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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Staff Development and Appreciation Day

The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo hosted this year's Staff Development and Appreciation Day. Our team gathered in The Bronx to learn about our organization's priorities and celebrate all we've accomplished. Thank you to Board President Bryan Koplin for your kind words and Board Member Mario Tufano for an engaging presentation to our team. We're grateful to Bronx Borough President Hon. Vanessa L. Gibson for a rousing "Welcome to The Bronx" and to our banking partners, Amalgamated Bank and Spring Bank, for sharing financial wellness opportunities with our team.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Assemblymember Grace Lee

Thank you to Assemblymember Grace Lee for celebrating with us at Vision Urbana’s Hispanic Heritage Month event! Assemblymember Lee’s office presented Grand Street and the staff of our Older Adults Center with a proclamation in recognition of our work supporting the Hispanic community of the Lower East Side. 

We Want 2-Care for All

Our partners at United Neighborhood Houses and New Yorkers United for Child Care have released a bold new plan to achieve free, universal 2-Care for all New York City families. The blueprint aims to meet the needs of and reduce the financial burden working families face by providing free, full-day, year-round 2-Care for All, permanently sustained through city allocations, state revenue, and federal subsidies.

It’s vital that we continue to push towards truly universal child care from birth for all New York families. 

Feeding New York Families

We’re incredibly grateful to our friends at Tacombi and Naya for distributing healthy and nutritious meals to Grand Street Settlement Community Centers as part of Chobani’s Let's Eat Week 2025. According to data from City Harvest, 50% of working families in New York City are struggling to make ends meet, and about 1 in 4 children experience food insecurity. On November 1st, SNAP will no longer be available for enrolled Americans unless Congress comes to an agreement to reopen the federal government.

Take action today by sending a letter to Congress calling for them to stand up for families who rely on SNAP benefits.

CIGnified: A Bronx Celebration

This month, Bronx Children's Museum (BxCM) celebrated its historic accomplishment of being included in New York Cultural Institutions Group. Friends of BxCM, including CEO Robert Cordero and NEST+M Program Director Anthony Ovando, enjoyed a playful and joyful celebration at the museum's "playground just for grown-ups!"

Pumpkin Picking at Sunset Park Playground

Sunset Park Child & Family Center participants went picking in the pumpkin patch! Children and their families celebrated the fall season by picking and decorating pumpkins together. Children honed their fine-motor skills and creativity as they worked on their autumnal projects alongside their loved ones.

Shining A Light on Afterschool

Across our Community Centers, Youth participants had the opportunity to share how attending Grand Street's afterschool program has impacted them at the annual Lights On Afterschool event. Baruch Community Center went retro with a Lights On: Glow-in-the-Dark theme. Assembly District Leader Kenesha Traynham-Cooper joined Tompkins' Lights On Resource Fair, and our Early Childhood program shared enrollment and benefits assistance opportunities with families. Participants decorated Williamsburg's fence with paper lightbulbs that described why they loved afterschool. Marcy participants enjoyed tasty cupcakes while designing their lightbulbs. SONYC Rose Center participants collaborated on their lightbulbs with our Seniors, then broke into an impromptu dance party!

Warm Welcome at the Warwick Fall Closet

Just in time for the cold weather, Warwick Community School turned its outdoor area into a Fall Closet. Families were able to shop for winter coats, boots, and other warm weather gear donated by Grand Street and Warwick Community School staff. 

Fraud Prevention Bingo 

Thank you to Amalgamated Bank for hosting a Fraud and Identity Protection workshop with our Older Adults program! Seniors learned how to keep safe while using web-based financial services and how to identify scammers. Seniors then put their knowledge to the test with a game of bingo. Triumphant participants won goodie bags filled with prizes, but all attendees left with knowledge on how to better protect their sensitive information.

Pumpkin Painting Party

The Lower East Side Child and Family Center received a generous pumpkin donation from Friends of Gulick Park & Supporting Parks and Revitalizing Communities (SPARCS). Participants were keen to partake in a Pumpkin Painting Party just in time to celebrate the Fall season. 

College Tours

They grow up so fast! It’s college tour season, and our Lyons 21st CCLC students are looking towards the future. Students visited several colleges in the Greater New York area, including Adelphi University on Long Island and Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, where they were able to tour campuses and learn more about potential scholarship opportunities.

Professional Development Through Art

Our creative curricula aren’t just for our participants! Bushwick Child & Family Center staff explored their artistic spark through a special professional development workshop with Studio in a School to help train teachers to build their capacity to teach visual arts education.

Serving Up a Smile 

Our partners at Amalgamated Bank sent employees to volunteer with our Older Adults Program lunch service on October 15th. They spent the afternoon serving nutritious meals to our community of seniors, sharing anecdotes and laughter. Thanks again to Amalgamated Bank for their dedicated support of our Older Adults and Grand St. Settlement!

Falling in Love with Reading

Sunset Park Child & Family Center students are “shopping” for their next favorite fall read at their annual site book fair. Students and their families used pretend money to make their purchases, inspiring a real love for reading. 

Halloween Spirit 

Grand Street sites were in the Halloween spirit this month! M.S. 582’s Community Fall Festival invited middle and elementary school students from PS 196 for an evening of pumpkin decorating, face painting, and carnival games. Meanwhile, at the Transfiguration School Halloween party, students were keen to dress up in their best costumes and explore games and activities on display–the slime table was a popular stop.

A Cozy Mid-Autumn Festival

Senior Housing participants got into the spirit of the cozy season at this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration! Residents enjoyed traditional music performances, snacked on mooncakes, and warm feelings of connection and community. 

Family Fun Day at Pelham Parkway

Our Pelham Parkway Child and Family Center recently hosted its inaugural Family Fun Friday. Families had the opportunity to explore the space and connect with Grand Street staff and teachers ahead of the official opening. Children (and parents) were captivated by educational, interactive storytelling sessions led by our incredible staff!

Spooky (and Sweet) Cookie Decorating

These cookies are more treat than trick! Baruch Community Center participants joined a Halloween Cookie Decorating Party with NYPD Community Affairs Section Housing in collaboration with Schmackery's Bakery.

Happy Birthday, BEST NORC!

Baruch Elder Services Team (BEST) NORC celebrated 22 years of supporting Seniors in our community. Ms. G’s Services Home Care Agency provided a delicious cake to wish Best NORC and our October-borne Seniors a special day. Here’s to another 22 years (and more) of supporting Seniors with care, community, and dignity!

Future Doctors at Play

Our young learners at Bushwick Child & Family Center are proving it’s never too early to start thinking about a career in medicine. Learning through play is just one of the many ways our early childhood program emphasizes social-emotional learning. 

Minions Love Afterschool

Our Seward Park Community Center participants are showing off their afterschool love–Minion style! Using arts and craft materials, participants designed and created Minion characters that they felt embodied their personality and wrote an accompanying description of why they loved being part of an afterschool program.

Remixin’ at Gowanus 

Gowanus Community Center is tapping into its music producer side! At this intergenerational event centered around positivity, participants reworked lyrics and dance moves of mainstream songs into upbeat, positive remixes. 

Brushin' Up on Oral Health

Say cheese! Participants at our Delancey, Lower East Side, Seward Park, and Bushwick Child & Family Centers, as well as our partner site Hamilton Madison House, were visited by our partners from NYU Dental. Over 60 children across our sites learned about dental hygiene through play and received complimentary dental screenings

Breast Cancer Awareness

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention month, SHARE Cancer Support held an informative presentation at our Older Adults Center. SHARE community educators are trained to educate economically disadvantaged Latin American, African-American/Black, and Chinese communities about breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer. Participants listened closely as they were educated and empowered to make informed health decisions.