Welcome to Around the Settlement, our monthly blog post sharing a deeper look into all of the vital programs and services provided by Grand St. Settlement throughout the Lower East Side, Brooklyn, and The Bronx.

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Universal Child Care

The Grand Street team joined advocates, parents, educators, elected officials, and neighbors to cheer Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani as they announced an increase of $1.7 billion in funding alongside a road map towards making universal child care a reality in New York.

This investment will make Pre-K universal statewide, launch a city-funded 2-care program, and expand subsidies to families as this system is built and implemented.

We're proud to have rallied time and again alongside partners like United Neighborhood Houses, Day Care Council of New York, New Yorkers for Child Care, and so many more.

Free Tax Prep

Robotics at The Rose Center

The Clubhouse at The Rose Center and NEST+m partnered with the FTC Robotics team, the Electric Eagles, to prepare for an upcoming robotics competition. Staff at the Clubhouse provided technological guidance, advice on how to do fundraising and community outreach, and support in building the best robot possible. Congrats to the Electric Eagles for qualifying for the next round of their competition!

First Meal at The Rose Center

Our Grand Coalition of Older Adults is officially back and better than ever at The Rose Center! Classes, workshops, events, and meals are in full swing for our Seniors who’d previously been attending activities and receiving their daily hot meal at our smaller Essex Crossing Community Center site. Everyone was thrilled to sit down together for a wonderful first community meal back. 

Toy Drive Goodies

Thank you to all who donated to our Holiday Toy Drive! With your support and a dash of holiday magic and festive cheer, we were able to provide engaging and creative toys for our youngest learners.

Rutgers Restock

The new year is the perfect time to clean out unwanted but useful items or restock on all the essentials. Rutgers Community Center hosted a household items giveaway for the neighborhood. From liquid detergent to cleaning supplies, to salt and sugar, community members at Rutgers were well-prepared to tackle the new year.

Game On!

Best Buy Teen Tech Center intern, Erik, is working on the map for the video game he’s developing. Erik has been utilizing Unity to code the game and Pixilart for the graphics. We hope to get a chance to playtest the final product!

Building Community Power Together

Our Baruch Tenant Association volunteers came together to embark on a meaningful postcard campaign in support of SNAP funding for low-income New Yorkers. Our incredible volunteers, who have desired to further their participation in community-level advocacy, sat down to write heartfelt messages about protecting SNAP to ensure older adults in New York can live healthy, flourishing lives.

2026 Vision Boarding 

Vision boarding is making a comeback at Grand Street! Thanks to our fantastic PTA and SLT members at MS 582, students and families were able to come together to create their collages while envisioning upcoming goals for 2026–and sipping on some tasty hot cocoa. 

Cocinado con Baruch

Pa’lante! To kick off the new year, Baruch Elder Services Team (BEST) NORC had Chef Maria Bido of Mia’s Cocina bring her signature Puerto Rican warmth to a cooking class on site. Chef Maria’s patient and passionate character made the cooking demo an unforgettable experience for our seniors–the refreshing mango salad was also delicious!  

DIY Keyboards

Participants are sparking up some new ideas at Bushwick-Hylan Clubhouse. Utilizing DIY keyboards with aluminum foil, Makey Makey kits, and a dash of creativity, participants built a simple circuit using their bodies as conductors to play their favorite Roblox games!

Gimme a C-H-E-E-R!

Lyons SONYC middle school cheerleaders brought big smiles and enthusiastic energy during their first cheer appearance of the season! Thank you to the squad for showing school spirit!

Ready, Set, LEGO!

An obstacle course designed with LEGOs is no match for the collaborative team spirit of Gowanus Community Center participants. Students honed their communication skills as they guided their blindfolded partner through the tricky obstacle course to victory. 

Nothing but Net

Williamsburg Community School SNL basketball league players have got their heads in the game! Participants have been drilling for the upcoming league, and we couldn’t be prouder of the work and dedication our students are putting into the team and out on the court!

Expression through Self-Portraits

Humans are no strangers to using the arts to understand and express themselves, and our Marcy Cornerstone artists are taking that to the next level. During Creative Crafts activities, participants created self-portraits in the style of how they looked to themselves when they were experiencing strong emotions (anger, sadness, joy, relaxation, etc.) Nicely done, Marcy!