About Us

The Be Proud Inc is a New York City-based not-for-profit community organization in Brooklyn. The aim of Be Proud Inc is to support community residents and send a message of peace and acceptance to people of all ages and backgrounds, promoting pride in heritage, and nurturing love and support throughout the community.

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Ms. Raisa Chernina, the Founder and Executive Director of Be Proud Inc, has organized and produced a variety of events, aimed at honoring successful Russian-Americans. In May 2001, Be Proud Inc presented the First Annual Russian Day, in conjunction with the New York City Council. Starting that year, Be Proud Inc have been celebrating and honoring individuals who have positively influenced the community in many ways who made social and economical contributions to our community.

 

In 2003, Be Proud Inc organized a tribute concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall designed to raise awareness of the importance of international cooperation in fighting terrorism. The concert featured performers from the United States, Israel and Russia. For the first time could the audience see artists from the countries fighting terrorism perform together. It was in sense an extraordinary event, unifying three countries that suffered from terrorism the most. The earned money was donated to children of firemen who died in the line of duty on 9/11.

Be Proud Inc has reached out to families in New York and across the U.S. We have been supporting Russian-American servicemen overseas. Since 2003, Be Proud Inc coordinated "Operation Holiday Greetings" when with help of the members of the community, local politicians and families of military men, we sent parcels overseas for servicemen regardless of their ethnic background or religion. Among our goals is to express our gratitude and show appreciation to all our troops coming home. In 2005, with assistance of the New York City Council, Be Proud Inc arranged the renaming of one of the streets in Brooklyn, NY. The street is now named "Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom Way". This is the first time in U.S. history when a street was named in tribute to fighting military men and women during wartime. Veterans are very proud and thankful for such an honor.

 

Be Proud Inc places high importance on promoting mutual respect between Russian-speaking citizens and local officials. We are continuing educating the Russian-speaking community with regard to the American law, and with help and involvement of the New York Police Department. We organize specific events to express our gratitude and honor local policemen, last year we've celebrated 12th anniversary of this annual Police Appreciation Luncheon. In 2015 Be Proud Inc in conjunction with the NYPD instituted a new program "Community Against Drugs", a free drug prevention program for children and parents, as well as lectures on topics such as elder abuse and prescription drugs precautions for the elderly. These lectures are hosted at different locations of Brooklyn.

For six years each summer Be Proud Inc is hosting with the 61 th  Precinct and the 61 th  Precinct Community Council "National Night Out Against Crime". This event was established by the National Association of Town Watch in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice as a way for communities and local police departments to join together as a show of strength and unity against crime, drugs and in later years terrorism. This all free event feature rides, giveaways, food, snacks, crime prevention information, and much more. It is a great way to show how unified our community is!

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Each year on May 9 Be Proud Inc hosts Victory Day to praise the Holocaust survivors and veterans of the WWII and express our sincere gratitude for everything they did to free the world from the Nazi reign. To gather our community and say that we do remember and care about their heroic actions that so greatly contributed into the victory over Hitler Germany.

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Be Proud Inc also promotes family values and encourages positive interaction between generations. For many years, Be Proud Inc has coordinated and hosted the "Your Highness Grandmother" pageant, where grandmothers from different parts of New York City compete with each other and get awarded for their performing talents and inner beauty.

The event brings four generations together; no wonder it received huge attention of Media channels in America and even worldwide – New York Times, Be Proud Inc News, Reuters, Channel 1NY and Channel 12 Brooklyn, NTV America are only a few of them. Our audience has captured grandmothers and great grandmothers dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, demonstrating yoga techniques and other talents, all done by women of 45 to 90 years old. This year our event will celebrate its 17 th anniversary.

For the past nine years Be Proud Inc in conjunction with The US Marine Corps Reserve and The 41st Assembly District has been hosting "Toys For Tots" Toy Drive. Our “Toys for Tots” Toy Drive event is the only one in the Russian Speaking community. We are gathering unwrapped new toys for underprivileged kids during the holiday season so no child feels abandoned.

This year Be Proud Inc was holding 9th "Passover Food Distribution". Passover is the best time for us to show that we care about our neighbors. By giving out food we are going to share our happiness with people who count on us more than ever in this current economic climate. We initiated and gave away over 500 food packages to needy people this memorable Passover holiday.

 

For 10 years Be Proud Inc brought together families who have crossed the borders of the United States in order to adopt children from the former Soviet Union. They have opened their hearts and homes to show these children a better life and offer them an opportunity for a better future.

Be Proud Foundation organized an event in search of bone marrow for kids in need. One of the little girls that were part of the event has returned to school.

 

This year Be Proud Inc will be celebrating 7 th anniversary of "Yad B'Yad". Hebrew meaning, "hand in hand" is an attempt to meet some of the basic needs of Brooklyn's most distressed Jewish people: Holocaust Survivors, WWII Veterans, and lonely senior citizens during the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. This previous holiday we provided needy families with 100 baskets of wholesome Kosher Food.

 

Be Proud Inc will continue developing the old projects and start working on new ones. We will stay loyal to our moral values and will persist in promoting respect to all traditions and cultures of our dearly loved multiethnic country.