Not every community organization starts with a strategic plan and a board of directors. Sometimes it starts with three childhood friends who look around their neighborhood and decide they’re going to do something about what they see. That’s the story of Beautiful Heartbeats Inc., a Staten Island nonprofit that has been quietly building community from the ground up since 2021 — and earning recognition from elected officials and neighbors alike.
Three Friends, One Mission
Beautiful Heartbeats Inc. was founded by Shaquana Perry-Garcia (President), Miltonya DeJesus (Vice President), and Eboni Nichols (Creative Director) — three women who grew up together on Staten Island and brought that deep local knowledge and personal investment to the work of building a nonprofit.
Their guiding principle is simple and worth repeating: “As a community we all stand in greatness as one.” It’s a statement that reflects both humility and ambition — an acknowledgment that no one succeeds alone, and a commitment to the idea that the whole community rises when its members lift each other.
The organization has been operating since 2021, serving Staten Island residents through community events, outreach, and programs designed to connect neighbors who might not otherwise find each other. For a borough that is often described as New York City’s most disconnected — physically separated from the other four boroughs by a ferry crossing, frequently overlooked in city policy and media coverage — organizations like Beautiful Heartbeats fill a real gap.
Recognized by Those Who Know the Borough Best
Beautiful Heartbeats has earned recognition from State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who represents the 23rd Senate District, and from Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, whose district covers portions of the North Shore. Both elected officials have honored the organization for their community service — a recognition that carries weight when it comes from people whose job is to know what’s actually happening in the neighborhoods they represent.
The organization’s story was also covered by the Staten Island Advance in January 2026, which brought their work to a wider audience. For a small, grassroots nonprofit less than five years old, that kind of visibility matters — it helps them reach more residents who could benefit from their programs or who might want to get involved.
What Community-Led Work Looks Like
What makes organizations like Beautiful Heartbeats valuable isn’t just the specific programs they run — it’s the model they represent. When community members who know a place intimately, who grew up on its streets and went to its schools and understand its specific rhythms and needs, decide to organize around making it better, the results are often more durable and more trusted than programs designed from the outside.
On Staten Island, where community building often has to overcome the borough’s physical and psychological isolation from the rest of New York City, that kind of inside knowledge is especially valuable. Beautiful Heartbeats isn’t trying to replicate a Manhattan model or apply a Brooklyn playbook to the North Shore. They’re building something specific to where they are and who they know — and that specificity is a feature, not a limitation.
Staten Island’s Nonprofit Ecosystem
Beautiful Heartbeats is part of a broader Staten Island nonprofit landscape that often flies under the radar of city-wide coverage but is genuinely active and impactful. The Staten Island Foundation funds local nonprofits across a range of sectors including education, health, and arts. Nonprofit Staten Island (nonprofitstatenisland.org) serves as an umbrella resource and advocacy organization for the borough’s nonprofit sector. And the Community Health Center of Richmond provides primary care, maternal health, behavioral health, and dental services to underserved residents across the island.
Together, these organizations and dozens of smaller ones like Beautiful Heartbeats form the connective tissue of a borough that has historically had to fight harder than the other four to be seen and served by the city it belongs to.
Get Connected
If you want to connect with Beautiful Heartbeats Inc. — whether to learn about their programs, attend an event, volunteer, or support their work — the best starting point is through the offices of Councilmember Kamillah Hanks or Senator Scarcella-Spanton, both of which have featured the organization in their constituent outreach. You can also follow the organization on social media to find out about upcoming events.
For a broader look at what’s changing on Staten Island and the resources available to residents, our piece on Staten Island’s Climate Corps profiles another grassroots effort training the next generation of borough changemakers.
Staten Island has always had people who care deeply about where they live. Beautiful Heartbeats Inc. is proof that when those people find each other — even if they’ve known each other since childhood — they can build something real.
What You Need to Know
- Beautiful Heartbeats Inc. is a Staten Island nonprofit founded in 2021 by three childhood friends: Shaquana Perry-Garcia (President), Miltonya DeJesus (Vice President), and Eboni Nichols (Creative Director).
- Mission: “As a community we all stand in greatness as one.” — building connection and community support across Staten Island’s neighborhoods.
- Recognized by State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Councilmember Kamillah Hanks for community service.
- Part of a broader Staten Island nonprofit ecosystem that includes the Staten Island Foundation, Nonprofit Staten Island, and the Community Health Center of Richmond.
- To get involved: follow Beautiful Heartbeats on social media, or connect through the offices of your local elected officials who have featured their work.
