All posts by louise crawford

Thurs, Dec 10: Feast, Writers on Food at Brooklyn Reading Works

Grocery Bag
Before you go to the reading, do some shopping on Fifth Avenue or take advantage of specials at local restaurants all part of the Snowflake Celebration.

Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:

FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.

With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville

Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation

Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.

Walking Woodstock: Journeys Into the Wild Heart of A Famous Small Town

Will Nixon is a friend, who lives in Ulster County in Upstate New York. He came down to Brooklyn Reading Works to read in the Poetry Punch last year and I enjoyed his poems very much.

And now he's co-written a new called Walking Woodstock
Journeys into the Wild Heart of America's Most Famous Small Town.

It might be just the thing for that someone on your gift list who loves Woodstock and Ulster County. Just a thought.

Michael Perkins and Will Nixon decided
to walk across Woodstock, not just the modern town of busy roads but
the older village of bluestone quarries, abandoned forest paths, and
mountain views they had all to themselves. Walking Woodstock collects their adventures, many first published in the Woodstock Times, that
ranged from the delights of finding spring flowers to the fears of a
mountain rescue. Full of humor, history, friendship, nature, hikers'
lore, and walkers' musings, these journeys reveal the wild heart that
beats in all of us when we set forth to explore our home terrain on
foot.

You can buy it here.


Dec 10 at 6:30 PM: F-Train Town Hall Meeting at PS 58

F TRAIN TOWN HALL MEETING
Thursday, December 10, 6:30 pm
PS 58 Auditorium, 330 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY
(Corner of Smith and Carroll streets, at Carroll Street stop on the F line)

This
past summer, Senator Squadron called on the MTA to conduct a full line
review of the F Train.  In October, the MTA released the findings from
this review (which you can find on Senator Squadron's website at: www.squadron.nysenate.gov).

At
the Town Hall Meeting, MTA representatives will discuss the recent
report about F train performance and proposals for improving service. Senator Squadron and City Councilmember-elect Brad Lander will be there.

Dec 10: A Literary Feast & Benefit for Local Food Pantry in Park Slope

Grocery Bag
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:

FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.

With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville

Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation

Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.

Leon Freilch, Verse Responder: Orphans of the Wash

ORPHANS OF THE WASH

You say these socks are schizophrenic,

That red and green're not as authenic

As a genuine, legitimate pair.

But wait!  Such reasoning's unfair

Applied to struggling stretched-out orphans

Whose experience as recent morphens

Has left them totally bereft,

Both the right sock and the left.

Each lost his dearly beloved twin

While sloshing around, about
and in

A washing machine as it revolved

Soapily till both evolved

Into poor garments without sibs

And cried into some much-soiled bibs.

You know of course that socks have no

Mother or father or granny, so

When a left proceeds to lose its right

Both lives become an endless
night
.

The least that you and yours can do

Is foster-parent these poor two;

Bestow a home that's warmly sweet–

Wear them together on your feet.

Brad Lander to the Rescue: ULURP For Proposed School Site in Carroll Gardens!

  In the following press release City Councilmember-elect Brad Lander says that he has convinced Bill deBlasio's not to go through with legislation that would allow development and a change of zoning to site at First Place and Smith Street. Next year, he says, there will be a NYC Uniform Land Use Review Proceudre about that site. This is probably music to the ears of local residents who were angered by deBlasio's "secretive effort to allow a politically
connected private school to move ahead with a two-story extension atop
of the courtyards that give Carroll Gardens is very character," writes the Brooklyn Paper. Inc

"I am pleased to report that, after conversations
with Councilmember Bill de Blasio, he has agreed that legislation that
would allow development on the lot at the corner of First Place and
Smith Street in Carroll Gardens will not be introduced before he leaves
the City Council.  The proposed change will instead be considered next
year through the NYC Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).
The change has been proposed by the Hannah Senesh
Community Day School to enable a two-story expansion of their school
into the lot they are currently using as a parking lot, which is
currently owned by the NYC Department of Transportation.  The lot is
covered by a courtyard requirement that exists on the front yards of
the 'Place blocks' in Carroll Gardens.
The change being proposed is a significant one,
which would involve an amendment to the City's Administrative Code to
remove the courtyard requirement, the disposition of the lot from the
NYC Department of Transportation to Hannah Senesh, and other land use
actions.
I believe that the City Council should not remove
the courtyard requirement in the next few weeks, in a process that
would not include community hearings, a vote of the Community Board, or
the disclosure of ULURP.  Instead, the proposed actions should be
considered together through the NYC Uniform Land Use Review Procedure
(ULURP), which provides a full public-review process with full
disclosure, review of environmental impact, community hearings, and
recommendations the Community Board, Borough President, and City
Planning Commission before a vote by the City Council.  
It initially appeared that the City preferred the
Administrative Code change considered first. However, I have spoken
with the NYC Department of City Planning and the NYC Department of
Transportation, and they have both agreed that the proposals could be
reviewed simultaneously.  Councilmember de Blasio has therefore agreed
to defer consideration of the Administrative Code change, which would
instead be reviewed next year, simultaneous to the ULURP process.  
Through the ULURP process, I will listen to all
points of view, consider all of the information provided, and review
the opinions of Community Board 6, the Brooklyn Borough President, and
the City Planning Commission before making my own decision on the
proposal.”

Brooklyn Bridge Park to Get Additional $55 Million From City

The Brooklyn Bugle reports on Monday evening's meeting about Brookyn Bridge Park at LICH with Daniel Squadron and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benape. Here's an excerpt:

Characterizing Brooklyn Bridge Park as “the most exciting park project
in New York City in 100 years”, City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benape announced, at the meeting at LICH hosted by State
Sen. Daniel Squadron that the City is prepared,
pending State approval, immediately to commit an additional $55 million
to the capital construction fund for Brooklyn Bridge Park. This money
would be used to build athletic facilities, including a seasonal
“bubble” on Pier 2, a skating rink, and a pedestrian bridge from Squibb
Park to Brooklyn Bridge Park. The availability of these funds is
contingent upon the state government’s approval of the City’s taking
control of the Park’s development.

Thoughts From a Park Slope Rabbi: Obligation Without Fanfare

I periodically check in with Rabbi Andy Bachman's blog, Water Over Rocks. Today I found out that that his synagogue, Congregation Beth Elohim, is running a food drive for City Harvest. Canned and dry goods can be left in the Temple House at 274 Garfield Place.

I also took a quick look at his always interesting blog posts and found this poignant post called Plural, Amen, which expresses the many responsibilities faced by the rabbi of a large local congregation. Here's an excerpt.

The earlier part of the week was all about making the organizational
decisions to help put us on the right footing for a campaign to
renovate and restore our buildings, including fundraising coffees and
fundraising

And then, just like that, today pivoted, and I'm
helping to find housing for a family left nearly homeless in this
brutal economy and within moments, sitting with a bereaved woman whose
husband of 46 years died and she can't function without him. That's
16,790 days with one person. Try to imagine doing something with
someone for 16,790 days in a row and then all of a sudden lose that
presence, lose that voice, suffer from the absence of that soul. There
is survivor's guilt; anger; anxiety; depression. And an unspeakable
loneliness that few of us truly know.

A fire alarm went off
during this conversation today and my visitor kept checking her watch.
"You must be busy," she said. "I'm not a member of your shul. I should
go." "But you are here," I said. "And we're together. So stay."

I
thought, but didn't say, "The fundraising and the strategizing is for
moments like these, the quiet moments of service." Obligation without
fanfare. Just the response.

lunches followed by strategic meetings and planning
sessions.

Dec 17-19 at The Bell House: Chip Music & Blip Festival NYC

Trash-bin
symphonies and ray-chasing pixel pushers herald the explosive return of
Blip Festival New York City. The three-day music and arts festival
returns to Brooklyn's Bell House December 17th, 18th, and 19th and is
presented by Manhattan arts organization The Tank, in partnership with
NYC artist collective 8bitpeoples.  Entering its 4th year of
celebrating the best and brightest from the realm of chipmusic and its
related disciplines, the festival showcases the use of the former
heavyweights of computing such as the Commodore 64 and Amiga, the Atari
ST and 2600, and the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy to
create arresting music and visual art.  

Click here for 3-day festival pass tickets! 

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3034814

Or click the link below for a single day ticket.  

http://www.thebellhouseny.com/media/buy-tickets.gif

http://blipfestival.org/2009/

333 Collaged Matchboxes By Philip Naude for Sale: Recession Friendly Gift of Art

PHILIP NAUDE MATCHBOXES
 For the last few weeks, artist Philip Naudé has been in his studio crafting
333 collaged matchboxes that will be part of his exhibition, Multum in Parvo, at the Fun Times gallery in Park Slope/Gowanus.

The matchboxes are part of a new program
called the 01.01.10 Initiative, where each matchbox is for sale for $10. It's one-of-a-kind recession friendly art! Upon purchase, the benefactor is asked to remove the matchbox from the display and then replace it with a
new one on which he or she may write their name or anything
they like.

To view the matchboxes, please visit: www.philipnaude.com/matchbox.htm

Multum in Parvo
by Philip Naudé. Opening reception: Friday, December 11, 2009, 6-9PM,
Fun Times, 257 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Exhibition continues
through January 15, 2010

Canned Food Drives in Park Slope

If you know of any churches or places that need canned food let me know and I will add to list

CHIPS on 4th Avenue near Douglas Street would love donations of canned foods.

St. Francis Xavier Church on 6th Avenue and Carroll Street and St.
Augustine Church
on 6th Avenue near St. Johns Place both have food
pantries for people in need and I am sure they could use donations. 

Church of Gethsemane, 1012 Eighth Ave, Park Slope (between 10th and 11th). Food can be dropped off any time from 10:00AM-4:40PM  MONDAY-THURSDAY

 Canned and Dry Goods Can Be Left in Temple House of Congregation Beth Elohim. 

A Photograph is Worth One Thousand Gifts

Crw_3976_std_std
A friend stopped me the other day (at the PS 321 Craft Fair) and asked if Hugh was still selling prints from his beloved Trees at Night series.

And the answer is a resounding YES. You can look at them here.

He happens to have some prints that he'd be happy to sell. You might also consider prints from his recent Essence and Accident show at the Old Stone House.

A pix of Coney Island in the snow could be just the thing for a friend.

 If you'd like to come by and look at prints PLEASE let us know. Just email me: louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com and we can make a plan.

This Thursday: Feast: Writers on Food & Benefit for Park Slope Food Pantry

Grocery Bag
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:

FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.

With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville

Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation

Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.

Here are this year's Feast writers:

–Peter
Catapano has written about music, books, art and food for several
publications, including Wired, Salon, ARTNews and The New York Times.
His most recent piece, about a love affair — with a pizzeria — gone
wrong, appeared in the Times Dining blog.

–Greg Fuchs is the
author of Board of Education, Came Like It Went, Metropolitan Transit,
New Orleans Xmas, Rolling Papers, and Temporary. He is a member of
Subpress publishing collective. He is co-editor of Open 24 Hours, which
publishes poetry in the spirit of the mimeo-revolution of the 1960s.
Fuchs serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Poetry
Project.

–Nancy Garfinkel is co-author of The Recipe Club ,The
Wine Lover’s Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and
Mendocino. A writer, design consultant, creative strategist, and editor
for a wide range of magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she
has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has
written extensively about food and graphic arts.

–Ame Gilbert is
an art and food person with fingers in many pots. She’s Curator for the
Umami: food and art festival, a biennial performance festival coming up
in early March. She teaches Culinary Arts to Bronx youth, paid for by a
foundation whose mission is literacy. She has a small catering company,
is chef for a monthly salon called poetrysciencetalks and is a partner
in a company called Communal Table: art shops with supper and a poetry
slam. In between multiple online Scrabble games, she writes an
occasional poem.

–Andrea Israel is a co-author of The Recipe Club
, and a producer/writer for ABC’s Focus Earth. She was a
producer/writer for Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and Good Morning
America (which garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story, “In Donald’s
Eyes,” was optioned for a film. She is the author of Taking Tea, a
guide to the history and ceremony of the drink. Her writing has
appeared in many publications
Alexander Nazaryan is an English
teacher in Brooklyn. He has written for the Village Voice, New
Criterion and other publications, and is working on his first novel,
"Golden Youth," about Russian organized crime in Brooklyn.

–Sophia
Romero is the author of ALWAYS HIDING a novel about illegal immigration
and published by William Morrow. Born and raised in Manila, Sophia is a
former hotel PR executive and journalist, who writes the SHIKSA FROM
MANILA, a blog based on the imaginary life of Amapola Gold, as she
romps through life as the other half of an interfaith, intercultural
marriage."

–Poet Michele Madigan Somerville is the author of Black Irish and WISEGAL.

Does Brooklyn Have the Best Indie Bookstores in the City?

I'm just saying. The four I'm most familiar with seem to be full of energy and excitement. There's the Community Bookstore in Park Slope, Bookcourt in Cobble Hill, which recently enlarged and is packed with books and events, Greenlight Bookstore, the brand new exciting bookstore in Fort Greene and Word Books in Greenpoint, which is also a very happening place.

Books make great books dontcha think?

BAX Online Auction/Fundraiser is in Full Swing

BAX where I teach my How To Blog class (which started last Wednesday and continues for two more) is having its annual auction. Great prizes for a great arts organization in Park Slope.

Just in time for your holiday shopping, the BAX Holiday Online
Auction is open! The auction will close on Friday, December 18th at
11PM.

From an Apple iPod Touch to 4 VIP tickets to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, we have some amazing items and deals. From the simple to extravagant, our catalogue is sure to fit every budget and gift list.

Please note there are some special "Buy Now" deals including tickets to Gotham Comedy Club and Chunky Moves
at BAM on December 11th. If you choose the Buy Now option, you will
receive these tickets immediately to take full advantage of the offer.

Have fun bidding while knowing you are supporting arts and artists in progress. Don't forget to tell your friends,

Lethem Finishes Reading Chronic City Aloud in 9-Hour Marathon at Bookcourt

The Brooklyn Paper has the story of Lethem's final reading of his new book, Chronic City, which was selected by the NY Times as one of the ten best books of the year. Here's an excerpt (from the BP story not from Chornic City).

Only 13 were left — and certainly not standing — when the all-out
war between Jonathan Lethem and his new novel ended at 4:11 am on
Saturday.

It might never have come to this — a nine-hour marathon reading — had the Bard of Boerum Hill not failed so dismally in
his promise read the entirety of his new 467-page book, “Chronic City,”
on eight successive nights between Oct. 16 and Dec. 4 at BookCourt —
his home turf.

Even after adding an extra session last week at Word bookshop in Greenpoint, Lethem still had roughly half of the doorstopper to go.

Still, he started promptly at 7 pm, gleam in his eye and a few jokes
up his sleeve. He said he timed the reading himself — though he was
smart enough to not reveal the estimated time of completion.

By 7:40 pm, he was already pouring sweat like Jerry Lewis on Labor Day — and he was losing fans fast…

OTBKB Music: The Second Half of December

More advance planning, this time for the second half of December.  Some
clubs still haven't updated their schedules, some events still have details to come and some details and times might change.  We'll hit New Year's Eve later.

Thursday Dec. 17: Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds: the very large blues
band who packed them into The Rockwood Music Hall weekends this summer
now comes to Park Slope.  Part of Mining the
Roots, also appearing Brothers Moving and Bertha. Southpaw, 125 Fifth
Avenue (between St. Johns and Sterling Places), 8pm doors,

Thursday Dec. 17: 3rd Annual George Harrison Tribute: details to come,
Banjo Jim's, 9th
Street and Avenue C (F Train to 14th Street, transfer to the 14D bus
going east, exit at 11th Street and Avenue C).

Friday Dec. 18: The Mumbles.  I haven't seen them, but they come
recommended by a friend and I've been intrigued by the goings on at Bar
4
.  The band's website says that they are  a Brooklyn based three piece
who
blend singer-songwriter soul with avante and old time jazz. Bar 4, 444
7th Ave.(at 15th Street), 7pm

Friday Dec. 18: Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout  Led by Tim Luntzel, this
band includes frequent special vocal guests like: Leah Siegel, Richard
Julian,
Sasha Dobson, Steve Elliot, Michael Blake, Jon Cowherd, Steve Cardenas
et all…  Two sets, The Rockwood Music Hall, 196
Allen Street (F Train to
Second Avenue, take the First Avenue exit), Midnight

Monday Dec. 21: Amy Speace and Kenny White, hosted by Judy Collins (yes, that Judy Collins). The
Bitter End
, 147 Bleecker Street between Thompson Street and LaGuardia Place (A, C, or F Trains to West 4th Street), 8pm

Tuesday Dec. 22: Charlie Faye and The Jerks.  Charlie's album Wilson
St. is one of my favorites for this year. She's based in Austin and
doesn't appear here all that often.  Need I say more?  The Living Room,
154 Ludlow Street, (F Train to Second Avenue, use the First Avenue
exit), 8pm

Wednesday Dec. 23: Milton.  One of the best live acts regularly playing
in NYC these days.  Roots, rock and a whole lot more. The Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Avenue at 27th Street (6 Train to 28th Street), 10pm

Saturday Dec. 26: Mary Lamont.  Alt country, Americana and country. Hill Country, 30 West 26th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway (F Train to 23rd Street; R Train to 23rd or 28th Street), 9pm

Sunday Dec. 27: Dar Williams.  Dar has been playing Southpaw the end of December for the last few years. Southpaw, 125 Fifth
Avenue (between St. Johns and Sterling Places), 8pm, $25/$30

And we'll look at New Years Eve shortly.

 –Eliot Wagner

Thursday, Dec 10 at 8 PM: Feast at The Old Stone House

Bellini-feast-of-the-gods
Brooklyn Reading Works Presents:

FEAST
savory syllables on sustenance
(writers on food)
The second annual reading and benefit for Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.

With:
Peter Catapano
Ame Gilbert
Nancy Garfinkel
Greg Fuchs Andrea Israel
Alexander Nazaryan
Sophia Romero
Michele Madigan Somerville

Thursday, December 10th, 8pm
The Old Stone House in JJ Byrne/Washington Park
Between 3rd and 4th Streets on 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn 718-768-3195
$ 10.00 donation

Proceeds will be given to Helping Hands Food Pantry at St. Augustine Church in Park Slope.
Helping Hands distributes emergency food supplies to people living in Prospect Heights, Park Slope, and Fort Greene.

Here are this year's Feast writers:

–Peter
Catapano has written about music, books, art and food for several
publications, including Wired, Salon, ARTNews and The New York Times.
His most recent piece, about a love affair — with a pizzeria — gone
wrong, appeared in the Times Dining blog.

–Greg Fuchs is the
author of Board of Education, Came Like It Went, Metropolitan Transit,
New Orleans Xmas, Rolling Papers, and Temporary. He is a member of
Subpress publishing collective. He is co-editor of Open 24 Hours, which
publishes poetry in the spirit of the mimeo-revolution of the 1960s.
Fuchs serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Poetry
Project.

–Nancy Garfinkel is co-author of The Recipe Club ,The
Wine Lover’s Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and
Mendocino. A writer, design consultant, creative strategist, and editor
for a wide range of magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she
has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has
written extensively about food and graphic arts.

–Ame Gilbert is
an art and food person with fingers in many pots. She’s Curator for the
Umami: food and art festival, a biennial performance festival coming up
in early March. She teaches Culinary Arts to Bronx youth, paid for by a
foundation whose mission is literacy. She has a small catering company,
is chef for a monthly salon called poetrysciencetalks and is a partner
in a company called Communal Table: art shops with supper and a poetry
slam. In between multiple online Scrabble games, she writes an
occasional poem.

–Andrea Israel is a co-author of The Recipe Club
, and a producer/writer for ABC’s Focus Earth. She was a
producer/writer for Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and Good Morning
America (which garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story, “In Donald’s
Eyes,” was optioned for a film. She is the author of Taking Tea, a
guide to the history and ceremony of the drink. Her writing has
appeared in many publications
Alexander Nazaryan is an English
teacher in Brooklyn. He has written for the Village Voice, New
Criterion and other publications, and is working on his first novel,
"Golden Youth," about Russian organized crime in Brooklyn.

–Sophia
Romero is the author of ALWAYS HIDING a novel about illegal immigration
and published by William Morrow. Born and raised in Manila, Sophia is a
former hotel PR executive and journalist, who writes the SHIKSA FROM
MANILA, a blog based on the imaginary life of Amapola Gold, as she
romps through life as the other half of an interfaith, intercultural
marriage."

–Poet Michele Madigan Somerville is the author of Black Irish and WISEGAL.

Tom Martinez, Witness: Every Happiness I Have Wished For

Barbie's Dancers II
Barbie Diewald/&co. rehearses in Washington Square Park "Every Happiness I Have Wished For" choreographed by Barbie Diewald to be performed in the Washington Square Fountain on December 12 at
11AM.

"This dance
movement was designed specifically to be performed in an empty fountain
in winter.  It explores the life of a wish after the penny is thrown,
and it brings the fountain back to life with a new kind of palpable
energy (13 beautiful dancers)." — Barbie Diewald

Vox Pop Is Sponsoring a Secret Santa Gift Drive

3786126534_622f4761d0
Vox Pop Café, the cultural hub and cafe on Cortelyou Road, is sponsoring a Secret Santa Gift Drive to benefit the residents of a local domestic violence safe house. "We would like to bring at least a small amount of joy to the approximately 27 women and 57 children who will be spending Christmas there," says the cafe's manager, Debi Ryan. She writes:

I know this year has been hard for every one of us, but we all have something so basic that we take for granted; something these families do not have this holiday- a safe place, a home, a warm and welcoming family. I cannot imagine what it is like for these families and what brought them to this situation.

We will have a jar at Vox Pop Café located at 1022 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, NY 11218  (718-940-2084)  filled with cards, each representing one individual with their name, age, size and wish list.  Please come, pick a card out of the jar.  You can then purchase and wrap a selected item off their list and bring it back to Vox Pop by December 22.  The gifts will be placed under shelter’s tree for Christmas morning.

I think that receiving a personalized gift this holiday season will really go a long way towards letting them know that someone cares about them as a person, an individual, and took the time to choose a gift just for them.

Thanks so much for participating in this gift drive.  This holiday season let’s make a difference one person at a time.

*Photo is of the cafe's replacement Statue of Liberty as it was being wheeled across the Brooklyn Bridge last spring. The original sculpture was stolen and decapitated.