JUST A few years ago, the American dream seemed within reach for Marvin Cortez and Sorange Reyes.Cortez, 33, and Reyes, 27, who emigrated to Brooklyn from Panama and Puerto Rico in 2005, had a house, a car, two jobs, and a comfortable life for themselves and their kids in Atlanta.
In the News
December 11, 2009
Kind-hearted Brooklynites are making the holidays a bit brighter for a family that's hit hard times.The Daily News' story about Charles Green, 35, a jobless Brooklyn native who spent six months in a homeless shelter with his four little girls, has prompted an outpouring of support from across the borough."I feel blessed that people are just looking at what I'm going through and that they may see someone in my situation and say, 'Let me help,'" he said.
December 10, 2009
BROOKLYN — ‘Tis the season for eggnog, nutcrackers, mistletoe and innumerable holiday treats — and for lending a hand to the people and organizations that work to improve the lives of others all year round. There are ample opportunities to give right here in Brooklyn.
December 8, 2009
"It's like a juggling act between the bills and things like clothing," said Bedford-Stuyvesant-raised Butts, 32, who has spent two months in an East Flatbush homeless shelter with her kids after being evicted from their apartment in a Queens housing project. Work, when she can get it, is usually part time and just above minimum wage, bringing in about $900 to $1,200 a month, she said.
December 1, 2009
NEW YORK—Brooklyn last month established its first public community philanthropic organization, Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a reworked version of the private and charitable Independent Community Foundation (ICF). ICF was set up in 1998 by Independent Bank, a private company. Over the past 11 years, ICF gave more than $70 million in grants, and became the largest private community foundation in Brooklyn.
December 1, 2009
Charles Green has one big wish for the holiday season: that he and his four young daughters will get to spend it in a home of their own. "I don't want them waking up on Christmas in a shelter," said Green, 35, a single dad from Bushwick who has been homeless with his kids since May.
November 24, 2009
The Caring Neighbors Holiday Campaign provides homeless children with a “Caring Neighbors Kit” filled with educational books, toys and other resources to help ease the stress of being homeless. Learn more about how you can help. Click here to help make a difference in a homeless child's life today. Just $35 provides help and hope for one homeless child.
October 27, 2009
They've had to tighten their purse strings, but a musical Brooklyn family has not let hard times throw their heartstrings out of tune. Despite both being out of work, Sherri and Sean DeBarry have kept harmony in their Bedford-Stuyvesant home by supporting their children's love for string instruments. "There are sleepless nights ... nights holding your head and saying how can I get this together," said Sean DeBarry, 41, a laid-off hospital administrator. "And when I listen to my kids; it's like a getaway."
October 20, 2009
The Brooklyn Community Foundation was honored on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the Pratt Area Community Council's (PACC) "Celebrating 45 Years of Building Community Together." The event was held at the Irondale Center in Forte Greene, Brooklyn.
October 5, 2009
The actors ran barefoot on a sandy beach and projected their lines over the cries of seagulls. The audience sat in 1,500 white folding chairs on a boardwalk across from a mural of Henry Hudson’s landing on Coney Island.This was not a typical production of The Tempest.Brave New World Repertory Theatre, which takes its name from one of the most famous lines in the play, staged Shakespeare’s tropical classic on the final Saturday and Sunday of September—outside, on the boardwalk and beach of Brooklyn’s Coney Island.The cast of seagulls. Photos by Eleanor Miller.
