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Army Vet Supports Community While Overseas


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Community leaders often wear many hats, and that’s no different for MakeMyMotherProud founder and Child Center of NY Redfern Cornerstone director Lakia Echols. Last Friday, Echols was deployed to Kuwait with the United States Army to help out on a special mission. While away she plans to continue her work in the community and apply the skills she learns helping kids overseas to helping kids in her neighborhood.

On her first mission for the U.S. Army, Echols was sent to rescue children and assist with community development. When she returned, three shootings occurred in her area within weeks of each other, and she has been trying to rescue the people in her community ever since. Echols spends so much time focused on her many projects that it can take away from her essential metime. As a result, some things can fall by the wayside. She hopes the time away will help her to refocus on both herself and her bevy of responsibilities.

“I don’t want people to think that since I left Redfern is going to fall apart,” said Echols. “If things are going good when I come home then that means it’s my time to move on to other areas in need.”

Over the summer, MMMP will be offering tutoring classes to prepare students for the upcoming school year. The idea for the program came after discovering that Rockaway’s students are among some of the most underprepared students in the city, something the program aims to change.

Echols will be away for over 12 months but will still be reachable through the MMMP Facebook and Instagram pages. Upon her return, she hopes to start a 501c3 non-profit organization that will help provide much-needed services to the people of the Rockaways. She also has plans to start the Manny Fiallo Foundation in honor of her late friend and fellow community leader. According to Echols, Fiallo was the main person to encourage her and get her started in local activism.

Next fall Echols plans to start an annual “I Love My Rock” awards ceremony, where members of the community can vote for their favorite establishments on the peninsula. The goal is to encourage businesses who don’t typically give back to the community to do so. Winners will be awarded with a plaque to display in their stores, showing the community’s favor for them.

On July 20, MMMP host an all-girls jump rope challenge at Bayswater Park. In addition, the annual Christmas parade throughout Rockaway will take place on December 21. For more details on upcoming events and programs, visit MakeMyMotherProud on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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