Williamsburg
Standing O shouts out to Southside United HDFC–Los Sures on providing 45 years of commitment to affordable housing, community development, and advocacy.
The organization celebrated the occasion with a soiree held at the Freehold Brooklyn in Williamsburg on April 26, where more than 200 guests danced, laughed, and honored Los Sures.
Ramon Peguero, Esq., executive director of Los Sures, expressed his gratitude “to all the executive directors who came before me.”
“We have added 250 units of affordable housing. We have increased staff by 20 percent and we have expanded every department of Los Sures,” he said. “You ask how we are able to celebrate 45 years and I have two words: resiliency and adaptability.”
Five individuals were honored at the event, including longtime board member Martin Needelman, Esq., who received the Humanitarian Award; El Puente Founder and President Luis Garden Acosta, who received the David Pagan Community Legacy Award; Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP, the Corporate Award winner; New York City Council General Counsel Jason Adolfo Otano, the Rising Leadership Award recipient; and Councilman Antonio Reynoso, who was honored with the David Lopez Friend of Los Sures Award.
Along with a video produced by James Eden and Adrian Martinez, and introduced by Natalie Rodriguez, development associate at Los Sures, guests dined on sumptuous hors d’oeuvres; danced to the pulsating beat of salsa, meringue, and reggae music; and socialized — all in the name of Los Sures.
Southside United HDFC–Los Sures [434 S. Fifth St. and Hewes Street in Williamsburg, (718) 387–3600].
Borough Wide
Future librarians
Hats off to Sen. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for providing $494,223 in new federal funding for Brooklyn Public Library. The gelt was allocated through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’s Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.
Specifically, Brooklyn Public Library will use the money to create an internship program for 180 high school students in the field of library and information services. The Librarians of Tomorrow program will be composed of a two-month summer session and a nine-month peer-leadership program, and will include educational workshops.
“Libraries like Brooklyn Public Library are vital to our democratic society because they provide citizens with access to literature, computers, and other educational resources,” said Sen. Schumer.
“The lives of New York’s children are richer because of educational programs funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” added Sen. Gillibrand. “The Brooklyn Public Library’s internship program will help expand new learning opportunities for students in the community, so they can grow up and reach their potential no matter what their background is or where in the city they live. I will continue to fight for federal funding like this that helps our children grow and develop.”
Linda Johnson, chief executive officer and president of the Brooklyn Public Library said, “The Librarians of Tomorrow internship program presents a terrific opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience at the library. We thank the Institute of Museum and Library Services for helping to ensure that the librarians of tomorrow are as diverse as the communities they serve.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent, federal agency and the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.
Central Library [10 Grand Army Plaza between Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway in Prospect Heights, (718) 230–2100].
