Programs

• Adopt-A-Shelter Animal raises awareness of the positive benefits of owning a pet and the joy it brings adopted animals to make a new friend. There are thousands of animals awaiting a permanent home in shelters across the State of New York.

• Dine in Brooklyn is an economic initiative for restaurants throughout the borough, which aims to boost sales during the off-peak dining season by offering “prix fixe” lunches and dinners.

• Earth Week educates and activates residents on the environmental impacts of everyday life. We host an annual Stop and Swap Exchange on the Borough Hall Plaza, where residents bring clean, portable, and reusable items such as books, clothing, games, housewares, and toys that they no longer need.

• Greenest Block is an annual contest that promotes streetscape gardening, tree stewardship, and community development in Brooklyn. Prizes are awarded to the best window box  and other greening efforts.

• LGBTQ Pride Celebration is an annual celebration that honors the 1969 Stonewall riots. The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President hosts the borough’s kickoff reception and participates in the Park Slope LGBTQ Pride Parade.

• Lunchtime Jazz Concerts is a series of free lunchtime music performances by local Brooklyn bands held on the Borough Hall Plaza.

• Seniors by the Sea is an annual event held to honor Brooklyn’s seniors by creating a memorable day of appreciation.

• Turkey Distribution is a Thanksgiving-themed event where local food pantries and houses of worship are provided with turkeys and healthy trimmings to serve Brooklynites in need during the holiday season.

• Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Distribution is an annual celebration of the holiday season in which a large Christmas tree is lit up in the Borough Hall Plaza, and Borough President Adams distributes gifts to children from across Brooklyn.

• Brooklyn Ambassadors are residents with strong ties and understanding of their cultural community. They work within their designated community and neighborhoods to assist Borough President Adams in promoting his mission and the wellbeing of the communities in which they serve. Brooklyn Ambassadors notify the Borough President on issues and concerns of residents, local meetings, and events held within the community.

• Heritage Celebrations provide the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President with the opportunity to raise awareness of the vast cultural diversity that is present around the borough. 47 percent of Brooklyn residents speak a language other than English at home and there are over 180 ethnicities and 90 languages spoken. Programming acknowledges, celebrates, and explores cuisine, cultural expression, and ethnic identities. Celebrations including Arab-American, Asian Pacific Islander-American, Caribbean-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, Greek-American, Russian-American, Turkish American as well as Black History Month, Latino Heritage Celebration, and Women’s History Month.

• International Day of Friendship celebrates Brooklyn’s rich diversity by hosting a free, family-friendly Unity Parade of Flags, Cultural Performances, International Cuisine and the Global Village, where visitors can touch, taste, feel and see other cultures. It is celebrated around the world as countries partake in a variety of events to promote peace and unity. With nearly one million foreign-born residents living in Brooklyn, Borough President Adams recognizes that our borough is a diverse melting pot, which makes it the perfect place to host an annual International Day of Friendship celebration.

• Mid-Autumn Festival commemorates one of the most significant holidays celebrated throughout Asia. The festival is held on the night of the full moon in early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. It is a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and wheat with food offerings made in honor of the moon. It is still an occasion for reunions among friends and relatives to eat traditional foods and mooncakes, while watching the moon, which is symbolic of harmony and unity.

• Bishops Brunch Roundtable is a gathering of Brooklyn’s top clergy covering issues that affect members of their houses of worship including housing, homelessness, and health.

• Black History Clergy Breakfast is an annual conversation among faith leaders and clergy members held in Borough Hall in celebration of Black History Month.

• Brooklyn Day of Prayer is celebrated on the first Thursday in May as National Day of Prayer, which is a Congressional-designated event that allows people of different faiths the opportunity to pray together as One Brooklyn.

• Building Brooklyn Right is a boroughwide forum for houses of worship that have vacant land that can be developed for affordable housing. There will be a panel discussion from leading experts in the field of development and affordable housing.  To access the Faith Based Development Form, click here.

• Iftar Dinner is held in honor of the blessed month of Ramadan, a celebration to break the fast.

• Interfaith Breakfast brings together different faiths leaders to highlight the rich diversity of religious traditions in the borough of Brooklyn.

• New York City Agency Forum for Houses of Worship is a forum workshop that bring together representatives of different faith institutions from across Brooklyn to Borough Hall to learn about how to navigate city agencies.

• Women of Faith Roundtable is a discussion with women of faith covering issues that affect members of their houses of worship.

• Financial Education Empowerment Month was officially proclaimed in the month of April in Brooklyn by Borough President Adams, citing key economic indicators underscoring the need for greater financial understanding across the borough. He established this ongoing effort to help achieve economic stability and prosperity across the borough of Brooklyn. Partnering with organizations in Brooklyn and throughout New York City, this initiative helps Brooklynites manage their finances in an effort to close the socioeconomic gap with the goal of lowering Brooklyn’s debt. For a comprehensive overview of financial literacy resources, click here.

• Financially Savvy Youth Conference held in April empowers Brooklyn’s youth to get off on the right financial footing. Educating and empowering our youth on important financial topics ensures they will grow into a financially healthy adult.

• Free Tax Filing and Preparation Services, in partnership with Grow Brooklyn, enables eligible Brooklynites to get their taxes filed for free on select dates during the tax season.

• Crochets for a Cause is a fun program that includes weekly crochet classes taught by a craft professional. The crochet classes teach the basic principles of crocheting such as a double stich and patterns. Participants  contribute to the creation of blankets and scarfs that are donated to individuals with health conditions including organ failure, diabetes, and sickle cell anemia.

• One Brooklyn Health Fair “Cut the Salt, Curb the Sugar” provides Brooklynites with a range of health care exhibitors providing information on their services as well as guidance on how to eat well and monitor your health.

• Surviving and Thriving is a domestic violence awareness day of empowerment honoring individuals who have dedicated their services and resources to bringing relief to victims and prevent abuse.

• World AIDS Day is an annual event featuring a community forum discussion on the strategic imperative to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, increase the availability of testing, and expand awareness of the disease across every part of the borough.

• I-’M-POSSIBLE is a program initiated by Borough President Adams, which seeks to empower the borough’s young adults by providing them with a guide to attaining a successful career path. For more information and helpful resources on career paths, click here.

• A Summer Movie Under the Stars is held annually in the summer in Prospect Park in which families come together and watch a free movie with activities for children. Borough President Adams believes that programs that provide a bonding experience for children, parents, and grandparents are the means to creating and supporting healthy families. Spending an evening performing family activities is key to developing stronger youth who will learn to value the welfare of their family, community, and society.

• Roadmapping for Parents of Children with Special Needs is a comprehensive resource guide that explains how to navigate city agencies and provides contact information on resources that will help parents raise healthy children and families regardless of their abilities. To view the road map, click here.

For more information, please contact: