New York Sues Charity
“Nothing is more shameful than pocketing millions of dollars donated by good-hearted people who just wanted to help children afflicted with a terminal illness.”
These are the words of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office filed a petition in Kings County Supreme Court to shut down an organization dubbed the National Children’s Leukemia Foundation (NCLF) earlier this week.
Seeking to recover the full amount of all funds raised through fraudulent representations, evidence suggests the charity lied about how donations would be spent and instead used nearly every penny to enrich only a handful of employees. NCLF donors were hooked on the organization’s umbilical cord blood banking program, its cancer research center, and a patent application for a new lifesaving treatment for leukemia.
The petition claims none of these even exist.
The NCLF claim to run a service devoted to fulfilling the final wishes of children with terminal conditions, with very little money they raised going towards any such charitable programs, and the organization not sponsoring any Disney World trips in years. And while most donors understand that 100 percent of donations won’t go directly to the cause, such alleged abuse of strangers compassionate generosity is disturbing.
The organization has collected approximately $9.7 million from donors between April 2009 and March 2013. Of that money, 90 percent was brought in through professional fundraisers, who then kept $7.5 million as payment.
Of the $2 million that remained, $655,000 went towards alleged research at a shell organization in Israel run by NCLF founder Zvi Shor’s sister.
Shor paid himself around $600,000 in salary over the four years, plus another $600,000 in deferred compensation.
That leaves only $57,541–less than 1 percent of that $2 million–going towards direct cash assistance to leukemia patients.
New York law requires that the board of directions of a charitable organization be true overseers of the organization. The petition alleges that the “charity” was simply Shor operating the fraudulent organization from his Brooklyn basement, listing his son Shlomo Shor as a director and vice president, although the state said he just signed checks and filled in forms of his father’s direction. And the NCLF accountant allegedly filed audit reports with the Attorney General’s office, but did not conduct any audits, since the filings apparently misrepresented NCLF as having a board of more than a dozen directors as well as a separate medical advisory board.
The attorney general urges New Yorkers to continue in their generosity towards the neediest among us, but to be weary of who they are supporting.
The 4 best Community Gardens in the NY
Anyone living within New York City can join a garden. There are over 600 gardens across the five boroughs, here are Avraham Glattman’s top 4!
1. The Convent Garden
The Convent Garden is located at St. Nicholas Avenue and West 151st Street in Harlem (212-504-4115, nycgovparks.org).
Unlike Covent Garden, Convent Garden a century old park permanently located in Harlem, NY. The park is up kept by residents within the area . The beautifully kept park is in conjunction with the Convent Garden Community Association. The park is 0.13 acres of triangular space filled with harbors trees, flowers, comfortable seating, a fresh water fountain, and a gazebo. The aesthetic of the park provides a short period of rest for residents trying to escape the Sugar Hill neighborhood hustle.
2. Liz Christy Community Garden
The Liz Christy Garden is located at the corner of Bowery and Houston Streets in the East Village (lizchristygarden.us).
Liz Christy Community Garden distinctly differers from other community gardens being that it was founded by gardening activist Liz Christy in 1973. The one of a kind garden residing in lower Manhattan was officially approved for rental by the Office of Housing Preservation and Development the following year. Since then, the community has transformed this former empty lot into a vibrant green space. Potential gardeners can volunteer their time to earn a garden key.
3. Creative Little Garden
Creative Little Garden is located at 530 East 6th Street between Avenues A and B in the East Village (creativelittlegarden.com).
Sitting in the East Village, the Creative Little Garden hides in a tiny little Nook on 6th street. The park is maintained by volunteers from around the neighborhood. The work of the volunteers paid off delightfully being that the park is filled with flowers, trees and bushes accompanied by benches, potted plants, sculptures, fountains, birdbaths, a waterfall and a bird-chip path. The Creative Little Garden continues to provide birds with little homes once the season permits.
4. Hands and Heart Garden
Hands and Heart Garden is located at 293 New Lots Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn (grownyc.org).
In 2006, food justice group East New York Farms established a community garden in an old abandoned lot, gathering nearly three dozen gardeners from all over the area. The garden’s got an eclectic batch of crops, including West Indian, West African and Southern vegetables that then get sold at local farmers markets. The gardeners also received composting stations, a water collection system various programming aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture.
Source: http://gothamist.com/2015/05/21/best_gardens_nyc.php
Rooftop Summers in New York City!
Alma
Alma is a stylish Mexican restaurant in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The menu includes a range of chilaquiles and tacos paired with spicy guacamole. The rooftop is open all summer providing a lovely view of the Brooklyn piers and Manhattan skyline.
Berry Park
A Williamsburg beer garden on a roof! The hall is over 3,000 sq. ft. followed by two staircases leading to a huge beer only bar. The rooftop provides you with an unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline, not to mention the beautiful sunset you might catch every now and then.
Night of Joy
Known for its romantic ambiance, Knight of Joy is another rooftop housed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Similar to its sister-bar in Greenwich Village, the Dove Parlor, the design is filled with a “visit to grandmothers” feel and a cosy rooftop. Although the view does not provide a painted picture of the Manhattan skyline, the ambiance makes Night of Joy a cosy rooftop worth visiting.
The Delancey
The Delancey rooftop is a three level playground. The Delancey actually brings south beach to the lower east side, like actually! Take a trip to the third floor and you’re automatically greeted by palm trees, benches and fountains. The open rooftop allows you to take yourself out of the hustle of NYC and relax as if you were on the beach of florida!
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/best-rooftop-bars-new-york_n_1560411.html
About Avraham Glattman
Avraham Glattman is the owner of First American Properties Group, a real estate business based in New York City, New York.
Avraham brings over 26 years of experience working as a real estate agent in the city, where he continues to work today. He graduated from Newport University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management and remained at the university to attain his Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.). After graduation, he jumped straight into the real estate field in 1992 in the greater New York City area. Throughout his career, Avraham has explored listings across the New York area, keeping a detailed account of the locations, pricing and comparable properties in the housing market.
After gaining a wealth of knowledge about the real estate marketing in New York, Avraham Glattman decided to take it a step further by creating First American Properties Group with his longtime business partner, Pete Jacov in 2008. First American Properties is a real estate and development company that services the five boroughs of New York. The company currently owns residential and commercial properties in Queens, Downtown Brooklyn, Harlem, and Manhattan. The company focuses on monitoring the growth and development in different areas of the city, so they can work to establish more patterns of growth and help revitalize the area.
While monitoring the different areas of New York City, Avraham Glattman consistently keeps an eye out on up-and-coming neighborhoods that he could potentially invest in. For example, after seeing Harlem, Avraham was immediately impressed by the neighborhood’s charm, leading him to invest in properties in the area. With a convenient location next to the subway and charming business like music venues in the area, it was not hard to see what attracted Avraham to the area.
Today, Avraham Glattman continues to find new investments with First American Properties Group, alongside his business partner, Pete Jacov. Together, they are working towards the goals that they set for First American Properties Group. The goals include acquiring property in the Harlem area to renovate and sell, as well as acquiring properties in all five boroughs.
Avraham Glattman is also the proud owner of 1927 Café Bar Popularr. Located in Harlem, the café serves a variety of open-faced Mediterranean sandwiches, called ‘Toastics’, and many types of coffee. Café Bar Popularr is proud of the rich artistic traditions of Harlem, and invites local musicians, authors, and comedians to visit and share their talents with friends.
Avraham was born and raised in Israel, where he went graduated high school. Not long after, he served in the Israeli army for three years, before he was sent to the United States to work with an Israeli newspaper in Brooklyn, NY. Not long after making the move to New York, Avraham met the woman that would become his wife in 1991. Together, they have three children.
In his spare time, Avraham Glattman enjoys spending his time with his wife and three children and loves to explore new parts of New York City. Avraham’s incredible dedication to both his work and family brings him immense happiness and purpose each day.
To learn more about who Avraham Glattman is, visit AvrahamGlattmanNewYork.com.
