5 Little Neck Boy Scout gives back to refugees
QUEENS WEEKLY, JAN. 20, 2019
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Little Neck teen is using
his Eagle Scout service
project to give back to refugees
this winter.
At the end of summer
2018, 16-year-old Dani Heba
was inspired to help refugees
after past trips to Syria
opened his eyes to the
hardships that people faced
in the war-torn country.
“You can’t help but feel
sympathy for the people
in Syria,” said Heba, who
shared that he is of Syrian
and Egyptian descent.
Heba, a Life Scout in
Troop 153, said that before
a Life Scout reaches
18 years old, he must complete
a service project in
order to advance to the
rank of Eagle Scout. According
to the Boy Scouts
of America website, a Life
Scout must “plan, develop,
and give leadership to
others in a service project
helpful to any religious
institution, any school, or
your community.”
His aunt introduced
him to the Arab-American
Family Support Center
(AAFSC) and he proposed
his idea to donate
school supplies, hygiene
items and winter clothing
to refugees.
The AAFCS was established
in 1994 as a non-profit,
non-sectarian organization.
The group aims to
“provide culturally and
linguistically competent,
trauma-informed, multigenerational
social services
to immigrants and
refugees.”
“I had a meeting with
the president of the organization
and he liked my
idea so they were willing
to be the beneficiary of
my project,” said Heba.
In early December 2018,
he began collecting items
through two collection
boxes in Alley Pond Tennis
Center and Keller William
Realty on Francis Lewis
Boulevard. He also hosted
several collection events at
local churches and enlisted
the help of his fellow Scouts
to collect items and hand
out fliers.
The teen said that the
collection will end this
weekend after about a
month and a half of accumulating
items for refugees.
Since Heba started
the project, he said that he
has collected a “garage full
of items” for donation.
Once items are delivered
to the AAFSC, the organization
will donate them to
refugees in need this season.
Heba will also go to
the support center to talk to
some of the recipients and
explain his project.
Heba has been a Scout
since age 9 when he joined
the Cub Scouts with one of
his “closest friends.” He
transitioned to the Boy
Scouts at 10 years old and
has continued his involvement
through middle and
high school.
“At first I was shy
about joining but after
the first few meetings,
I really liked it and I really
wanted to do it,” said
Heba, who added that joining
the organization has
helped to build his character,
make friends and
break out of his shell.
In his spare time, the
Brooklyn Tech Junior
said that he enjoys playing
tennis, piano, basketball
with friends and “spending
time with the people I
care about the most.”
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone
at (718) 224-5863 ext. 214.
Heba (far l.) with fellow Scouts at a collection event in December 2018 at Saint Nicholas
Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn. Courtesy of Dani Heba
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