Taking the Time to Give, Deborah Koenigsberger’s Heart of Gold

Deborah Koenisgberger, owner of a fashion-forward boutique, founded Hearts of Gold to help homeless mothers and their children become self-sufficient. She inspires others to give more and encourages successful businesspeople to be philanthropic.

Deborah Koenigsberger with the summer camp kids of Hearts of Gold at the Thrifty HoG store in the Flatiron District of Manhattan on July 24, 2015. Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times

NEW YORK—A tall, slender woman, with an inviting dignity about her, and the most radiant smile on earth, hugged children as they trickled into her fashion-forward boutique by Madison Square Park, Noir et Blanc, at around 10:30 on a sunny morning.

“You can give love and there will always be more. It’s a barrel that never gets empty,” Deborah Koenigsberger said beaming.

She told the children to gather at The Thrifty HoG next door so that they could get ready for their summer camp activity that day. They were going to have a fun day at the beach on Coney Island. On other days they have visited museums, universities like Yale, or cities like Philadelphia where they learned about the Liberty Bell; they write essays and get extra tutoring after school.

Deborah Koenigsberger (back, 3rd R) with the STEP summer camp kids of Hearts of Gold in front of The Thrifty HoG store in the NoMad neighborhood of New York on July 24, 2015. Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times