Obocho Peters, a 10-year-old budding entrepreneur from East Flatbush, was honored on Wednesday as one of four "Brooklyn Heroes of the Month" by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
Peters was recognized for his online thrift store, "I Am Obocho," that sells children's clothing to low-income parents "to help families save money for their children's college fund by spending less on clothes and shoes."
He founded the store in April 2018, after realizing that his mother couldn't afford to buy him new toys. So he suggested selling the clothes and shoes that he was no longer wearing to raise the funds for the toys he wanted. And Peters knew that he and his mom were not alone, which inspired him to launch his online thrift store.
"If it's a challenge for my mom to pay the rent, take care of me and of herself at the same time, I know it's a challenge for other families, too," he said.
Peters asked his mother to build him a website for his store and took small business classes at CAMBA to help him gain business expertise. Initially, he was afraid that he wouldn't get support from his East Flatbush community because of his young age. But the team at a local discount store Bargain Land took him under their wing and helped him in developing two store ads, his first commercial and sponsored a meet-and-greet with local stakeholders to present his vision to the community.
Since then, Peters has also launched a fundraising campaign to raise capital for a brick-and-mortar shop named "Obocho's Closet" in the near future.
"So many families want to shop in my store, but I have no location for them to come to," Peters wrote on his GoFundMe page.
In addition to Peters, BP Adams also honored three other members of the Brooklyn community for their selfless and courageous acts. Subway conductor Hopeton Kiffin, who rescued a 13-year old autistic boy who was wandering on the tracks, was named April's Hero of the Month, and Jacob Abraham and State Trooper Joshua Kaye, who saved a 79-year old man who was about to jump off the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, were honored as March's Heroes.
"Our Heroes of the Month showcase the best our borough and our city has to offer," said Adams. "These individuals stepped up when their community needed them most, setting an example for their peers while never seeking credit for their contributions. We are proud to have them representing Brooklyn and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future."
