On Tuesday, February 17 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service's Metro Club Clubhouse hosted its first Economic Empowerment Expo, co-sponsored by New York City Council Member Letitia James, to connect Metro Club members and the community-at-large to entitlements and to provide them with financial know-how. The Expo was held at Metro Club's program site at 25 Chapel Street, Suite 1204 in Downtown, Brooklyn.
Council Member James stated, "I am so pleased to partner with the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service's Metro Club Clubhouse for the Economic Empowerment Expo. Free tax preparation, budgeting workshops and presentations on entitlements are exactly the kind of services that the community needs during these critical economic times. What I appreciate most about the Brooklyn Bureau is that in its 143-year history, it continues to be relevant, adapting its services to meet the changing needs of the community. We will continue to work together to provide the community with the programs and services it needs to make Brooklyn a better place to live and work for everyone."
Metro Club Clubhouse provides adults with severe and persistent mental illness with a safe, non-institutional setting for psychiatric rehabilitation. The minimal income Clubhouse members receive through government benefits may be threatened as the recession continues to deepen. Members will face cuts in their provisions and other necessities as government funding to social service agencies dries up.
In response to the economic crisis, Metro Club has developed the Economic Empowerment Expo to ensure that its members, and members of the community, are informed and educated on how to navigate through this economic tsunami.
The Expo provided innovative workshops and array of free on-site services including:
Free Tax Preparation by certified tax preparers from Food Bank for New York City
Entitlement Eligibility Counseling by Access NYC
Free Checking and Direct Deposit of government disability checks by Amalgamated Bank and Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union
Social Security Benefits information from the Social Security Administration
Free Credit Counseling, and Workshops on Budgeting, Home Ownership and Building Savings with SaveNYC and other NYC programs from the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment
Employment Counseling by the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service and more
To be a part of the next Economic Empowerment Expo presented by Council Member Letitia James and the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service, please contact Cheryl Todmann, Director of Community Relations at 718-310-5761 or ctodmann@bbcs.org. Media representatives interested in attending the Expo should contact Cheryl Todmann. We also want to remind those who have not done so to get started on handling this season's taxes. If you need help, a good place to start is the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance here: http://www.tax.state.ny.us/.
About Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service
The Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service is one of Brooklyn's first and largest providers of social services to more than 13,000 disadvantaged children and families, and adults with disabilities. For more than 143 years, the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service has been one of Brooklyn's most critical community resources for people in need.
Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service
285 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-310-5600
www.bbcs.org
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