The Park Slope Civic Council has identified and honored an organization and an individual for outstanding service to the community each year since 1979. The awards are named for George Lovgren, the Park Slope activist who in the 1960s worked tirelessly to save the Union Street Firehouse from closure.
This year’s Lovgren Awards were presented at the Council’s year end meeting on Friday, June 4th. The Award for Community Service by a Professional was presented to the Brooklyn Relief Kitchen (BRK) and accepted by Kent Adams, Deacon at Old First Reformed Church. The Award for Community Service by an individual was awarded to Park Slope neighbor, Burnley Duke Dame.
The Brooklyn Relief Kitchen (BRK), located in the Old First Reformed Church on Carroll Street and 7th Avenue, was initially organized by Andy and Piper Wandzilak to help people facing hunger as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Now their commitment is to help those suffering food insecurities because of the COVID pandemic.
Food is prepared by volunteers at Old First and then distributed by Brooklyn Relief Kitchen partners such as CHIPS, Worker’s Justice Project, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Camp Friendship, Heights and Hills, and the Caribbean Women’s Health Association.
A leader of her Block Association and former Editor of the Park Slope Civic Council Civic News, Burnley Duke Dame has received this year’s Lovgren award to an Individual for outstanding volunteer service to the Park Slope community and to the Civic Council. Council Trustee, Candace Woodward, accepted the award for Burnley at the Council’s June meeting.
For several years, Burnley has volunteered her design services in support of many Civic Council community initiatives including the design of the highly effective No Flyers sign seen throughout Park Slope; posters for the Fall and Spring Civic Sweeps; the design, coordination and installation of the Annual Historic House Tour street banners; and the design of the House Tour ticket and signage for House Tour shuttle buses and bus stops. Burnley has also served as a volunteer for the House Tour and the Civic Sweep, and writes house descriptions for the House Tour brochure.