For the past two years, Dale Charles, executive director of the Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District (BID), has been at the helm of revitalizing the neighborhood with innovative events and festivities, including this month’s “Winter Wonderland on the Block” at Marcy Plaza.
The wonderland features dozens of local businesses from Fulton Avenue on a rotating basis throughout December. Charles has even donned a “Mrs. Claus” ensemble on her birthday this past weekend to hand out free toys to kids from an elaborate throne inside of a wooden workshop. She embraced every child who wandered in out of the cold with their parents and posed for pictures for hours on end. Afterward, she floated through the vendor booths with a jovial ease, ensuring everything was safe and secure for passersby, vendors, and customers alike.
“From Troy [Avenue] to Classon, we have over 400 businesses that we take care of. We find resources and we find help, especially now after COVID,” said Charles.
A Brooklyn native, Charles owned a nail salon in a storefront more than 20 years ago. She found that resources for her small business were always scarce and eventually had to move out because of high rents. After that, she went on to be Economic Development director of IMPACCT Brooklyn in 2001. She joined Bed-Stuy’s BID team in 2021.
RELATED: Bed-Stuy Gateway bid hosts winter wonderland
Charles is committed to seeing other small businesses thrive, she said.
This year, the BID partnered with Wells Fargo to surprise eight local small businesses with $5,000 grants, wrapped and distributed free toys, and covered costs for the Winter Wonderland decorations and set-up.
“This is not just for the children—it’s for the businesses,” said Charles. “Every day is a different vendor—that’s the nice part about this. And we literally give them back their money. They pay fees for the booth and once it’s all over with at the end, we give them back their funds. We’re not here to take. We’re here to give. Give support, give new resources for the holidays.”
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.