Committees

At the core of all of our service projects is a commitment to linking with other community groups, faith based organizations, business groups, and elected officials for the benefit of strengthening our neighborhoods.

The organization's standing committees were carefully selected to parallel the major committees of Community Board #3, in order to coordinate and support housing, economic development, education, and neighborhood development initiatives. Members serve on Community Board # 3, and sit on several of these committees.

The Brownstoners adopted PS 262 as the first effort to broaden to scope of its education initiatives. The organization has donated books to the library, and has hosted a reception for all the school staff. Volunteers have worked on several school based projects. In the coming year, we envision an expanded role in supporting PS 262's ongoing efforts to strengthen its students' reading and math skills.

In July 2002, the Brownstoners brought together a group of community based organizations for the purpose of launching a year-long literacy campaign. The goal of the project is to raise the awareness of the adults in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community with respect to their critical role in making certain that every child learns to read. In collaboration with Community School District # 16, and support from Nationwide Insurance and Councilman Albert Vann, the coalition has already embarked on Phase I which is a Saturday Reading Pledge that invites adults to take time on Saturday to read to their children. The reading pledge was the highlight of the kick-off rally that took place on Saturday, September 28, 2002. Other events that have followed throughout the years have involved large segments of the community, including merchants, faith based organizations, block associations, and public service agencies.

This venture is ongoing. With continuing support from Councilman Al Vann, this initiative will develop a "virtual" parent center that will offer assistance in leadership development. The project will also devise and implement creative strategies that will build increased involvement of parents in the school system, in their local schools and in the education of their own children.

We are committed to keeping the door open for families who want to purchase property in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The house tour was the first service project of the Brownstoners. It was specifically devised to win back to the community those people and families who had left, or who were planning to leave, and to attract others who were searching for a neighborhood that reflects our own culture. Each of our house tours has included the now famous Homebuyers' Seminar that features a panel of experts on home acquisition.

All of our tours have highlighted "house-in-progress" that showcases the nuts and bolts of renovation and restoration. This feature has been a joyful source of encouragement to young couples and families who are considering the purchase of the Bed-Stuy century-old houses. They see people just like themselves who are struggling repairs, mortgages, and contractors, but who are happy to be living in a place that is welcoming and nurturing. Our efforts have resulted in hundreds of new homeowners and apartment dwellers who not only live here, but who have gone on to make significant contributions to the revitalization of Bedford-Stuyvesant. That's our goal.

In March 2002, the Brownstoners launched its Welcome Home Project with a breakfast for newcomers to the community. New residents received welcome home gift packets from the organization, and were treated to a morning of entertainment and remarks from elected officials. A major goal of this project is to encourage these neighbors to become actively involved in the life of their new community.

The organization has embarked on a critical action research project that will help us understand municipal policies and public/private programs that impact on access to affordable housing. Our objective is to continue to join with other local organizations in addressing the housing needs of our own residents, as well as those who are seeking to own or to rent.

This project is one of the first that the Brownstoners undertook as an organization. Since that time, we have talked directly to thousands of residents who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to learn more about the voting process. Brownstoners spend time at subway stations and busy street corners distributing non-partisan materials and helping people complete voter registration forms.

This massive outreach campaign reaches homeowners who are in danger of losing their property because of delinquent taxes. Members of the Brownstoners visit each home on the tax lien list, leave packets of vital information, and encourage people to seek solutions to their issues before the tax liens are actually sold. Through the auspices of Assemblywomen Annette Robinson and Councilman Albert Vann, the Department of Finance has set up a special "one day office" right here in the community; making it possible for homeowners to talk directly to officials and make payment arrangements. During the past six years close to two thousand homes were visited and many of those properties were saved.

This initiative is designed to provide information to the community residents on particular aspects of the criminal justice system in New York City. At least one workshop, in collaboration with other community organizations, elected officials and representatives from the criminal justice system, and advocacy agencies will be present each year.

In Restoration's early years, it sponsored and annual Community Day that brought together block association, and a host of public/private resources such as health, education and housing agencies. In 1986, the Brownstoners began sponsoring its version of this event with funding and technical support from Brooklyn Union Gas (now Keyspan). Our goal was to assemble a broad array of helping agencies and businesses in one place…providing a "one-stop shopping" experience that was targeted to underserved people and families living in various sections of our neighborhood.

Each year before the fair, we mounted a large outreach effort, which we called "Takin' it to the Streets", so that we could attract those residents who were most in need of the services on display. For two of those years, we partnered with the Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Conference, and made the Community Resource Fair our contribution to their great efforts. In 1994, our last year of sponsorship, the Resource Expo played host to ninety-three local organizations and service providers of all types. In keeping with our emphasis on economic development, over sixty small businesses and cottage industries were also in attendance. All of the planning and work for this massive undertaking was accomplished through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of the members of the Brownstoners.