This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated November 24, 2023
This is the time of year when we reflect on what we are thankful for. Though I am loath to use this space to talk about myself and what I am involved with in our community, during this time of year I want to share some of my southern Brooklyn experiences that are reflective of our community, issues facing it, and how everyday people are making a difference, which is what I do strive to use this column to amplify.
As a member of the Bay Ridge Cares all-volunteer board of directors, fall is a very special (and busy) time. Following a successful Community Pancake Breakfast on October 21 – an event last held shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020 – and our participation in the Trunk or Treat festivities at the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID’s October 29 event, Bay Ridge Cares held its annual Thanksgiving meal distribution.
The two late October events occurred around a meaningful time for Bay Ridge Cares: our anniversary. Coming together in community over pancakes, games, and activities, with kids dressed up in their costumes, all added up to a great time, and being able to interact with families and hand out treats to kids for several hours on Fifth Avenue was, again, a truly rewarding experience.
On Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, Bay Ridge Cares once again delivered complete meals to those in need, seniors, and homebound individuals. After our board was joined by 80 volunteers to package, deliver, and distribute 550 meals to neighbors in need at 180 different addresses in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and Bensonhurst, this year was even bigger, with 600 meals finding their way to even more homes across southern Brooklyn, thanks to over 100 volunteers.
In the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the group that would become Bay Ridge Cares came together to prepare and deliver 28,000 meals in 25 days to neighbors in need, including Thanksgiving dinners a few weeks after the storm had hit. A year later, Bay Ridge Cares served 15 meals to community members, then 50 the next year. Having the ability, through the support of community members, to now provide 600 meals, demonstrates what a special place southern Brooklyn is.
In my role as president of the District 21 Community Education Council, I have the opportunity to be a part of so many great school events across southern Brooklyn, getting to see the great work teachers and administrators are doing for students, and kids’ excitement to be able to perform and participate in engaging activities in our schools.
Serving as a panelist, along with several other community stakeholders who are dedicated to providing kids opportunities to take the right paths in life, at a roundtable discussion on gun violence prevention held by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, was very meaningful. In addition to being involved in initiatives to prevent kids from ever being involved in an act of gun violence, almost all of the guests, myself included, had been personally affected by the gun violence epidemic.
As a member of Community Board 11, I have been fortunate to be able to work with fellow board members on issues important to our community. One of the great things about serving on a community board is that it brings together a truly diverse cross-section of neighbors from various backgrounds, and though we may sometimes have differences of opinion, it is undeniable that we find at the local level we have far more in common than the polarized national political scene would have us believe. The deadline to apply to be a community board member is February 14, 2023.
With respect to politics, as Vice-president of the Bay Ridge Democrats I was heartened by the dedication of fellow volunteers across southern Brooklyn, as well as from other parts of our borough, who came together to contribute to the successful reelection of Councilman Brannan. Though Brannan won by 17 points, as he said he would on election night, he will need to work to show the four in ten that did not vote for him that he will serve them all the same.
I am thankful for all these experiences in and with my community. I am also thankful for this platform here each week. Unfortunately, the topic I have discussed on this page more than any other has been traffic violence, and though so many are advocating for roadway safety improvements, sadly, we are often addressing dangerous areas only after a tragedy occurs.
That was the case on November 16, when a 72-year-old woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Marine Avenue in Bay Ridge. We must do more to prevent the conditions that keep resulting in these horrific scenes and I plan to keep advocating in my community, and with my community, to realize that.
