Sunset Park needs a Community Center!
I have lived in Sunset Park, Brooklyn for most of my life. I have seen it change and develop thorough out the years in to a diverse community that at its roots maintaned its beauty as a rich cutural and historical neighborhood.
As a youth in the 70s and 80s I remember how tough it was to find a place where one could gather and explore the world safely. During the 80s many of my friends wither became victims of gang violence, drugs or the AIDS epidemic or simply moved away from New York altogether.
I knew early then the idea of a place or community center where youth and adults a like could go for recreation or get help like counseling and other services. In other neighborhoods in Brooklyn community centers where established and created so people can gather and be involved in all sorts of positive activities. However, not in Sunset Park, Brooklyn! We have very few places that can be called seriously a community center or even a viable recreation center.
Here are some ideas of what a community center would offer Sunset Park:
Cultural exchange, creative arts (art, dance, music, and creative writing), sports programs (baseball, basketball, martial arts, and other forms of recreation), Educational classes (ESL classes, computer programs, literacy programs and etc.) it would be a gathering place for community meetings and information center for the community.
It is one of JMAANY major goals to start the dialogue and funding to get our community leaders and politicians to see the need for viable community center for Sunset Park, Brooklyn! If you are interested in getting involved we appreciate your ideas and help just contact us!
Below are some articles that really speak of the heart of the matter and express the need for a Community Center which we need in Sunset Park!
As a youth in the 70s and 80s I remember how tough it was to find a place where one could gather and explore the world safely. During the 80s many of my friends wither became victims of gang violence, drugs or the AIDS epidemic or simply moved away from New York altogether.
I knew early then the idea of a place or community center where youth and adults a like could go for recreation or get help like counseling and other services. In other neighborhoods in Brooklyn community centers where established and created so people can gather and be involved in all sorts of positive activities. However, not in Sunset Park, Brooklyn! We have very few places that can be called seriously a community center or even a viable recreation center.
Here are some ideas of what a community center would offer Sunset Park:
Cultural exchange, creative arts (art, dance, music, and creative writing), sports programs (baseball, basketball, martial arts, and other forms of recreation), Educational classes (ESL classes, computer programs, literacy programs and etc.) it would be a gathering place for community meetings and information center for the community.
It is one of JMAANY major goals to start the dialogue and funding to get our community leaders and politicians to see the need for viable community center for Sunset Park, Brooklyn! If you are interested in getting involved we appreciate your ideas and help just contact us!
Below are some articles that really speak of the heart of the matter and express the need for a Community Center which we need in Sunset Park!
What is a Community Center?
By Brandig
A community center is a safe place for adults and kids to participate in all types of recreational activities, games and sports. They are also known as recreational and neighborhood centers. These places are located in almost every city and may also offer a variety of social programs and events to the public.
Social Gatherings
Most recreational centers have social networks set up for those with the same interest. Groups involved in sports can come together for games and tournaments. Others may enjoy spending time in less active pursuits such as chess or art. Cultural groups are very popular within community settings. A small fee may be expected when joining a network or group.
After School and Summer Programs
Most centers offer after school programs for elementary school students. Art classes, physical education and other activities are given by trained instructors. Parents can use these services if they work long hours or need to enrich their kids’ lives in a positive setting. There is a registration process and fee for this type of program.
Summer programs are important in most communities. A Community center has many classes, events and activities geared toward kids. Parents can sign their kids up for the entire summer.
Adult Activities
Adults seeking a good place to exercise or stay healthy can use the services offered at most recreational centers. Many of the most popular centers have swimming pools. These places often feature several at a time. Exercise equipment or classes are geared toward every adult. The fees are often very minimal compared to the fees of regular gyms.
The city provides multiple centers for the public. Each center has its own rules, regulations and fees; however, not all places charge a fee. Registration may be completed online or at the facility.
By Brandig
A community center is a safe place for adults and kids to participate in all types of recreational activities, games and sports. They are also known as recreational and neighborhood centers. These places are located in almost every city and may also offer a variety of social programs and events to the public.
Social Gatherings
Most recreational centers have social networks set up for those with the same interest. Groups involved in sports can come together for games and tournaments. Others may enjoy spending time in less active pursuits such as chess or art. Cultural groups are very popular within community settings. A small fee may be expected when joining a network or group.
After School and Summer Programs
Most centers offer after school programs for elementary school students. Art classes, physical education and other activities are given by trained instructors. Parents can use these services if they work long hours or need to enrich their kids’ lives in a positive setting. There is a registration process and fee for this type of program.
Summer programs are important in most communities. A Community center has many classes, events and activities geared toward kids. Parents can sign their kids up for the entire summer.
Adult Activities
Adults seeking a good place to exercise or stay healthy can use the services offered at most recreational centers. Many of the most popular centers have swimming pools. These places often feature several at a time. Exercise equipment or classes are geared toward every adult. The fees are often very minimal compared to the fees of regular gyms.
The city provides multiple centers for the public. Each center has its own rules, regulations and fees; however, not all places charge a fee. Registration may be completed online or at the facility.
Perhaps more importantly the locations of our current community centers have little or no relation to our neighborhood. A brief review of the listing of our community center shows that they are almost all located in public parks. Perhaps this helps parks provide more services, but it does little for the neighborhoods where people actually live.
Sunset Park? No community center. Bushwick and Williamsburg all have community centers.
Parks are vital, but where is a community center more valuable — in the middle of the park or in the middle of your neighborhood? Where do we want go to have a community meeting, to have a caucus, to get a flu shot?
As it stands most neighborhood associations do not have convenient places to meet. Daycares, early learning, and afterschool services are inadequate. Perhaps most importantly teenagers need safe places to gather in the evening and weekends, not just during open hours at the library. And probably not at the park after dusk.
To be successful, neighborhood community centers need to be built. These centers need to be within walking distance or 1,500 feet of the neighborhood centers otherwise extensive parking will need to be provided, driving costs up and thwarting a more sustainable future.
A citywide program would go a long way towards filling the needs of these communities while further strengthening and defining Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. An ambitious idea like this may seem unlikely in this age of cutbacks and unemployment, however, a well-organized campaign, correctly presented, might receive more support than one would suspect. If successful, it could have a positive re-energizing effect on our local economy and it is not out of the realm to believe that federal funding could be obtained to offset costs.
What is stopping us?
Having a center based in Sunset Park Brooklyn whereby the community can feel a sense of ownership and belonging would go a long way in improving the community’s access to information and services. What the a New Community Center would offer:
1. Referral and access to services that target youth, employment, family counseling, elderly support, mediation, leadership training, groups and sport-oriented programs, music and threater programs.
2. Access to meeting rooms, function rooms, space for events/programs, computer access .
3. Training facilities where by to conduct on-site training for professionals and key service providers.
4. One stop shop for info and referral to mainstream services.
5. Office space for Community Center Workers, students, volunteers and out posted workers from other agencies.
Reference: Article - We need more gathering places in our urban neighborhoods
Sunset Park? No community center. Bushwick and Williamsburg all have community centers.
Parks are vital, but where is a community center more valuable — in the middle of the park or in the middle of your neighborhood? Where do we want go to have a community meeting, to have a caucus, to get a flu shot?
As it stands most neighborhood associations do not have convenient places to meet. Daycares, early learning, and afterschool services are inadequate. Perhaps most importantly teenagers need safe places to gather in the evening and weekends, not just during open hours at the library. And probably not at the park after dusk.
To be successful, neighborhood community centers need to be built. These centers need to be within walking distance or 1,500 feet of the neighborhood centers otherwise extensive parking will need to be provided, driving costs up and thwarting a more sustainable future.
A citywide program would go a long way towards filling the needs of these communities while further strengthening and defining Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. An ambitious idea like this may seem unlikely in this age of cutbacks and unemployment, however, a well-organized campaign, correctly presented, might receive more support than one would suspect. If successful, it could have a positive re-energizing effect on our local economy and it is not out of the realm to believe that federal funding could be obtained to offset costs.
What is stopping us?
Having a center based in Sunset Park Brooklyn whereby the community can feel a sense of ownership and belonging would go a long way in improving the community’s access to information and services. What the a New Community Center would offer:
1. Referral and access to services that target youth, employment, family counseling, elderly support, mediation, leadership training, groups and sport-oriented programs, music and threater programs.
2. Access to meeting rooms, function rooms, space for events/programs, computer access .
3. Training facilities where by to conduct on-site training for professionals and key service providers.
4. One stop shop for info and referral to mainstream services.
5. Office space for Community Center Workers, students, volunteers and out posted workers from other agencies.
Reference: Article - We need more gathering places in our urban neighborhoods
LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY CENTERS: THEY EFFECT YOUR COMMUNITY IN MORE WAYS THEN YOU KNOW!
Community Centres (Centers) and Associations: Their history, theory, development and practice.
Community Centers are at the heart of many neighborhoods today!
Community Centre (Wikipedia)
Breaking Out the Box: The Williamsburg Community Center in Brooklyn
Community Centres (Centers) and Associations: Their history, theory, development and practice.
Community Centers are at the heart of many neighborhoods today!
Community Centre (Wikipedia)
Breaking Out the Box: The Williamsburg Community Center in Brooklyn
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