklyn, Ms. Krishtul is widely known as one of its most active and effective members.

04

05

A life-long resident of Brooklyn, Joyce Bolden has been active in her community for more than four decades.   In the late 1960’s Ms. Bolden served as Congressional Aid to the late Honorable Shirley Chisolm, working  with her on day-care legislation,  community service programs, and housing.  Ms Bolden worked with several politicians and community leaders to develop a housing complex for senior citizens.  She has served on many community boards and played a significant role in the implementation of day-care and welfare reform legislation.  One of the outcomes of her work has been the implementation of a program that provides employment to fathers who utilize day-care for their offspring.  Among her many community activities, she served as president of the Childcare Providers Business Coalition. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center; as Chairperson of the Big Brother Big Sister Tutorial Program; and as a member of the Precinct Council for the 77^th Precinct.

Ms. Bolden is the founder of Integrity Day-Care, which provides services to children and their families. She is Vice President of the St. Johns Recreation Senior Group and president of the St. John’s Tenant Associations.  She is a competitive swimmer and lectures to senior citizens - especially those who are physically challenged - on the importance of exercise.  Ms. Bolden is a member of the Christian Cultural Center and is actively involved in senior group activities.

06

Born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant and still a member of the community, Lorrie Ayers has a long history of "giving back." 

Her belief in parent involvement led her to her current job as the parent coordinator at PS 305 in Bedford Stuyvesant, which led to her to join the Education Committee of Community Board #3, the Education Task Force of the 36th Council District, and Brownstoners of Bedford Stuyvesant, Inc., on projects including Welcome New Neighbor Breakfast, Annual House Tour (raises scholarship funds), and Community Education Round Tables. Each of these projects solidifies the sense of community that was essential to Lorrie's development and allows her to give back to others. 

Lorrie is a past president of The Parents' Association of Brooklyn Technical High School. Lorrie has been a student at Long Island University and Medgar Evers College, CUNY and intends to continue her formal education.

Khadijah Ali

Ft. Greene

Born in St. Vincent, West Indies, Khadijah immigrated to the United States from the island of Barbados. After her husband passed away, she sought work as a volunteer at Kings County Hospital Center. While there, Ms. Ali heard about the New York City Foster Grandparent Program, and in November 1999, Ms. Khadijah Ali became a Foster Grandparent volunteer. At first, Ms. Ali was assigned to a daycare center, where she served from Monday to Friday.  On weekends, she would go to Kings County Hospital on her own time to volunteer in the Pediatric Unit.  Since May 2000, Ms. Ali has been a part of the team of care-givers in the Neo-natal Special Care Unit at Kings County Hospital.  She devotes herself to these newborn, often frail babies, giving them the tender, loving care and attention they so desperately need, feeding, changing and nurturing them. She goes beyond her duties, often working later than her assigned hours to ensure that the babies are fed and comforted. She has even traveled to another hospital, with permission from the family and the Foster Grandparent Program, to visit a baby that was transferred to a hospital in Manhattan.  

Ms. Ali’s devotion, dedication and compassion have been noted by administrative and nursing staff at the hospital, as well as the families of the infants. In the summer of 2004, Ms. Ali was nominated by the hospital and was chosen as a New Yorker of the Week by News Channel, New York One.  

Ms. Ali sees her labor of love as a gift from God, who has now blessed her with all these babies, although she was never a biological mother. Ms. Ali only misses a day at the hospital for illness. She says  “it’s a blessing to go to the hospital. I love the babies.”


 

Elizabeth R. OuYang
Brooklyn Heights  

Elizabeth R. OuYang has been a resident of Brooklyn Heights since 1991. A civil rights attorney active in hate crimes prevention locally and nationally, she has worked to strengthen New York State hate crimes law. As Executive Vice President of OCA-NY, she created and leads its citywide hate crimes prevention art contest. Elizabeth teaches a pre-law course at New York University's Department of Social and Cultural Analysis and at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race. She has led training at NYU on navigating the U.S. census for UPROSE, a youth group in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and worked in coalition with United Chinese Association of Brooklyn on addressing hate crimes. As part of OCA-NY, she has conducted voter registration drives in Brooklyn. As a consultant with the New York City Bar Association and the New York Immigration Coalition, she conducted pro-bono legal advice clinics at immigrant organizations in Brooklyn on federal immigration policies impacting the Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities. She was a volunteer mentor and moot court judge with Brooklyn Legal Outreach, an organization that prepares low income high school students in Brooklyn for college by developing their oral, written, and leadership skills.

Rev. Monica Sinclair
Bedford Stuyvesant 

Rev. Monica Sinclair, who immigrated to Brooklyn from Jamaica in 1997, has been a dedicated educator for almost 30 years. In 1997, she joined the staff of The Cathedral School and is now the school’s principal. She is also an ordained Deaconess and part of the People’s Cathedral’s Clergy. 

Since her youth, volunteering has been an important part of Rev. Sinclair’s life. As a teenager, she pioneered the development of a youth club in her community and then became the leader of a local 4H club. She volunteered as an adult literacy teacher, and while in college was also involved in a prison ministry, where she used her own funds to buy supplies for the inmates. In addition, she was extremely active in local church and community activities, through which she was able to contribute to the growth and development of young people and bring comfort to the sick and elderly. 

At The Cathedral School, Rev. Sinclair has served as a Sunday school and youth group leader. She also founded Boys Scout and Girls Scout troops and has organized and conducted toys and clothes drives for children living in group homes. In addition to her own volunteer work, Rev. Sinclair has involved her students in community and charitable endeavors. Her classes have been part of the choir at the Christmas tree lighting at Grand Army Plaza, and they have also helped out at the Prospect Park West Senior Citizens Residence.   

Rev. Sinclair, who has also volunteered with the Red Cross, has dedicated her life to preaching, teaching, counseling and ministering to the needs of children and those who are ill.

Officer Susan Porcello
Bay Ridge 

Susan Porcello was born in Manhattan and raised in a large Italian-American family. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in social work from  The College of Staten Island. She became a New York Police Officer on July 1^st, 1998. She has worked in the 68 and 69 precincts. She is currently assigned to the School Truancy Conditions Unit in the 68 precinct. She is a union delegate for the Police Benevolent Association.  

In 2007, Susan became a member of the “My Soldier” program at Manhattanville College.  Through this program she “adopted” 850 United States Military troops that are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. In adopting these troops, she pledged to write and send letters, toiletries, clothing, pillows, books, magazines, candy, food and pictures to them.  

She is a member of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the NRA, Societa Val Trebbia, the Columbia Association and the Holy Name Society.  

She received the Public Servant of the Year award from the Little Italy Merchant’s Association (LIMA) for caring and befriending a World War II United States Marine Veteran named Gaspar M. Musso.

Oresa L. Napper
Bedford Stuyvesant

Evangelist Oresa Napper, affectionately known as Reese, was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant. God put her there for a reason, as she would later discover. 

It may have taken her a while, but Ms. Napper ultimately found her way into ministry. In 1985, she was invited along with 11 others to form the Grammy Award winning Love Fellowship Crusade Choir under the leadership of Bishop Hezekiah Walker. 

Since that time, she has been a leader in ministry at Love Fellowship Tabernacle, The Kingdom Church (LFT), which succeeded the Crusade Choir. As part of her ministry, she established two groups to help support her community: Single Parents Resource and Support Group and the National Business Training Institute of NY, NJ and PA. 

Ms. Napper is also the founder of Not Another Child, Inc., an organization which provides outreach and support to families of gun violence. She founded Not Another Child, which has been featured on BET’s My Two Cents, in memory of her son, Andrell Napper, who was the innocent victim of a gun slaying in the summer of 2006. 

Ms. Napper is also the New York City chapter president of Mothers in Charge and a mentor for the Kings County District Attorney’s Youth and Congregations in Partnership program. She has served as a mentor for many young adults, especially women. She is committed to influencing children by showing them that no matter what mistakes they have made, they can always get back on track.

Irene LoRe
Park Slope

Born and raised in Borough Park, Irene planted roots in Park Slope roughly a quarter century ago and has blossomed into an extraordinary civic and merchant leader. Her tremendously successful business, Aunt Suzie's Italian Restaurant on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, paved the way for the emergence of Park Slope's 5th Avenue as a restaurant and shopping destination. Not only is Aunt Suzie's a perpetual sponsor of every good thing happening in Park Slope, but it also serves as a center for civic life hosting numerous fundraising events, parties, and meetings of all sorts. Irene's role as a business leader extends to the Board of directors of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and she was a driving force behind the formation of the City's newest business improvement district, the Park Slope 5th Avenue BID, where she is the first Executive Director. Irene also served as a volunteer on her local community board for many years, and has served as the elected Chairperson of Brooklyn Community Board 6, which covers the Brownstone Brooklyn. She has also been an outspoken leader in the LGBT community as a member and past honoree of Lambda Independent Democrats. Irene serves her community with conviction, passion and boundless energy.

Joyce Mattera
Sunset Park

Joyce Mattera is the Founder and Executive Director of Children of the City (COC), a community-based organization formed to address the academic and social needs of children in southwest Brooklyn. In 1981, while hosting a one-day children’s event in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Mrs. Mattera became appalled at the conditions of the children in attendance, many of whom were poorly clothed, hungry for food and attention, and some clearly the victims of abuse and neglect. Mrs. Mattera galvanized every resource available in order to respond to the needs of these children.  With the help of many community volunteers, she visited the homes of hundreds of children, assessing their needs and referring them to various services, as well as facilitating their attendance at a weekly prevention program which she initiated.  The organization grew steadily and for over 20 years has been working with over 1000 children annually, making 800 home visits each month and connecting the children to much-needed services. Mrs. Mattera initiated  “Create Success,” an after-school and summer program that addresses the academic needs of disadvantaged and underserved children. This program has been in operation since 2003 and has proven very successful, with 20% of the children increasing one whole grade level in their reading every summer.  Mrs. Mattera also spearheaded the Heal New York Project, a trauma response project for children affected by the 9/11 attacks. For more then 26 years Joyce Mattera has worked with some of the most vulnerable children in Sunset Park. Many of these children are now upstanding members of the community, volunteering their own time to ensure the ongoing success of an organization that is truly making a difference. Mrs. Mattera is a proud mother of 5 children, all of whom are successful in their education and careers. In addition to their own children, she and her husband, Joseph, have taken in numerous children over the years.

Martha Kamber
Sunset Park 

Martha Kamber, Executive Director of the YWCA of Brooklyn, is currently leading the organization through an ambitious “turn-around” which includes the renovation of the YWCA’s downtown Brooklyn building and expansion of housing, community health promotion and leadership initiatives for women and girls. Ms. Kamber brings to the task more than twenty years of experience in nonprofits serving communities both in the Caribbean and New York City. With a primary commitment to social justice and policy reform, Ms. Kamber has worked extensively in the areas of advocacy, public health, education, family support and community development. As the Executive Director of Brooklyn Child and Family Services, a multi-service nonprofit organization, she directed housing, early childhood education, literacy and youth development programs. 

She also served as Director of Family Support Services for Lutheran Health Community Programs, where she designed and implemented integrated models for community capacity building and supportive services. Additionally, Ms. Kamber directed women’s health initiatives through Settlement Health in East Harlem and developed adolescent programs for The Door. She has a Master’s Degree in Education from Brooklyn College and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. Ms Kamber lives in the Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn where she is a member of Community Board 7 and serves on the Land-use and Zoning Committee. Ms. Kamber maintains community involvement through several ongoing neighborhood based social justice projects.

Louise Hidar
Bay Ridge

Louise Hidar has been an active member of the Bay Ridge Community Council for the past 21 years. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Hidar has served as an officer, chairperson and member of numerous council committees. As current co-chair of the council’s Police and Fire Committee, she attends monthly meetings at the 68 Precinct.  

Ms. Hidar also assists in the administration of the Kassenbrock Bros. Memorial Scholarship Fund, which awards college scholarships to worthy high school students for their commendable community service projects. Last year, the fund distributed $26,000 to24 local students.  

For the past 20 years, Ms. Hidar has been part of the Auxiliary at Lutheran Medical Center and has volunteered in various departments at the hospital. Through the Auxiliary’s fundraising efforts, the group was able to donate $120,000 to the hospital in a two year period toward the establishment of a new Trauma Center and purchase of an ambulance. Ms. Hidar still volunteers at the hospital two days a week. 

Ms. Hidar is also an active member of St. Anslem’s Young at Heart, where she helps raise money for the church and its food pantry. She is also a member of the executive board and membership chairperson of her local AARP chapter. 

In recognition of her many charitable endeavors, in 2007 Ms. Hidar was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the United Hospital Fund. 

Barbara Snow
Kensington

Barbara Snow, a Brooklyn resident of forty years, attended St. Joseph’s College.  Upon graduation she began her teaching career in Brooklyn.  Barbara has served the children and families of P.S. 119 and the greater Flatbush community for over fifteen years.  She is an incredible role model for her students.  Recently, she partnered with Whole Foods Market on a holiday fundraiser to benefit the Food Bank of New York City.  She coordinated a group of volunteer fifth grade students, teachers, and parents to travel to two New York City Whole Foods location.  The children wrapped customer holiday purchases with environmentally-friendly wrappings for suggested donations to the food bank.  The event was very successful, with sixteen fifth grade students raising approximately $800 for the Food Bank.  Barbara has participated in local New York Cares activities for the past several years.  On a designated Saturday morning in the fall, parents and students have joined with volunteers from the New York Cares program to donate their time to benefit the P. S. 119 community.  This included the enhancement of the area in and around the school, thus promoting P. S. 119’s reputation as a successful neighborhood school.  Barbara has also volunteered at a Surfer’s Healing event where professional surfers visit local seashore communities and spend the day with autistic children of all ages, giving them surfboard rides.  In addition, Barbara finds the time to be active in her church community.

Charise Lawrence
Coney Island 

For nearly nine years, Charise Lawrence has served as the director of Brooklyn community outreach at the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA), where she is responsible for representing the department at monthly community board and borough-wide meetings.  

Ms. Lawrence has worked on many projects aimed at assisting seniors. She was part of a committee that published “What Do I Do Now,” a resource guide for caregivers. She also helped plan a first of its kind conference for Brooklyn caregivers entitled “A Caregivers Journey.” In addition, she co-planned DFTA’s first conference on HIV/AIDS in the senior population. For the past two years, she has represented DFTA on a committee that sets up volunteer expos for seniors.  

Ms. Lawrence has been especially effective in arranging special events for DFTA’s annual “Age in Action” festival in Flushing Meadows Park. Last year, she introduced seniors to horticulture, jewelry making, using recycled materials and stress reduction and relaxation techniques. She attracted both local and national instructors for the event. 

For her many successful efforts on behalf of seniors, Ms. Lawrence was awarded a SUN-Burst award by the Senior Umbrella Network-Brooklyn (SUN-B) in 2008.

Zoe Koutsoupakis
Bay Ridge 

Born in Hartum, Sudan, to Greek parents, Zoe was raised in Greece on the island of Karpathos. She immigrated to the United States at fourteen. Zoe received her B.A. in Education from Brooklyn College.As Branch Manager and District Manager of Atlantic Bank, Zoe spent more than two decades promoting that bank to the Greek-American community. She is currently the Senior Vice President & Regional Manager of Marathon Bank for Brooklyn and Staten Island. Besides her successful career, Mrs. Koutsoupakis is well-known for her dedication and work in the Greek-American community.  She is a member of many organizations such as the Federation of Hellenic Societies of New York, Ronald McDonald House, Archdiocesan Organizations, Philanthropic Associations, Bay Ridge Development Corp., Fifth Ave Board of Trade, Bay Ridge 5th Ave Business Improvement District, Colonial Club, Boy Scouts of America Chairperson, a yearly sponsor of District 20 Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention Fair, and Treasurer of the Greek-American Property Owners of Brooklyn  Zoe offers, not only her great experience, but also her love and enthusiasm for everything that she does.  She is a dedicated fundraiser. She has been honored by many government officials from Greece and the United States. Zoe is an asset to the Greek-American community of Brooklyn. She promotes the good values that are so needed in our society today,    often concluding her speeches by saying “Love for each other is the base of success.  Honesty and hard work is the foundation and the cornerstone for a successful society.”

Zeinab Bader
Dyker Heights 

Born in Lebanon, Zeinab Bader immigrated to this country in 1980 in order to search for a better future for her family.  Once here, Zeinab’s involvement with the Arab-American community led to her becoming one of the prominent leaders of the Palestinian Women's Association.  Zeinab initiated the opening of Saturday School Classes for English- speaking Arab children.  There, children had the opportunity to learn to read and write in Arabic as well as to learn about the culture of the Middle East. In 1996, Zeinab began working at Health Plus Insurance as a marketing representative for Arabic-speaking clientele.  To date, Zeinab has received over 75 Recognition Award Certificates for her work at Health Plus in assisting Arab-American immigrants.  Zeinab strongly advocates for Arab-American immigrants to get involved within their community.  She was involved in the Yalla Vote Campaign, encouraging the Arab-American community to register to vote and to get out and vote come Election Day.   Zeinab served on the Board of Directors for the Arab-American Association of New York (AAANY) from 2001 to 2008, and now serves as an Honorary Board Member.  Zeinab also gives one day a week of her time to the AAANY clientele in order to assist them in filing for Health Plus Insurance.  In January 2009, Zeinab founded a sister organization to the Arab-American Association of New York.  The Arab-American Women’s Asssociation of New York will focus on women’s rights, domestic violence, the public school education of the children of immigrants, and other concerns of particular interest to women.  Zeinab resides in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn and is happily married with 5 children.

Benita Miller
Windsor Terrace 

Attorney Benita Miller has devoted much of her professional life to assisting young people, especially young mothers.  

Ms. Miller is the founder and executive director of the Brooklyn Young Mothers’ Collective, an organization that works with pregnant and parenting teenagers. The organization helps young mothers move toward self-sufficiency through supportive services, leadership training and advocacy. The organization hopes to prevent parent-child separations, child neglect or abuse as well as multiple pregnancies.  

A winner of the prestigious Union Square Award, Ms. Miller was previously a children’s rights attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s juvenile rights division. She is a board member of Single Young Mothers’ Initiative, a notional project focusing on the outcomes of young mothers. She is also a member of New York State’s Independent Review Board for juvenile detention facilities. In addition, she is a member of the New York County Lawyers Association’s Task Force on Family Court, and an advisory board member Healthy Families at Brookdale Hospital.