Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso Launches Second Annual Community Baby Shower Fund

Brooklyn Nonprofits Can Apply for Up to $5,000 in Matching Funds for Community Baby Showers Occurring Before May 31, 2026

Last Year, Reynoso’s Inaugural Community Baby Shower Fund Doled Out $50,000 Total to 10 Nonprofits Serving Brooklyn Parents

***APPLICATION AND FORMS HERE***

***PHOTOS FROM COMMUNITY BABY SHOWERS FUNDED BY BOROUGH PRESIDENT REYNOSO’S FIRST ANNUAL BABY SHOWER FUND AVAILABLE HERE***

BROOKLYN, NY (July 28, 2025) – Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso today announced his second $50,000 ‘Community Baby Shower Fund’ to support community-led baby showers for Brooklyn’s new and expecting parents. Brooklyn nonprofits hosting community baby showers in Brooklyn can request up to $5,000 in reimbursed funding from the Community Baby Shower Fund for non-personnel expenses. The Borough President’s renewal of the Community Baby Shower Fund builds on his historic maternal health agenda aimed at addressing staggering disparities in maternal health outcomes for new and expecting parents in Brooklyn.

“It was incredible to see the first annual Community Baby Shower Fund in action. Across the borough, community members came together to celebrate and uplift families welcoming our newest Brooklynites into the world,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “These baby showers bring neighbors together and offer resources and support in Black, Brown, and low-income communities that have long been underserved. I’m proud to bring the Community Baby Shower Fund back for another year and continue fighting for safer pregnancies, healthier outcomes, and stronger support systems for new parents.”

Ten Brooklyn nonprofits received funding from the first annual Community Baby Shower Fund, which was announced in July 2024. The community baby showers, which took place between July 2024 and May 2025, served hundreds of new and expecting parents across the borough. Organizations offered activities and workshops, gave away essentials like diapers and baby blankets, and connected attendees with resources in their communities.

Awardees who received funding last fiscal year from the Borough President’s first annual Community Baby Shower Fund include:

1. Brooklyn Public Library Macon Branch, serving Bed-Stuy.
2. Expecting Relief, serving Bushwick.
3. Hope Empowerment and Development Zone (HEADZ), serving East New York.
4. Moms for Moms, serving Sunset Park.
5. NIA Community Services Network, serving Coney Island.
6. Rewrite Corp, serving Brownsville.
7. Kiwanis Club of Kings Plaza Canarsie, serving Canarsie.
8. Hope and Healing Family Center, serving Bushwick.
9. The Jewish Childcare Association of New York, serving Flatbush.
10. Power of Two, serving Brownsville.

“The Brooklyn Borough President’s steadfast realization that crucial, financial, social, and health-related support is needed for new and expecting families – and not just through a one-time offering – speaks to his desire to not only provide essential supplies, foster community connections, and offer access to healthcare resources, but to ultimately promote the well-being of both parents and babies,” said Helena Grant, Co-Chair of Brooklyn Borough President’s Maternal Health Task Force, Senior Advisor Midwifery Initiatives for NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and President of New York State Midwives. “Maternal health is deeply connected to addressing social determinants of health. I am grateful to stand by his side as we continue to address issues both large and small, working to one day see parents thrive as they expand their families.”

“New York City Health + Hospitals is proud to support the Brooklyn Community Baby Shower, an event that nurtures healthier beginnings for mothers, babies, and families,” said Dr. Wendy Wilcox, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG, Co-Chair of Brooklyn Borough President’s Maternal Health Task Force, Chief Women’s Health Officer of New York City Health + Hospitals, and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) at New York City Health + Hospitals/Woodhull Hospital. “By providing education, essential resources, and a network of community support, we are helping to improve equity in maternal and infant health. Together, we can ensure that every baby is welcomed into a strong, informed, and empowered community, paving the way for healthier outcomes for generations to come.”

“JCCA’s East Flatbush Community Partnership is deeply grateful to Borough President Antonio Reynoso for funding our Community Baby Shower,” said Ronald Richter, CEO of the Jewish Childcare Association of New York. “We are proud to support expectant families by providing essential infant items, connecting them to vital community resources, and offering expert insights through our doula panel discussion. Thank you, BP Reynoso, for helping to build a strong network of support for Brooklyn parents.”

“When we found out that Canarsie, Brooklyn, has the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rate in NY and one of the highest in the U.S., this spoke to the Kiwanis mission focused on improving communities and serving children worldwide,” said Naomi Lehrer, Vice President Elect of Kiwanis Club of Kings Plaza Canarsie. “The Canarsie Community Baby Shower was a way for Kiwanis to educate and provide resources while celebrating our new and expecting moms and welcoming their children, our newest community members.”

“Borough President Reynoso’s funding is crucial, allowing us to connect with families who can benefit from the parent support we offer to caregivers of young children through the highly effective Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) program. It is lifechanging, and we are deeply grateful to have support to fulfill our mission,” said Coleen Stevens Porcher, Executive Director at Power of Two.

About the Community Baby Shower Fund

Information for Prospective Applicants

Overview

Borough President Reynoso will provide up to $5,000 in matching funds, provided on a reimbursement basis, to support the cost of non-personnel expenses associated with the community baby shower.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Community Baby Shower Fund, applicants must:

• Have a current 501(c)3 status.
• Be able to match requested funding amount by submitting a description of where matching funds are coming from.
• Have a history of service in at least one of the initiative’s target neighborhoods.
• Have a history of serving prenatal and postnatal/postpartum individuals and their families.
• Have a history of planning community baby showers or similar resource events.
• Host their event between July 21, 2025, and May 31, 2026.

Priority Neighborhoods

Borough President Reynoso will prioritize funding to applicants holding community baby showers in neighborhoods with historically high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, including:

• Bedford-Stuyvesant
• Brownsville
• Bushwick
• Canarsie
• Coney Island
• Crown Heights
• East Flatbush
• East New York
• Flatbush/Midwood
• Sunset Park

Important Information

• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are no longer available.
• Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
• All funding is issued on a reimbursement basis.

How to Apply

1. Submit your application via the Community Baby Shower Fund request form available on our website at https://www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov/departments/budget/
2. Submit these three documents to [email protected] with the subject line “Community Baby Shower Fund.”
   1. 501(c)3 Letter of Determination.
   2. Most recent Form 990 or financial statement.
   3. Project budget.

The Borough President’s Historic Maternal Health Agenda: A Recap

Maternal Health Task Force

In April 2022, BP Reynoso formed his Maternal Health Task Force of eight Black women OBGYNs, nurses, midwives, mental health advocates, nonprofit and other community leaders to guide efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes for Black and Brown people in Brooklyn. The Task Force is led by Dr. Wendy Wilcox (Co-Chair), Chief Women’s Health Service Officer at Health + Hospitals and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) at Woodhull Hospital, and Helena Grant (Co-Chair), Senior Advisor of Midwifery Initiatives for DOHMH and President of NYS Midwives.

$45M for Public Hospitals

Over the 2022 summer, BP Reynoso allocated the entirety of his FY2023 capital funding – a total of $45 million – to Brooklyn’s three public hospitals for maternal healthcare improvements. This marked the first time a Borough President has ever allocated an entire fiscal year’s capital funding to one cause, and within one city organization.

• NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County received $15.625M to renovate the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) and mother-baby units.
• NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health received $18.5M to renovate the outpatient care center, labor and delivery rooms, post-partum recovery rooms, and NICU.
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull received $11M to build a state-of-the-art birthing center.

‘Born in Brooklyn’ Baby Boxes

In November 2022, a total of 500 post-partum families receiving care at select Brooklyn hospitals and clinics received “Born in Brooklyn” baby boxes with free baby supplies and post-partum resources for new parents through a $100,000 grant from the BP’s office to Met Council.

‘Healthy Pregnancy’ Public Education Campaign

In the fall of 2022, BP Reynoso launched a $250,000 multimedia public education campaign connecting Brooklynites with a resource guide for a healthy pregnancy informed by the Borough President’s Maternal Health Taskforce. The multicultural campaign included English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole informational ads in bus and train stations in key Brooklyn neighborhoods and across digital platforms.

Maternal Health Expo

In July 2023, BP Reynoso welcomed over a hundred new and expecting parents to Brooklyn Borough Hall for a ‘Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies’ maternal health expo. The afternoon-long event included:

• Workshops on prenatal nutrition, breastfeeding, safe sleep, and rights like parental leave and health insurance;
• Mommy and Me yoga and belly dancing classes;
• Resources and information from 20+ agencies and community organizations;
• A Pack-n-Play raffle.

Over $1M for Brookdale

BP Reynoso allocated $1,045,000 in FY24 capital dollars to renovate and modernize the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Brookdale Hospital. Brookdale is a safety-net hospital that provides comprehensive healthcare services to underserved communities in central and northeast Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Community Baby Shower

In April 2024, BP Reynoso hosted a ‘Brooklyn Community Baby Shower’ for 100 new and expecting mothers. The day-long celebration took place at NYCHA’s Van Dyke Community Center in Brownsville and included:

• Over a dozen organizations tabling with resources and information;
• Workshops on safe sleep and postpartum mental health;
• Games, arts & crafts, and contests;
• And of course, gifts! Attendees left with diaper bags full of diapers, baby wipes, baby blankets, postpartum pads, and baby books, as well as a supply box containing a baby bottle, cocoa butter, additional baby wipes, and more.

Community Baby Shower Fund

In July 2024, BP Reynoso announced a $50,000 ‘Community Baby Shower Fund’ to provide matching funds of up to $5,000 to Brooklyn nonprofits hosting community baby showers in neighborhoods with high maternal mortality and morbidity rates.

Perinatal Mental Health Partnership with Brooklyn College

In April 2025, BP Reynoso and Brooklyn College announced a new Advanced Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health to prepare healthcare, mental health, early intervention, and early educational professionals to support pregnant mothers and birthing parents experiencing mental distress. The program, which is the first of its kind in New York state, piloted two courses in Spring 2025 and will host its first full cohort in Fall 2025.

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