BK Reader

Volunteers at the Muslim American Society in Bath Beach passed out dozens of meals for community members breaking fast during Ramadan on a recent Sunday evening. "We fast from sunrise to sunset, Iftar is the sunset meal where we come to break our fast," said Hannah Towfiek the political director at MAS, a community center that provides?civic and religious programming. "Every Sunday for the month of Ramadan we all come together as volunteers at 4:00pm?and as you see in the back of us we're packing up food to go." Iftar On The Go is a program organized by Islamic Relief USA, which partners with MAS and the city Comptroller's office to reach people in need during Ramadan. https://lnkd.in/ej5SDs3N

As the shopping habits of consumers have?evolved, one Bay Ridge business group sought to keep up with the times. Noticing the challenges many of the businesses along?5th Avenue were facing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the?Bay Ridge 5th Avenue Business Improvement District created its very own shopping app. "As consumer habits evolve, we saw an opportunity to create a digital platform that promotes businesses, events and special offers while making it easier for residents and visitors to engage with the vibrant 5th Avenue corridor,"?said Elizabeth Lovejoy, the executive director of the BID. Launched earlier this month, the?app offers more than just a directory to the avenue's restaurants, medical offices, coffee shops, community organizations and retail stores between 65th and 85th Streets. It also has a section for events happening on 5th Avenue, along with traffic reports, weather and even community news. https://lnkd.in/eamBNQNR

The Center for Black Literature announces the return of the annual National Black Writers Conference, taking place March 27 - March 29, 2025, at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights. This year the conference will?celebrate?Black Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) literature, a genre that has flourished over the last two decades. These works are celebrated for their transformative power in cultivating critical reading and writing habits across generations, affirming self-esteem, literacy, identity and the significance of Black authors in shaping diverse literary landscapes. The symposium will also honor the unparalleled contributions of literary titans Tony Medina and Rita Williams-Garcia. The 2025 Symposium also marks a new chapter for the Center for Black Literature with the appointment of Donna Hill, a bestselling author, professor at Medgar Evers College, and literary advocate, as the new executive director. https://lnkd.in/eQZZm7aq

After celebrating alongside New Yorkers during the city’s annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday talked about the city's job report, mental health initiatives, his personal relationship with a leading Brooklyn Democrat and other issues during his weekly press conference. Adams said revised data from the Department of Labor?indicated that there were now over 4.8 million jobs across the city, a record high, which also coincided?with a decrease in the unemployment rate in?Black and Hispanic communities. "I mean, young people, families, job seekers, all want to be here in New York," Adams said, adding that 4.2 million jobs were in the private sector. "We're?one of the top destinations for college?grads?with our tech industry that?we're?growing here, and?we're?going to continue to do that." https://lnkd.in/eur_MxcV

If there was a phrase that captures Khari Edwards' approach to leadership and public service, it would be "to be seen, to be believed." The lifelong Brookynite, who has worked in the healthcare and nonprofit sector for?25 years, says it is important to directly engage with people to build community. "My track record as a community person shows that," Edwards said. "When I went to [Brookdale University] Hospital, I had 4,100 employees. When I left service there, I knew 1,800 by name because when people see you and shake your hand, that means something. I want everyone– everyone to know my name, I want everybody to know my office's name." Edwards, the son of immigrant parents from?Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago,?is running for Borough President again for the second time.?He first ran in 2021 and came in fourth during the Democratic primaries. Edwards said Brooklyn needs a change, and Borough Hall needs to expand its reach further out in Kings County. #bkreader #bkreadernews #brooklynboroughpresidentcandidates #khariedwards

Community-led efforts to curb gun violence in New York City have shown significant success, with a new report from Comptroller Brad Lander revealing that the city's Crisis Management System (CMS) and its Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs have reduced shootings by 21% in areas where they operate. The report, released on Monday, estimates that these efforts have helped prevent 1,567 shootings between 2012 and 2024, according to a press release. The report, The Cure for Crisis, highlights the impact of CMS, while also pointing to major operational challenges that limit its effectiveness. These include inadequate coordination, delays in funding and the absence of a centralized system for tracking data and outcomes. #nycnews #bkreader #bkreadernews #nyccomptrollerbradlander #nycviolenceinterventionprograms

Tensions were high at a Thursday community board meeting in Marine Park, as residents voiced their concerns about a?battery storage facility that is planned to be built in the neighborhood. NineDot?Energy, an energy storage company that currently operates a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the Bronx,?plans for a new?facility at 2138-52 Flatbush Ave.?in Marine Park. The proposed BESS, or a?rechargeable battery system that stores energy from the grid to distribute at a later time, would be a 14-megawatt system built with Tesla Megapacks.?Sam Brill, the vice president of Strategic Development at NineDot, said the facility is “a critical pathway to getting off fossil fuels.” NineDot is building a BESS in Marine Park because it was identified by ConEdison?as an area that suffers from brownouts and blackouts, Brill said.?The facility would also have solar panels, which would power it in part.

A new clinic specializing in menopause has opened at Maimonides Medical Center, marking the first hospital-affiliated hub for midlife care for women in Brooklyn. Situated at 4813 9th Ave., the Menopause Center?in Borough Park offers care from providers specialized in menopause, along with a range of medical professionals from other departments, including behavioral?clinicians and pelvic-floor experts. It was?established to fill a critical gap in women’s health services in the borough, hospital officials said. “We have providers who are certified by the Menopause Society and have specialized training in menopause care,” said Sarah Zuercher, a certified nurse practitioner and director of Clinical Programs at Maimonides OBGYN/Women's Health. “We’re also co-located with specialists such as urogynecologists and gynecologists who focus on conditions like abnormal bleeding, endometriosis and fibroids."

Our Temenos, a landscape design company in Bedford Stuyvesant, is building the next generation of urban green stewards with its horticulture?internship?and apprenticeship program. Run by Rosemarie Miner, the founding principal of Our Temenos, the internship gathers?five to seven?people in each cohort session. Working on collaboration with?Commonpoint, a Queens-based non-profit,?the company and works on projects with various city organizations, including the New York Public Library. ? “Our vision is that eventually public space would actually be stored in a way that's, like, ecologically functional and appropriate,” said Miner. The worker-owned practice has dedicated itself to safe ecological standards for seven years. Over 250 hours per session,?the interns learn hands-on skills, such as masonry,?horticulture and other relevant skills to succeed in a?landscaping career. The internship also provides a space for interns to develop their interpersonal skills and work etiquette. https://lnkd.in/eRdbZmbm

A new Greek restaurant?is delighting diners with their vibrant mezze-style dinner, elevating the tastes of the Greek islands in Greenpoint.?Nerina, a new restaurant at 35 Commercial St.,?is the second restaurant owned by Christos Gourmos and Spiro Menegatos, who also operate?Nerai in Midtown Manhattan. The duo decided to bring authentic flavors to a residential?neighborhood?and were surprised by the lack of Greek offerings in the area. “We wanted to expand into a neighborhood area, because we felt it would offset the different kind of peak times that we experienced in Midtown,” Menegatos told BK Reader. “We wanted to go to a neighborhood. You know, Greenpoint, obviously, is a really thriving neighborhood in the tri-state area…Greenpoint made a lot of sense.” The restaurant attracts local families, which makes the environment a lot more laid back than their Midtown location, said Menegatos.?Nerina, which comes from the?Greek word neros, meaning sea, offers several seafood delights including striped bass crudo and lobster orzo. https://lnkd.in/eKNPRaUQ