NEBHDCo. News FALL 2015

WELCOME to the NEBHDCo News! From Bed-Stuy to Browns- ville to East , we are working to bring people and organizations together for a better community for all.

Our commitment since 1985: The preservation, development and management of affordable housing and homeownership oppor- tunities, community and economic development initiatives and human services that effect social change in Central .

A Message from the CEO In this issue As we look toward the end of 2015, we are USDA. Our food pantry is providing an • A Message from the CEO excited about the latest progress in our increasing array of benefits and supports to • Latest Arker/NEBHDCo Joint efforts to bring more housing and the community. These efforts are all Venture Breaks Ground community resources to our elements of NEBHDCo’s broader neighborhoods. A new joint venture on an community development commitment. We • Upcoming Events apartment building for low-income seniors have more projects and programs in • Our New Culinary & Nutrition is coming in Far Rockaway, Queens. We are development, and look forward to telling Education Coordinator moving along with the in-place rehab of our you more about them in the months to Park Monroe II portfolio in Central come. • FEEST Youth Reflects on Brooklyn. With this project we are both Her Experience improving the homes of the existing tenants and providing renovated housing for new • 2015 Gardens Report residents. These newly renovated • New Grants for Our Programs properties also further improve the surrounding neighborhood. Our food Jeffrey Dunston, CEO • Park Monroe II Renovations programs are growing, building on • Benefits Enrollment successes to date thanks to new funding at NEBHDCo including from the City Council and the Latest Arker/NEBHDCo Joint Venture Breaks Ground On August 20th, Mayor This green and energy-efficient building gathered with NEBHDCo, the Arker will incorporate Enterprise Green Companies and Queens elected officials to Communities standards. The property break ground on our latest joint venture, was also carefully designed to address Beach Channel Senior Residence, in Far storm-related flooding, considering its Rockaway Queens. This development is location and the lessons learned from a significant project under the Mayor’s Super Storm Sandy. It is also the first Housing New York plan, which has a 10- project to utilize New York City’s new year goal of 200,000 affordable units, Senior Affordable Rental Apartments including 10,000 units of senior housing. (SARA) funding, enabling the project to The property, with ground floor serve seniors with annual incomes of less commercial space, is scheduled for than $36,300. NEBHDCo will provide completion in 2017. It will provide 154 resident services onsite, covering the range units for low-income seniors, including 46 of needs from active to more frail seniors, formerly homeless seniors. all to support aging in place. MAIN OFFICE 132 Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11233 718.453.9490 www.nebhdco.org 2 | FALL 2015

Communities for Healthy Food Bed-Stuy means real jobs in the business of food, it means options for buying good food on our ‘hood budgets, it means we gather to build community spaces to produce, cook, share, and eat food. It means that we grow stronger together as we reclaim our right to great tasting, high quality, and sustainable food.

Hit us up for more information and to RSVP to any of the programs! Anise Hines at 917-870-0293 or [email protected] Visit us online at www.nebhdco.org

Here’s a report from the field and what’s happening this Fall…

From Our New Culinary & Nutrition Education Coordinator: Karen Cherfils Last summer NEBHDCo partnered with Just Food to train my colleagues and I to become Community Chefs so we could share our experiences around eating and preparing delicious food that also happens to be good for us. As a result, I’ve been cooking up a storm in the kitchen above the pantry, including catering Pantry Volunteer Luncheons and co-teaching a 5- week course for families plus an 8-week course for adults. I haven’t been in the kitchen at 376 Throop (aka “my happy place”) much these days Karen (L) and Pantry Volunteer, Julia Whidbee, create a winter vegetable slaw during a staff cooking workshop. because I’ve been taking up space in and and making them part of the process, this desires I only recently discovered I had. I around the offices at 753 Lafayette. That’s project can help teach the joy and was on a personal journey to find because last month I started as deliciousness that comes from “eating your fulfillment and after some serious NEBHDCo’s Culinary Nutrition Education colors” as well as the value its nutrients reflection and introspection- a lot of which Coordinator. In this role I’ve been bring to our bodies. But more than that, happened in my own kitchen - I found my coordinating the Head Start on Cooking the adults begin to see that when we allow way into the world of food justice project, which is offering 60 cooking children to take part in preparing meals, advocacy and eventually into the demonstrations led by our community no matter how small (removing the seeds Community Chef Training program at chefs at day care centers throughout from a tomato or breaking the florets from NEBHDCo last summer. I had a vague Bedford-Stuyvesant. That’s a lot of cooking a broccoli stem), they will eat it because idea of wanting to help reverse many of demos! I’ve been working to grow our they’ve made an investment into it. And the negative health outcomes plaguing current team of community chefs to share just like when any of us adults invest in our communities: diabetes, heart disease, their knowledge. something-- our time or our money-- we cancer etc. But quietly over the course of expect a piece of that in return; a child is the last year that idea has been Through these fun, interactive demos, we no different, they want to taste their transforming into something tangible that are inspiring children, staff and families creation, and chances are, they’ll LOVE it! I can see, touch and feel. Serving as the to engage in a culture of wellness and Culinary Nutrition Education Coordinator establish healthy habits that will serve Being part of this community is truly a is just the latest manifestation. For this, and them for life. By engaging young children manifestation of my deepest desires… so much more, I am immensely grateful. FALL 2015 | 3

important to me, such as equality and the season isn’t over yet. We still have a lot more demand for food around the world. I am to look forward to in the Fall. In addition proud to be a member of FEEST and hope to collard greens, swiss chard, and callaloo to leave a strong impact on the program. which are still going strong in both gardens, we can also look forward to tomatillos, From this program I have taken with turnips, lettuce, beets, and mustard greens me the knowledge of healthy eating and throughout the Fall season. Thanks to the the positive effect it has on the body and new greenhouse at the TurnUp Garden, community. Down the line, my hope is for we’ll be harvesting well into the winter FEEST to continue to grow and reach more months. Cheers to a productive year! youth, and to share with the community FEEST Youth, Ashé what makes this program so great. The Collier, Reflects on people at FEEST are not just apart of an Her Experience after school program - they are my family. FEEST is an experience of a lifetime, one that I am glad to be a part of. Each new month I am more excited than the last. This wonderful youth program has helped me to understand the importance of food-em- powerment and social justice, through our detailed discussions over dinner. From creating new recipes to watching videos that New Grant Awards stir up healthy debates, my day there is never dull. Not only was I a part of the for Our Programs! youth program, I was also chosen to be one 2015 Garden Report Great news! We are proud and honored to of the leaders. Leading FEEST has been a -Farmer Yemi Amu have exciting new grants that will help us to great experience. This opportunity gave sustain and further expand our programs. me the chance to break out of my shell and Our Best Season Yet. share some of my ideas, while listening We want to thank Senator Kirsten Gillibrand It’s been a great growing season at to others. By doing this I was inspired to and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries for their NEBHDCo. The two production gardens speak out and be more pro-active in the support in our award of a 3-year, $375,000 - TurnUp Garden and the backyard Pantry things that I believe in. FEEST created an grant from the Department of Garden - provided space for farm-based encouraging environment and a sense of Agriculture (USDA) and the National education and have collectively produced community that helped me to become a Insitutute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s over 500 pounds of fruits and vegetables for more confident leader. This was a great Community Food Projects program. This clients at the Golden Harvest Food Pantry. way to show our youth that leadership can grant will support both our gardening and happen at even our young age. Along with This spring and summer the TurnUp culinary education work. In 2016 we will becoming a more confident leader I have Garden Internship Program gave 6 teen- offer several free cooking courses and over also learned more about the importance agers the opportunity to learn urban food 100 cooking demos! We’ll also build another of teamwork. The many great ideas and cultivation, food justice, and culinary skills. greenhouse, and install more drip irrigation activities that have been incorporated into The youth assisted in growing a variety of in our gardens. Finally, we’ll buy $10,000 in the program wouldn’t have been possible vegetables, harvest, and deliver produce to produce for our food pantry clients through without everyone working together. the Golden Harvest Food Pantry. They also our friends at Corbin Hill Food Project! provided support at the Pantry Garden, I would recommend this program to any We also want to thank Speaker Melissa which included seed propagation, irrigation youth because each new gathering is Mark-Viverito and the entire New York and harvesting for the pantry. different from the last. All the positive ideas, City Council for including Communities for extraordinary personalities, and healthy Vegetables grown and harvested at both Healthy Food as a new city-wide initiative in food waiting to be cooked allow the gardens so far include: tomatoes, onions, the FY 2016 budget! And we especially want program to constantly improve. I have turnips, beets, thyme, basil, sage, lettuce, to thank Council Members Robert Cornegy found this program to be a positive outlet, collard greens, swiss chard, string beans, and for awarding us grants to helping me to explore the things that are watermelon, nasturtiums and callaloo. The support our food pantry. 4 | FALL 2015

Park Monroe II Renovations Progressing Park Monroe II Apartments, NEBHDCo’s latest and GOLDEN HARVEST largest tenant-in-place rehab project, is now 60% CLIENT CHOICE complete. This nine-building project, with properties FOOD PANTRY in Brownsville, Ocean Hill and Bed-Stuy, is 376 Throop Avenue scheduled to be substantially complete by the end of Between Lafayette & Kosciuszko 2016. Of the total 214 apartments, 161 had existing tenants and 53 units were vacant. New tenants for PROVIDING FOOD the vacant units applied through NYC’s Housing DISTRIBUTION AND Connect website, and will be selected through a BENEFITS REFERRALS Every Tuesday and Thursday city-sponsored lottery process scheduled for October 10:00a—12:00p 20, 2015. Final applicants will be selected based on For Info Call Lisa Everett their family size, income and other qualifying factors. 718-453-9490 x224

This major renovation will include all new kitchens All clients must register with and baths for each apartment. The buildings’ public proof of family size. spaces will be modernized with new flooring, finishes, and lighting. Other work includes Bring your own bags, please! upgrading the heating and hot water systems with new energy-efficient equipment, and much more. Save the Dates! Benefits Enrollment Tenants Corner at NEBHDCo NEBHDCo Thanksgiving - November Property Management Join us for NEBHDCo’s annual Want to find out just what public benefits you are Emergency Hotline Pre-Thanksgiving Community Meal eligible for? And be able to apply at the same time? – and turkey raffle! - to be held on 718-453-9490 NEBHDCo now operates an HRA ACCESS NYC follow the prompts Saturday November 21st, 378 Throop kiosk for online eligibility screening and Avenue. Doors open at 3pm. applications to over 30 City, State and Federal health Volunteers are needed to help cook, It’s Winter Heating Season and human services benefits, open to all community For proper temperature in serve and clean-up. For more info: members. Every Friday from 12pm to 4pm, Anise Hines at 917-870-0293 NEBHDCo staff members are available at our your apartment: or [email protected] computer lab at 753 Lafayette, around the corner • Be sure your radiators from our properties and pantry at 378 and 376 are on Tax Prep - January Throop. For an appointment, contact Lisa Everett • Remove anything blocking Plan ahead for tax season! In January, at [email protected] or 718-453-9490. we will again provide tax prep radiators/baseboard heaters services at our food pantry at 376 • Keep all windows closed, Throop Avenue, free for low-income both top & bottom people (in 2014, earning less than $53,000).Watch for flyers. For more • Report any malfunctioning info: Lisa Everett at 718-453-9490 windows or radiators to or [email protected] your landlord

We’d like to thank all of our funders for making this work possible: Ample Table for Everyone, Brooklyn Community Foundation - Brooklyn Now, City Harvest, Food Bank For New York City, Goldman Sachs UIG, GrowNYC, LISC, The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, M&T Bank, NYC Council, NYC Council Member Robert Cornegy, NYC Council Member Laurie Cumbo, NYC HRA EFAP, Nextdoorganics, TD Bank, United States Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and United Way NYC.