First six Brooklyn organizations chosen for BP Reynoso’s Community Baby Shower Fund

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has announced the first six organizations that will receive up to $5,000 from his Community Baby Shower Fund, with more to be named.

Reynoso’s office set aide $50,000 in discretionary funds last year to support new and expecting parents as they begin their parenting journey. The initiative provides matching funds to organizations with a history of hosting baby shower events, serving young families, and offering resources in at least one of the fund’s priority communities.

“Community baby showers provide a space where neighbors can share in the joys and anxieties of welcoming a new life into the world, access resources, and create a network of support for new and expecting parents,” Reynoso said in a statement.

The first six Brooklyn organizations selected to receive funding for community baby showers are Brooklyn Public Library Macon Branch in Bed-Stuy, Expecting Relief in Bushwick, Hope Empowerment and Development Zone (HEADZ) in East New York, Moms for Moms in Sunset Park, NIA Community Services Network in Coney Island, and Rewrite Corporation in Brownsville.

Two organizations — Expecting Relief and Rewrite Corp — celebrated their community members with baby showers last fall.

“Funding for our community baby showers enables us to celebrate and uplift new and expecting parents, ensuring they receive critical items like baby gear, hygiene products, and educational resources,” said Brenda Carter, founder of Rewrite Corp.

An expecting mother celebrates at Rewrite Corp’s community baby shower in Brownsville last fall, which will now see funding as part of Borough President Antonio Reynoso’s Community Baby Shower Fund.Photo courtesy of Rewrite Corporation

At community baby showers, parents gather to enjoy food and drink, while receiving a laundry list of items to support them and their families — including wipes, diapers, baby clothes and more.

“For the past two years we have hosted many showers, replicating workshops in order to provide the necessary tools for expecting families facing financial hardship to thrive,” said Vanessa Bracetty, founder and executive director of Expecting Relief. “As a grant recipient we have the opportunity to maximize our outreach, placing us in a position to be a part of the solution versus the problem.”

Reynoso’s Community Baby Shower Fund prioritizes organizations that serve communities with historically high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.

Addressing mortality rates has become a top priority for organizations that support expecting mothers. Over the last two decades, Black women in New York City have been six times more likely, on average, to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts, according to the NYC Health Department.

The department reported that 241 mothers and birthing people died from pregnancy-related complications between 2016 and 2020.

Reynoso, a former City Council member, has made maternal health a central focus of his political career, advocating for increased support and resources for new and expecting parents across Brooklyn. He has also worked to raise awareness and secure funding to address the city’s maternal health crisis, which disproportionately affects women of color.

Advancing maternal health has become a core tenet of Reynoso’s work as Brooklyn Borough President. In his first year, he allocated $45 million in capital funding to three public hospitals to improve maternal health. According to his office, this marked the first time a Borough President allocated an entire fiscal year’s capital funding to a single cause within one city organization.

“Brooklyn is at its best when we support one another, especially during transformative and often challenging milestones like pregnancy and parenthood,” the Beep said. “Each organization receiving funding has demonstrated an incredible commitment to the communities they serve, and to the spirit of neighborly love that makes Brooklyn so special.”

Organizers and expecting mothers come together at the Expecting Relief community baby shower in Bushwick last fall, celebrating and supporting families with essential resources.Photo courtesy of Expecting Relief

Looking ahead, Reynoso said the fund will stay focused on organizations that serve neighborhoods historically burdened by high maternal mortality rates, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Coney Island, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush/Midwood, and Sunset Park.

The Community Baby Shower Fund remains available on a rolling basis for organizations throughout the borough, with the opportunity open until funds are depleted. To apply, fill out the Community Baby Shower Fund request form, available on the Office of The Borough Brooklyn President website.