Dear John,

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m reminded again of how fortunate we are to live in a community that consistently shows up for one another. This season is not only a time for gratitude, but also a time for giving—which we’ve been able to do in partnership with volunteers and organizations to support families across our neighborhoods.

This week, our office organized three turkey distributions in the Gowanus neighborhood, partnering with the the Wyckoff Gardens Tenant Association, the Gowanus Houses Tenant Association, and the Warren Street Tenants Association, and local organizations including Fifth Avenue Committee, the Hispanic Federation, Gowanus Mutual Aid, and MET Council.

We also partnered with CHiPS to organize a distribution in Kensington!

We are grateful for the generosity of the organizations and volunteers that have made this essential community care possible.

This Fiscal Year, we provided over $120,000 in funding to local food pantries to combat hunger, supporting the critical work of organizations like CHiPS, Council of Peoples Organization (COPO), People In Need, Camp Friendship, Masbia of Boro Park, and Christ Apostolic Church Goke Food Pantry.

We will be holding our annual holiday lunch at the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging (463A 7th Street) from 12 to 1pm on Wednesday, November 26th. We’d be happy to welcome you to greet our members if you are available to join us.

On Thanksgiving Day, we will be distributing 300 meals to homebound older adults and their caregivers. All meals will be delivered by volunteers to clients in Community Districts 8, 9 and 17. Meal distribution will be done from the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging (463A 7th Street) from 9:30 AM to 11:30AM. We’d love it if you would join us to greet volunteers from the community.

Constituent Services Corner

In other news, Gothamist recently broke the story of a major wage theft case at a popular Park Slope restaurant. Our office has been deeply involved since Raju and his co-workers first came to us after months without pay. We connected them with the Workers Justice Project, Brooklyn Legal Services, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, and supported them through their complaint and unemployment insurance process. Their experience reflects what thousands of New York City workers face each year: pervasive wage theft that disproportionately targets immigrant and newly arrived workers. We are encouraged by the Department of Labor’s thorough investigation and the $3 million penalty issued—both restitution and a clear signal that exploitation will not be tolerated. This case underscores the need for stronger enforcement, accessible reporting tools, and community-based support. It’s also why I authored the NYC Workers’ Bill of Rights, the city’s first comprehensive, multilingual guide to labor protections. If you or someone you know is a victim of wage theft, our office is here to help. If applicable, we also encourage you to file a complaint through the agency that enforces the City's Consumer Protection Law.

And another community win—thanks to the power of our collective advocacy, K-Slope Marketplace is officially opening in the former Steve’s “C-Town” 9th Street location on Sunday, November 23. When Steve’s abruptly shuttered, neighbors voiced their concern about the loss of an affordable grocery option. In partnership with community advocates and Assembly Member Robert Carroll, we were able to advocate for the space to stay a grocery store. Now K-Slope will offer a large produce selection, a butcher counter, international fish, fresh sushi, artisan deli, baked goods, and more—all while keeping core staples competitively priced. This is a huge win for our community and I’m deeply grateful to every neighbor who raised their voice to make it happen! Read the entire story in Park Slope Living.

Legislation Station

On Tuesday, my bill, Intro 1076 was heard in the Contracts Committee! This bill aims to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) businesses in our City’s Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program. Int 1076 would require the City to study the representation of MENA businesses in city contracts. If they’re found to be underrepresented, it would make them eligible for the M/WBE program. Joining the M/WBE program would mean that MENA businesses would receive distinct contracting goals—just as Black-owned, Latino-owned, Asian-owned, and Native American-owned businesses do now. 

For far too long, MENA communities have been misclassified and overlooked—denied equal access to contracting opportunities that help businesses grow and participate fully in our local economy. Ending this exclusion is long overdue. I look forward to passing Int 1076 and ensuring MENA communities are finally recognized, counted, and included in our City’s M/WBE program. 

Next up for hearing: the City Council’s Committee on Immigration will hold a hearing on the TRUST Act on December 8th at 10:00 AM. 

The TRUST Act will enforce our sanctuary city laws by creating a private right of action—a pathway to bring a lawsuit in court—so individuals wronged by violation of existing sanctuary laws by city agencies can seek justice. We must pass this bill to maintain trust in our communities and ensure all our neighbors feel safe to seek essential services at public schools, hospitals, and other city agencies.

Your voice is essential to get this bill across the line! Please testify in support so we can get this bill passed. Fill out this form to submit written testimony, or sign up to testify at the hearing (remotely or in-person).

Local Land Use Community Meetings

This week, we continued working with hundreds of neighbors as both the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) and Atlantic Yards advanced into new phases of public review. Across both the BMT and Atlantic Yards project plans, I remain committed to a clear set of community baseline commitments: deeply affordable, family-sized housing; affordable homeownership opportunities; strong investments in transportation, parks, schools, and community facilities; and the preservation of local affordable and public housing. These standards build from both prior Atlantic Yards commitments and the BMT Vision Plan priorities shaped by our community. Your engagement is how we ensure these commitments are upheld.

Brooklyn Marine Terminal: Public Scoping Underway

Thank you to Assemblymembers Jo Anne Simon and Marcela Mitaynes, Council Member Alexa Avilés, Columbia Street Waterfront Association, Voices of the Waterfront, and PortSide for their partnership and to the over 200 neighbors who joined our November 17th BMT Community Forum to learn, organize, and prepare for the upcoming In-Person Draft Scoping Hearing. Community input now helps determine what impacts must be studied, including traffic, air quality, climate resilience, industrial operations, open space, and more. 

You can view a recording of the forum on YouTube, as well as the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination’s presentation here. The Draft Scope of Work for an Environmental Impact Statement viewable here.

Please attend the next BMT In-Person Draft Scoping Hearing on Monday, December 1st from 6 PM – 9 PM at Sacred Hearts Church at 125 Summit Street. You may deliver up to 3 minutes of public comment. Register using this form. Written comments are due on December 11th and may be submitted on the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation website here.

Atlantic Yards: Add Your Voice

Hundreds of people also turned out on November 18th for the Phase 2 kickoff at Atlantic Yards to meet the newly announced development team. The presentation can be viewed here.

This milestone marks what we hope is real progress toward resolving a decades-long push for affordable housing and transparency. Brooklyn was promised a true 50/50 affordable housing program with affordable housing starting at 30% AMI, with family-sized units, local community preference, and pathways to affordable homeownership in 2005. Your continued participation is essential to ensuring these commitments are finally honored.

Please join the Atlantic Yards Redevelopment Project Public Workshop #2 on Monday, December 8th from 6 PM – 8 PM at Design Works High School at 29 6th Avenue. Register using this form.

Empire State Development has also launched a public survey about the Atlantic Yards Project, open through January 16, 2026. Please help inform the future of Atlantic Yards! Fill out the survey here.

Before the new development announcement Brooklyn Speaks launched its petition in May and it continues to urge the State to hold the project accountable, including collecting damages owed. The petition can still be signed here.

• Right To Be, an organization mobilizing against identity-based hate, is sharing free tools and trainings. You can join a free digital training that gives you tools to stop identity-based hate, for allies and impacted communities. They also have targeted training to Support Immigrant Communities, with a training scheduled for December 18th (5 PM – 6 PM) and more coming in the new year. Whether it’s witnessing xenophobic comments, workplace discrimination, ICE encounters, or public harassment, this training provides practical, real-world strategies to support immigrants facing harm. Right To Be also has launched Expert Voices Together (EVT), a free, 1:1 support system for journalists and researchers facing hybrid and digital harassment over the election cycle. If you’re experiencing or impacted by online or offline harassment, you can share your story with Right To Be. People facing online harassment can request help from trained supporters.

In solidarity,

Council Member Shahana