Heroes of the Month BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Borough President Adams, right, joined his “Heroes of the Month” recipients K.M. DiColandrea (DiCo), June’s honoree, at center right;
Bijoun Eric Jordan, July’s honoree, at left; and reps from Food Bank for New York City, August’s honoree, at center left, during a ceremony
in the Rotunda at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Erica Sherman / Brooklyn BP’s Offi ce
Recognizing Brooklynites for their good works
The everyday, unsung heroes of
Kings County rarely get — and most
times do not want — their day in the
spotlight. Such Samaritans, the borough
president’s offi ce upholds, should
be recognized for their courageous,
selfl ess, and impactful actions. Their
strong sense of community is at the core
of what One Brooklyn stands for.
May 2018
Garry Danilov, good Samaritan
On May 27, two cars collided at the
intersection of Bedford Avenue and Avenue
W in Sheepshead Bay. Garry Danilov,
an immigrant from the former
Soviet Union, was walking by with his
family and acted quickly when he saw
the crash. He assisted the victims of
the wreck in getting out of their vehicle
by breaking a window and pulling
the passengers out of the car.
June 2018
K.M. DiColandrea (DiCo),
teacher and debate team coach
Originally from Queens and a
product of the public school system,
DiCo is an adopted Brooklynite, having
founded Crown Heights-based
Achievement First Brooklyn High
School’s traveling speech and debate
team seven years ago. Since then, the
team has grown to over 60 members.
ONE BROOKLYN | W 6 INTER 2018–2019
DiCo works 12 hours a day to prepare
his students in a school that is
predominantly students of color, immigrants,
and those from low-income
families. The team funded their trips
by buying cases of Gatorade in bulk
and selling them at fund-raisers, enabling
them to travel to national championships,
some of which they won.
The students from the debate team
travel frequently and have continued
their studies at prestigious Ivy League
universities.
July 2018
Bijoun Eric Jordan, teacher
Frederick Douglass Academy VII
English teacher Bijoun Eric Jordan
has worked for city schools for the past
14 years. Born in Manhattan, Bijoun’s
passion for teaching sprouted early on
— when his middle school teacher inspired
him to make the world a better
place through education.
After college, he came back to the
city and began teaching in central
Brooklyn, an area faced with high levels
of poverty and disadvantage, where
he knew he wanted to make a difference.
In 2017, he restarted an international
club at the school where he
raised over $42,000 to take 10 students,
all of whom are students of color and
from low-income families, to Spain for
a week to visit Barcelona and Madrid.
In 2018, he raised more than $60,000
for 17 students to go to Japan for a
week, visiting Tokyo and Osaka. He
has already planned a trip for 2019
with a goal of visiting six continents in
six years.
August 2018
Food Bank for New York City
In late July, Borough President Adams
and Food Bank for New York City
kicked off a donation drive for feminine
products, which were distributed
to low-income and underserved
women.
On average, women between the
ages of 12 and 54 buy approximately
250 feminine care products every year,
presenting a fi nancial burden to families
already struggling to make ends
meet.
Oftentimes, women and families
are forced to decide between purchasing
personal care essentials such as
feminine hygiene products, diapers,
toothpaste, or soap, over buying food
or paying rent.
This drive collected hundreds of
items and helped ease the fi nancial burden
that many women face in homes
that are already struggling in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Borough Hall served as
a donation site for the items through
Oct. 31st, collecting 4,701 pounds of
products for women in need.
September 2018
Kimberly Marshall,
NYPD Brooklyn Special Victims
Unit detective
Det. Kimberly Marshall from the
New York City Police Department’s
Brooklyn Special Victims Unit displayed
bravery in leading her team to
search for and apprehend a suspect in
the case of an 11-year-old girl who was
raped after an intruder broke into her
second-fl oor apartment window in
Prospect-Lefferts Gardens over Labor
Day weekend.
Det. Marshall, a 15-year veteran
of the NYPD, was the main investigator
in the case, leading the tactical
team alongside other investigators to
identify and bring into custody a suspect
who was believed to be affi liated
with the MS-13 multinational criminal
gang.
Following his arrest, Det. Marshall
used her years of experience to obtain
a full confession out of the suspect.
If you know someone who has gone
above and beyond to help others and
build a stronger borough for everyone,
nominate them by e-mailing askeric@
brooklynbp.nyc.gov.