|  | Dear John Please note our newsletter is taking a brief summer vacation! We’ll still pop in every other week to provide you with some important updates and resources, but we’ll be taking a quick hiatus from the longer expository content. We’ll return to our regular weekly programming at the end of the month. An event so nice, we’re doing it twice! Join us on the 4th Street Plaza at 9 AM on 8/19 for our second annual Sanitation Station! We’ll have compost giveaways, e-waste collection, a shredding truck, worm bin demonstration, and my personal favorite - the Touch-A-Truck. Stop by to pick up new materials for residential composting as well! Who’s ready for our annual Fun Run? Our office and the PTAs of Brooklyn’s public schools are coming together for the 15th annual PTA 5K+ run/walk/stroll/toddle/scoot in Prospect Park this fall. All the money raised from participants' registration and donations will support our schools' critical needs, like supplies, community events, and extracurriculars. We’re seeking dedicated volunteers to join our host committee and make this year’s run the best yet! Sign up here before 8/19 to get involved.
Meet The Team - Continued!
Matt - Constituent Services Director Hello everyone! My name is Matt Malloy (he/him). I'm a lifelong resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and an alumni of CUNY Hunter College. I'm the newest member of our team and began my work as our Constituent Services Director in June. I hope to help constituents navigate their everyday issues, liaise with City agencies, and stay up to date on City Council legislation. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to me with a question! Prior to joining the team, I was a Scheduler & Labor Liaison for Council Member James F. Gennaro, Field Organizer in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with the Biden Campaign, and a Volunteer Organizer for Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential Campaign.
I'm a devoted Yankees fan, a comedy nerd, and a member of the New York City Council Staff Union's Executive Board (ALE). Organized labor is a passion of mine, and I'm so proud to be at the bargaining table negotiating the first contract for City Council Staff. I'm dedicated to helping our constituents navigate government bureaucracy and fighting for a New York that works for everyone! |  | Matt at an ALE rally!
Hannah - Director of Outreach & Participatory Budgeting Hello! Hannah here! I’m the Director of Participatory Budgeting (PB) and Outreach. I am proud to be a lifelong resident of District 39, hailing from the wonderful Windsor Terrace. I formerly worked for the Department of Sanitation, and I am passionate about environmental justice and solid waste issues! My photo features the Newtown Creek Digester Eggs! The only baseball team I support is the Brooklyn Cyclones.
In my role, I coordinate our community events, such as our upcoming Sanitation Station, backpack giveaway, and the community film screening of In Search of Bengali Harlem in Kensington (details below in our community bulletin). I also work with community members, City agencies, and local non-profit partners to bring neighbors' ideas to life through our Participatory Budgeting process. I am a firm believer in Participatory Budgeting as a method to strengthen our democracy and increase the effectiveness of government by sourcing project ideas directly from the experiences of community members. If you are interested in volunteering to support PB by helping lead outreach efforts for ideas collection and voting, please show your interest here! It is truly exciting to serve the neighborhoods that I grew up in and work to strengthen local civic engagement - I invite you to join me! |  | Hannah at a wastewater treatment plant!
New Rules For Universal Composting I’m excited to announce that the Sanitation Department (DSNY) has just announced its rules for universal residential composting! From 8/1 until 10/13, you can request a brown bin for your building on the DSNY website. Brown bins will be distributed after 10/13 to coincide with the mandatory residential composting rollout in Brooklyn and Queens. If you don’t want a brown bin or don’t request one in time, you can use your own bin. But be aware - a bin for composting must be made of rigid plastic, have a tight-fitting lid, and be labeled with a DSNY composting decal. We’ll share more details as they come out but get ready, Brooklyn; composting is coming your way!
Community Bulletin Join me on 8/12 at Avenue C Plaza in Kensington for a special screening of In Search of Bengali Harlem! This poignant documentary, directed by Alaudin Ullah, tells the story of one man’s journey to trace his family tree from the streets of Harlem all the way to rural Bangladesh. The film will start at 8 PM, and we’ll have a brief Q&A with the director after. Join the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in celebrating Caribbean heritage on 8/5 and cultures at a day of dance, music, food, and more, presented in partnership with our friends from the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA). Featuring games, stilt walkers, storytelling, art-making, face-painting, steel drum performances, and a children’s author storytime series presented by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. Get ready for a day of live music, dancing, art-making, and delicious food! LEAP's Summer Theater Series will showcase "LEAP Artists LIVE!" - LEAP's performing ensemble! LEAP Artists LIVE provides educational performances of professional theater productions, which foster personal connections to the arts. Rooted in historical significance and accuracy, each performance presents learning opportunities that spark constructive conversation and support social awareness. Performances run from 7/25 to 8/17, get your tickets now! Summer Streets are coming to Brooklyn! On 8/26, the Department of Transportation is opening up Eastern Parkway to pedestrians and cyclists from 7 AM to 1 PM. The open street will run from Grand Army Plaza all the way to Buffalo Avenue. Check it out! Are you interested in becoming an even better steward of our City’s green spaces? Join the Parks Department’s Advanced Stewardship webinar on 8/31 to learn how! Register here for more information. Advocate For Children’s Education Helpline is a vital resource for parents with questions regarding their children’s education. Their bilingual education specialists provide individualized guidance and information on subjects like special education, immigrant students’ rights, school applications and transfers, early childhood education, and transportation. You can reach the helpline at (866) 427-6033, Monday to Thursday, 10 AM - 4 PM. There will be no parking on Hicks Street and Kane Street from 9 AM to 4 PM on Monday, July 31st through Friday, August 4th to facilitate the installation of catch basins and chute connections.
In Solidarity, Shahana | | | |
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