Fresh Air Fund Fund-Raiser

It's a worthy cause (and timely, considering summer is now upon us!). Right now there is a matching donation gift going on ($10=$20, and so on). Even a minor donation goes a ways to helping a kid get a couple of weeks out of the City. And c'mon, don't we all need a week or two out of the City during the summer?

Check out the website for more information on how to give.

Got Games?

The Center for Family Life is starting up its summer Neighborhood Center at PS 1 on July 7th, and they'd love to help you clean out your space. If you have age-appropriate board games for ages 8 through 16, bring them on over to 345 43rd Street. They'll get good use, and you'll stop pretending you're going to invite buddies over to have a "game night" with pizza and beer. (It sounds like so much fun, and yet it never seems to materialize.)

I'm sure that games like Dominoes, Go Fish, Boggle, and Uno are also welcome. Does anyone have a Don't Break the Ice? Or Rock 'Em Sock 'Em? They were always good for getting out some aggression.

from Pamela Mendelsohn, a program supervisor at the Center for Family Life:

Seeking Gently-Used Board Games

We are seeking donations of gently used board games for ages 8-teen for the Center for Family Life Neighborhood Center program at PS1, which is a sports, art and recreation program for youth 8-16 years old, open to the community.

If you have games that you or your children have out-grown, we would love to take them off your hands and put them to great use. If you would like to donate some games, please bring them to the Center for Family Life, 345 43^rd Street, Mon-Fri 8am-10pm or Sat 9am-5pm.

We welcome you and your children to join us this summer at PS1 Neighborhood Center in the school yard on 47^th Street for some games and activities. Starting July 7th, we are open Monday-Friday 1-7pm.

Food Pantries Still Have Lots of Clients

Since it seems that it's truly spring (or early summer) now, perhaps some of you are cleaning out the corners of your homes and cupboards. Around the winter holidays, food pantries get a lot of attention, but the needs remain very similar all year round. If you do happen to find an extra jar of peanut butter, some cans of beans, cereal, pasta, and so on...consider dropping it off at one of the food pantries near you. I know, it may feel silly to walk in with two cans of black beans and a box of rice, but if a bunch of people do that - not so silly. Get a box from the people who just moved in up the block and fill it up with your friends' stuff. ;)

The line for a Thursday afternoon food pantry on 4th Avenue between 46th and 47th Street is always around the corner even before the 4:30 PM start time. See previous posts about food pantries in our area here, and check out below for suggestions of where to drop off food stuffs. (CFL will take household items, but I don't believe they still take clothes.)

Food Bank NYC has a search engine you can use to find food services near you.

The Center for Family Life accepts food for its food pantry located at 5505 4th Avenue. (The pantry is open from 10 AM to 3 PM, so before or after that is best.

The Salvation Army, at 520 50th Street also provides food to those in need.

Another local food pantry is at Trinity Lutheran Church. The office is at 411 46th Street (corner of 4th Avenue). Trinity accepts donations of non-perishable foods Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Iglesia Luz del Mundo at 4616 4th Avenue accepts food, but I'm not sure of hours. I haven't been able to contact anyone. Perhaps you'll have better luck: Hilda Lopez at 347-583-4292.

MLK Service Day: Canned Food Drive to Benefit Center for Family Life

In commemoration of the call to service in honor of Dr. King's Federal Holiday, the Sunset Park Parents group is holding a Canned Food Drive to benefit the Food Pantry at the Center for Family Life. Today!

From Noon to 2 PM (maybe later), stop by the Sunset Park Recreation Center to drop off non-perishable items.

This is a small operation, so don't look for balloons and bake sales. Chances are it will be a person or two with boxes/bags to haul away the items. There will most likely be a sign and a child or two hanging around as well.

Suggested items include: Rice, pasta, tuna fish, beans (dry or canned), sauces, baby formula, canned vegetables and fruits, cereals, oatmeal, peanut butter (although maybe now isn't the best time...).

Enjoy your day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Giving Food (or cash) to Give Thanks

The CB7 Food Drive ended yesterday (although they will accept donations until 2 PM today), and the drive collected about three boxes of food. I'm sure it would have been more if life and activities and the business of the ever-approaching holidays weren't tugging at the minutes and hours of our days. When I dropped stuff off, there wasn't even one box full, so I was glad to hear that three boxes had been filled.

The Center for Family Life will be receiving the CB7 boxes of food for its food pantry located at 5505 4th Avenue. The Salvation Army, at 520 50th Street also provides food to those in need.

Another local food pantry is at Trinity Lutheran Church. The office is at 411 46th Street (corner of 4th Avenue). Trinity accepts donations of non-perishable foods Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Those of us who are not in line for food should feel thankful. I propose we show our thanks by sharing what we have. It sounds goofy and preachy, I know. And I'm preaching to myself as much as to anyone else. But passing by that line of people waiting for food outside Methodist Episcopal/Iglesia Luz del Mundo on 4th and 47th is deeply humbling, especially as a parent. They distribute food on Thursdays from 4:30 PM - 6 PM (or 5:30-7, depending on who is giving information), and there has been a block-long line before 4 PM for many Thursdays.

If you are able to give something during these queasy economic times, please do. Buy two boxes of pasta on sale and give one of them. Pick up a few cans of tuna or a few jars of tomato sauce to donate. How about black beans or baked beans? A bag of rice or some canned fruit? The next time you order in or go out to eat, spend that much on non-perishables to bring over to one of the above locations. Relatively painless to you, helpful to them. Unfortunately, I think the heightened need will be there for a long, long time.

You can search for pantries close to you for donations or receiving help here. The Food Bank of NYC is a great place to make a cash donation as well.

Here are some links to articles/posts about food pantries around Brooklyn and NYC:

Today's Daily News

NewYorkShitty's Great Post about the Soup Kitchen at the Greenpoint Reformed Church

from June Crain's NY Business

NYTimes Articles:

The Executive Director of the NYC Coalition Against Hunger Answers Questions

Pantries and Kitchens are Struggling - this was from a year ago!

Where to Donate Clothing in Sunset Park

This question occasionally crops up on local listserves and information boards. So, if you're not up for a stoop sale, if you don't want the front of your building/stoop to display your past wardrobe, and if you have a clothing in good condition that just doesn't fit or doesn't display your inner self anymore, what do you do?

ChiPs is a popular option, but it's far away. Those bins around Brooklyn always seem a little...I don't know...violated. The Salvation Army can work, but sometimes it seems like the donated bag(s) gets tossed into a molding, steaming corner of oblivion. Well, there is another option.

*** Update ***
The CFL apparently had a problem with a donation that brought bed bugs with it, so they stopped accepting clothing. Call them to see if the clothing ban is still in effect. They are definitely accepting food donations to the pantry!

Another place to consider is the Center for Family Life Thrift Store, here in Sunset Park at 5505 4th Avenue. The Thrift Store is part of the Center's community service program. I encourage you to consider placing your donation there--but definitely call ahead for the hours! The number is (718) 492 3585. Please note that even though it's a thrift store, families in need can and do receive items for free.

from the website:

Community Service Programs

The mission of the Community Service Program is to address the urgent needs of residents in Sunset Park who are experiencing an acute crisis. The Community Service Program acts as both a resource and a gateway to help enhance individual functioning, family stability and community building in Sunset Park. Access to all service components is open and eligibility determinations are minimal.

The Community Service Program is an informal, accessible point of entry into the Center for Family Life's comprehensive service system. As such, it provides a valuable first point of contact for many neighborhood residents who ultimately may choose to engage in other more “high intensity” services.

The Community Service Program provides a variety of integrated services and activities that are available to the community daily, year round and at no charge. Five primary services have been developed in direct response to the needs of the community:

1. Thrift Shop: Provides families in need with used clothing, household items and furniture at no cost. Also sells merchandise at very low cost to the general population in Sunset Park.
2. Food Pantry: Distributes emergency 3-day supplies of groceries to individuals and families in order to help them through a time of crisis. This program receives referrals from more than 20 neighborhood churches and human service organizations, as well as from community members themselves.
3. Advocacy Clinic: Assists Sunset Park residents through the use of numerous supports, such as benefits counseling, translation services and referrals. Helps individuals and families access and use government services and resolve matters related to healthcare, housing, utilities, tax credits and immigration. The Clinic is also a registration location for the Fresh Air Fund.
4. “Single Stop”: Hosting multiple services which can be accessed in one location for customer convenience, Single Stop provides a familiar and comfortable environment where clients can receive professional consultation and support to address financial, legal and personal issues that they face, all at no cost.
5. EITC Tax Filing: Provides free tax filing assistance to families with dependent children with incomes less than $40,000 per year, or individuals with incomes less than $20,000 per year, as well as back filing for Earned Income Tax Credit for families who were eligible for the benefit and did not file previously.

Community Service Program
5505 Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(718) 492-3585