With the city’s $68.5 billion fiscal year 2013 passed, Central Brooklyn’s city council members brought home plenty of bacon to the non-profits and cultural institutions serving their communities.
Among the big winners was the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, which received a hefty $1 million in capital funds for renovations, in part to the Fulton Street corridor.
Additionally, the Bed-Stuy Restoration Corporation, through Councilman Al Vann’s office also received $27,750 for the Senior Ambassador Volunteer Initiative, which provides programming that protects seniors from social isolation. It also organizes and educates seniors on important issues affecting them. It will also be used to continue the Bed-Stuy Healthy Food Access Project.
Another big winner from the budget was the Fort Greene Association and its offshoot, the Fort Greene Senior Citizens Council that received a total of $134,000 through the office of Vann and fellow Council members Letitia James, Charles Barron, Jumaane Williams and Darlene Mealy.
Additionally, the Fort Greene Association’s Young Minds Day Care Center, which was slated to close during budget negotiations, ultimately got refunded through the final budget to the tune of $160,000.
The Police Athletic League Wynn Center on Gates Avenue, which serves many residents from the Armstrong Houses and was also slated for closure, got refunded to the tune of $200,000. Vann also included $10,000 from his office’s discretionary funds.
The Bridge Street Development Corporation received $10,000 through Vann’s office to support its senior services program area, which is centered on the Quincy Senior Residence. Activities include fitness classes, movie nights, holiday parties, computer literacy education, and more.
Vann’s office also allocated $5,000 to the Bed-Stuy YMCA for older adults and their continued participation in the Empire State Senior Games; $15,000 to the Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford-Stuyvesant for youth programming and $10,000 to Bed Stuy’s Project Re-Generation to support a teen job readiness program through its Foot Soldiers Services.
Vann, James and Williams and City Councilman Stephen Levin also gave allocations to The Brooklyn Steppers After-School Program toward their infamous drum line totaling $23,000.
Williams, who has been actively involved in stopping youth violence allocated $5,000 each to Connect, Inc. and Cool Culture, Inc. to create and sustain early intervention and violence prevention programs for youth in middle and high schools ages 12-21.
The Flatbush City Councilman also gave a $7,500 allocation to the Crown Heights Youth Collective, Inc. to provide mentoring and youth development
Barron’s office allocated $25.000 to East New York Kidspower, Inc. to be used for the youth football and cheer program, as well as after-school tutoring for the youth. The funds will be used for recreational events, travel expenses, transportation to and from games, uniforms and equipment, utilities and telephones to run the program.
Barron also allocated $72,500 to ManUp! Inc. to sustain programs such as after-school, summer camp, the Ready 4 Work job development center and Teen Center.
Additionally, Vann allocated $10,000 to the Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant History, and $29,714 to the Vannguard Urban Improvement Association, Inc. to assist youth, focusing on the provision of academic skills building and homework assistance during the school year and during the summer months.
For a complete list of the City Council allocations visit
http://council.nyc.gov