________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD
Your Home is Your Sanctu ary.
Don’t Let High Ta Chase You Away!xes
Warming up a coat drive
lights, laughs, and a show
Page 10
Page16
Vol. 28 No. 3
JANUARY 15 - 21, 2026
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Elmont group gives back to Nigeria o f t h e vo l u n t e e r s l at e r described the experience as heartfelt as they watched pure Giving Back to Community joy fill the children’s faces. “Everyone is always so Corporation, an Elmont-based nonprofit founded by Emilian grateful and so excited, espeEmeagwali, recently ventured cially the kids,” Buchi, 25, who on a three-week charitable mis- has visited Nigeria a total of five times, twice as sion to help donate a volunteer, said. to schoolchildren in “This is something Nigeria. The group that my mom has left on Dec. 13th and loved and has stayed there shortly dreamed of doing after the New Year, for so long, and so making their jourto see the process, ney back home on you know, get more Jan. 4th. organized and have During the trip, like a more stream10 other volunteers lined effect on the from the organizacommunity.” tion were part of The group spent the group, includ- BUcHI the first two days in i n g E m e a g w a l i ’s EMEAgWAlI Nigeria’s capital, daughter, Nneka, Emilian Emeagwali’s Abuja, before they a n d t h r e e s o n s, ventured south to Olisa, Buchi and son Onitsha, EmeagwaChuka. The nonprofit’s efforts have deeply li’s hometown, where they disimpacted communities in Nige- tributed toys and supplies to ria and transformed the lives the children. They spent their last few of volunteers and those they days of the trip in Lagos, as have helped. Books, cookies and juice well as other parts of Nigeria. Chuka, 32, has traveled to boxes were distributed to children at Ogboli Primary School Nigeria six times, but the most in Onitsha, a city on the east- recent journey marked his first ern bank of the Niger River, in time traveling with the organiAnambra State, Nigeria. Many Continued on page 3
By HAIlEY FUlMER
hfulmer@liherald.com
E
Melissa Baptiste/Herald
Small hearts, large lessons The nonprofit Howie’s Heart honors the legacy of Howie Conklin, of Franklin Square who dedicated his life to offering acts of kindness wherever he went. His daughter Jennifer Camacho and her 2 siblings created the foundation in Feb. of 2024. They hosted a Teddy Bear Tea Party at Franklin Square Library on Jan. 4, at which children learned lessons of kindness and thoughtfulness, and those who were particularly good-hearted, like 6-year-old Olivia, were rewarded with heart-shaped balloons. Story, more photos, Page 7. Courtesy Christine Amante
veryone is always so grateful and so excited, especially the kids.