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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2026 Board Retreat

Members of our Board of Directors, staff, and partners gathered at Sunset Park West CFC to discuss strategic goals and priorities for Grand Street throughout the next fiscal year and beyond. We're grateful to those who were able to attend in person as well as our partner, Gary Bagley, for organizing a productive and inspiring day.

Partnering with Human Services Council

CEO Robert Cordero was named to the Human Services Council Board of Directors, helping steer strategy and governance for one of the premiere human services advocacy organizations in New York City. We're excited to continue pushing with them on policy priorities that impact our dedicated staff.

Renovating West Farms

The renovation of our most recent Head Start site is nearly complete as West Farms Child and Family Center prepares to open to serve even more children and families in the Bronx! We're still hiring for roles supporting our new Head Start centers throughout the role. Learn more and apply today!

Giving the Bronx a Head Start

Two of our newest sites in the Bronx hosted Open Houses to welcome in parents and children in the neighborhood! Families toured the site, met the teachers, and even participated in a few activities! Mount Eden Child and Family Center CFC went all in for the fall decor, and Mott Haven CFC was honored to have Council Member Elsie Encarnación join us as we provide more opportunities for high-quality childcare in the Bronx.

¡Delicioso!

The Baruch Elder Services Team NORC honored the start of Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting a delicious lunch! Representing a variety of Hispanic cuisines, volunteers prepared classic cultural dishes like arroz con gandules, ham with pineapple, and crab salad. Seniors also enjoyed the music from their favorite Concerts in Motion performers, Humberto and Oscar!

Snap a Pic!

Brooklyn Community Arts and Media School students are back and readier than ever to show off their BCAM pride! Participants created colorful, large picture frames that they then posed behind with friends and classmates. Photos were taken, memories were made, and school spirit is high! 

Driving Change

Earlier this month, we said goodbye to summer at the 6th Annual Golf Classic. The incredible generosity shown by our sponsors, including lead sponsor MindTech NYC Solutions, golfers, Board Members, and donors, for driving change with us on the beautiful greens of Preakness Hills Country Club. With your generosity, we raised vital funds to support over 19,000 New Yorkers with hot meals, high-quality childcare, afterschool STEAM activities, and so much more.

Coquí in the City

Stuyvesant Heights CFC students were in for a Hispanic Heritage Month treat! During storytime, teachers read “Coquí in the City” by Puerto Rican children's book author/illustrator Nomar Perez. The story follows a boy, Miguel, and his pet frog, Coquí, as Miguel navigates the challenges of moving from Puerto Rico to New York City.

Getting Ready

Tompkins Community Center prepared the community for the school year with a Back 2 School Giveaway event that brought the community together, thanks to the support of staff, volunteers, and community partners. Along with backpacks, students had a chance to peruse a variety of books that inspired more than a few lifelong readers! 

We Love Afterschool

Roosevelt Community Center families were treated to sweet treats while they learned about Roosevelt’s safe, high-quality afterschool program–and how quickly they could sign up.

Mid-Autumn Festival

That cozy fall feeling is in the air, and our Senior Housing residents are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival! A traditional holiday that honors togetherness, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations are a tradition at Grand Street Senior Housing and at BEST NORC. Snacking on yummy mooncakes while enjoying performances (thank you to the Tang Art Center for showcasing their culture for our BEST NORC seniors) 

Grand Street also enjoyed attending Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Mid-Autumn Festival hosted at Gracie Mansion celebrating an important holidy in East Asian cultures. While there we were able to mingle with partners including NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and our City Council Member Christopher Marte.

Make Your Own Monster

Halloween is around the corner, and Seward Park Community Center’s participants are in a spooky mood! With a variety of arts and crafts supplies, participants created their own unique monsters! 

Crab Fest

Gowanus and Wyckoff Gardens Community Center participants took a trip to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate this year’s Crab Fest, enjoying buttery helpings of all-you-can-eat crab!

Get Out the Vote

We celebrated National Voter Registration by asking our community: Have you made a voting plan yet? You can check your registration on vote.nyc and view important dates, deadlines (last day to register is October 24th), and sample ballots at nycvotes.org. We'll be sharing information on our social media over the coming weeks to keep the community aware of upcoming deadlines. 

Bring Your Paternal Figure to School Day

Across our Early Childhood sites, classes hosted some extra-special guests for the children –their dads! Dads, uncles, brothers, and grandpas joined the children to help feel braver about meeting new classmates and teachers, and excited to learn. 

¡Dimelo!

Lyons Community School held a ¡Dimelo! Night where families of Hispanic and Latin American descent educated the Lyons community on the history of Bomba and Plena dance, and led attendees in crafting their own maracas and creating a beautiful mosaic-style mural!

Talented, Always

We want to congratulate all the incredible senior performers who participated in NYC Aging’s “Talent is Timeless” competition! While our graceful Chinese Dance Group and the strikingly dynamic solo performer Amanda Rodriguez did not advance to the next round, we are incredibly proud of them and honored that they represented Grand Street!

Lights, Camera, Create!

The Best Buy Teen Tech Center has kicked off its fall programming with a Camera and Lights workshop. More workshops this fall include introductions to graphic design programs, 3D modeling, and advanced robotics for our more experienced participants! Registration for Intro Workshops and Advanced Projects is now open for Fall.

Mixer at Bushwick-Hylan

Bushwick-Hylan Community Center welcomed the new school year with a day of ice cream, crafts, and games for the perfect end-of-summer party!

Music Time

The Brooklyn cohort of our Little Ones and Loved Ones (LoLos) home-based programs visited our Sunset Park West CFC site to participate in movement and music activities. Babies enjoyed dancing and (sort of) singing along to classics like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Old MacDonald, as well as some earworms, like Baby Shark

Nothing But Net

Congrats to Grand Street's P.S. 84 for winning a nailbiter of a game at the Parks Association Basketball Tournament!

Let Them Bake Cake

At P.S2 54, cake decorating season has begun! Participants are learning the basic tools and techniques needed for cake decorating. Next class, they'll be decorating actual cakes!