Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso on Tuesday announced the first six recipients of the Brooklyn Community Baby Shower Fund, a $50,000 initiative to support community-led baby showers for new and expecting parents in historically underserved neighborhoods.
The fund, which offers up to $5,000 in matching grants for baby showers occurring before May 2025, aims to address maternal health disparities in Brooklyn, according to a press release.
The initial grant recipients are the Brooklyn Public Library Macon Branch in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Expecting Relief in Bushwick, Hope Empowerment and Development Zone in East New York, Moms for Moms in Sunset Park, NIA Community Services Network in Coney Island and Rewrite Corp. in Brownsville.
“Brooklyn is at its best when we support one another, especially during transformative and often challenging milestones like pregnancy and parenthood," said Reynoso. "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."
Two organizations--Expecting Relief and Rewrite Corp--have already hosted their community baby showers this fall. The remaining groups will hold their events before the program’s deadline.
The initiative is part of Reynoso’s broader maternal health agenda, which has included a historic $45 million investment in Brooklyn’s public hospitals for maternal health improvements. Black women in New York City have historically faced disproportionately high maternal mortality rates, and Reynoso has prioritized efforts to address these disparities since taking office in 2021.
The Brooklyn Community Baby Shower Fund remains open for applications, with Borough Hall encouraging additional nonprofits to apply. Priority neighborhoods include Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Coney Island, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush/Midwood and Sunset Park
