On October 30, St. Nicks Alliance will celebrate their 49th anniversary at the Brooklyn Winery (61 Guernsey) from 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m. This year the organization’s benefit and celebration will honor Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Dime Community Bank.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is Brooklyn born and grew formative roots in Williamsburg. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell in 1992 and directly went to Michigan Law (University of Michigan Law School) where he received his J.D. degree in 1995.
He returned to Brooklyn after graduating law school and became assistant district attorney for the borough. Throughout the years, Gonzalez’s tenacity and achievements garnered him leadership roles, and he became so valued that Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson appointed him chief assistant district attorney in October 2014. Two years later, Gonzalez would become acting district attorney when Thompson sought cancer treatment. Thompson died shortly afterward.
Gonzalez remained acting Brooklyn district attorney until he was elected to the office in November of 2017. This made him New York’s first Latino district attorney. He was reelected in 2021 to another four-year term.
During his tenure, crime in Brooklyn reached record lows. This was a particular distinction during COVID-19 as much of the nation saw violent crime rise in this period. Gonzalez launched a comprehensive anti-violence strategy that utilized: specially trained experts, new technologies, and intelligence to focus enforcement efforts on those drivers of crime that were responsible for a disproportionate share of violence. Brooklyn saw a significant reduction in shootings and homicides in 2021 and progress continues to be made.
Gonzalez has also participated in several North Brooklyn March[es] Against Gun Violence and community organized efforts to reduce street violence and crime.
Dime Community Bank
Dime Community Bank first partnered with St. Nicks Alliance in 2016 to become the title sponsor of the Dime McCarren 5k. This 5K community run was started by St. Nicks Alliance in 2012 as a fundraiser for summer camp. Dime has remained the title sponsor ever since and the run has continued to gain in popularity and support for St. Nicks Alliance’s services.
Dime Community Bank has a long history of supporting community. Hop in a time machine and travel back to Williamsburg in the mid-1800s. This neighborhood along the East River is a growing hub of industry. Immigrants are moving into the area to work industrial jobs. Banks begin to appear to serve the workers and advised “that even the smallest deposit, a dime a day for example, could accrue substantial interest over time and ensure a more secure financial future.”
Thus in 1864 Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh was born. This bank was established by residents of the area “composed of immigrants, shop and business owners, lawyers, and doctors”. This bank’s first headquarters was located on Wythe Avenue and Broadway in 1873; prior to this it repeatedly had to relocate to serve its growing number of clients. When the Williamsburg Bridge opened in 1903, the population surge that started with the bridge’s construction and continued after it opened shifted the the neighborhood’s residential center. In 1908, Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh chose to move their headquarters near this bridge’s plaza at the corner of Havemeyer Street and South 5th Street. This site remained Dime’s headquarters until January 2017 when it relocated to 300 Cadman Plaza. The Havemeyer Street HQ was landmarked in 2018 and is now part of a 22-story mixed-use development called The Dime.
In 2016, Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh renamed itself Dime Community Bank because community has been part of its business model from the start and the bank was expanding into other areas outside of Williamsburg. Leadership reassured the Williamsburg community that it would keep a foothold in the community of the bank’s origin.
Dime is known in the community as a financial institution that cares; whether it’s supporting the Dime McCarren 5k or volunteering their time to educate the neighborhoods about financial empowerment, steps to buy a home, or how to start up a business. Dime is here as they have been for over 160 years.
To donate to or purchase tickets for the St. Nicks Alliance 49th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Benefit visit: https://stnicksalliance.networkforgood.com/events/74415-st-nicks-alliance-benefit-and-49th-annversary-celebration
The Greenline 