This was our third time joining the residents of the Cobble Hill Community. We worked together making paper flower bouquets for the residents to bring some spring cheer into their rooms.
It’s not easy making friends with someone new, but our kids, and grown ups did a fabulous job breaking the ice. Very soon everyone was sharing stories and laughs. Thanks so much to everyone who came out.
The weekend after Thanksgiving a small group of us got together to pack bags of essential items for homeless men women and children. We gathered in the offices of the Carroll Gardens Association, a group dedicated to social justice and housing equality. Our members brought in items to donate like toothbrushes, soap, socks, etc. We decorated bags and packed them with various items. Later the bags were dropped off at Friends Church where they would be distributed later at their monthly community dinner.
While we were packing we heard from Tatiana of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. She has been working with some families navigating the family separation policy and helping people get back on their feet. We learned about a mother and son living in our community that had a heartbreaking story and needed support. An amazing thing happened. From the small group of people attending we were able to help this family find a complimentary spanish speaking doctor and mental health professional, a brand new wardrobe for both and a generous financial sponsor. It is really incredible what can be achieved when we put our heads together.
Thank you so much our powerful compassionate community.
We joined together with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Hand in Hand to rally on a National Day of Action for Families Belong Together.
Families, nannies, grandparents and teachers met at Foley Square where the kids had a mock trial finding ICE guilty of misconduct. We then had a stroller parade around 26 Federal Plaza blowing bubbles, singing songs and reminding the community how children should be treated.
Some of our participants got on various tv news channels and online news sites, we are so appreciative of all your support
We returned to Bushwick City Farm, an amazing volunteer run community farm and green space that gives the food and fresh eggs to the community.
It had snowed a few days earlier, but the weather this Saturday was perfect. The kids loved digging out and hauling dirt and wood from an old vegetable bed. We turned the compost, mulched and gave water to the chickens and ducks.
When we were done all our hard work we had a bonfire and made smores!
In Celebration of upcoming Valentines Day, we went to spread some love at the Cobble Hill Health Center. It was a skeleton crew due to cold/flu season, but we showed up with lots of enthusiasm to work along with residents making flower bouquets for. Thank you to Bloom Again Brooklyn for donating the flowers.
Looking at the glow on the faces of our volunteers, I can very honestly say that we reeived far more than we gave that day. Our members heard amazing stories and learned of incredibale talents from the residents. The paintings shown above were painted by an artist who uses his mouth to hold the brush.
Thank you so much to all who came, and thank you to Cole for serenading everyone with music!
We partnered with Brooklyn Community Services, a 150+ year old organization that helps underpriveledged children and adults with mental and intellectual disabilities throughout Brooklyn. Our generous Open Heart Community supplies gifts for many of the children enrolled in their afterschool programs.
We got together at Tottown, where Nobella generously donated the use of her space. Everyone channeled their inner artist, shared some laughs, and worked together to create beautiful wrapping paper, and then we wrapped and labeled all the gifts.
The next day they were delivered to the amazing, hard working team at BCS.
Thank you everyone who donated gifts and everyone who came to wrap them.
We joined the Brooklyn Friends Community Church in Brooklyn Heights to help out at their monthly community dinner. They serve dinner to aprox 80-100 in need adults and children the last Sunday of every month. It was such a pleasure to work with them and see the tremendous job they do.
Before our guests arrived we prepared cookies, sliced and buttered bread, made welcome notes and set tables. When the guests came in we greeted them at the door, served food and beverages, chatted, delivered gift bags, and then helped clean up.
It was a long day for many of our younger volunteers, so we also took breaks, and met new friends in the adjoining playground.
The Brooklyn Friends Community was so welcoming and accomodating of our little helpers. They would love to have volunteers come by any last Sunday of the month to help out. Location is 110 Schermehorn Street
Our hard working and very dedicated apple pickers met up at Outhouse Orchards on a very hot fall day! We wish they had a swimming pool, but instead we drank lots of cool apple cider. We read “The Growing Tree” to remind ourselves to thank the trees for their nourishment. We explored the orchard, got lost in a corn maze, listened to live music and hula hooped. We collected apples, and sampled, so many apples! The next day the crispy fresh apples were donated to the Bowery Mission.
After reading one of my favorite Dr Seuss books, “What was I afraid of ?”…..Our park cleaners got to work with brooms and gloves cleaning Von King Park in Bed Stuy. We were happy to report that there was not as much trash as we expected. Our older kids counted the cigarette butts and did find a lot of those, along with some remnants of picnics and bbq’s.
We finished off out day with a picnic if our own, but we made sure not leave any of our trash behind!
Open Heart Community Project 