R.I.P. Bed-Stuy Banana or It's Been Fun But Now I'm Done

Photo: Bill Gates in Kampar

So 581 posts, 802 days, and 174 miles later, I'm saying good-bye. Lately I've just been managing to keep up this blog as a sort of notice board for various Bed-Stuy causes - but they can be just as easily, if not better, served by Bed-Stuy Blog. For now I've got to focus my energy on keeping the amazing job I have (especially in these economic times), which my employer has told me I'm going to need to put more hours into - no more 9-5); on my wonderful partner, Big Joe, my fantastic kid, Little Joe, and myself. 2010 means finally starting the self-defense class I've wanted to do for the last 10 years but didn't have the money for, on continuing with my anger management classes, my recovery meetings, meditation and physical fitness. And maybe one day this blog will materialize as a book and I'll re-photograph every street in Bed-Stuy with a better quality camera. And my biggest dream - that I'll finally get a book published.

My humble thanks to my faithful readers and supporters, Miss Heather, Miracle Jones of Fiction Circus, Best View in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Born, Juan Mapu, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Lexie, Jimmy Legs, Brenda Becker, Blognigger, Vettie Vette, Pistols and Popcorn, Yotidadnmom, OTBKB, Jonathan of Lab 24/7, Erica of Fucked in Park Slope, Lisanne of Found in Brooklyn, Brooklynometry, Nerina and Megan of Brooklyn Independent Television, the late Robert Guskind and many others. And most of all to this incredible, diverse, neighbourhood that has taken me in as one its own, Bedford-Stuyvesant.

I will keep this blog up in cyberspace for a month or so and then take it down. Love, luck, happiness, success, to all of you in 2010 and beyond.

The Ultimate Gift

I received an email regarding finding an immediate bone marrow donor of African descent for Jennifer Jones Austin a couple of weeks ago but haven't been able to blog about it until now. For those of you who are unable to view this video for any reason, here's the original email that was sent to me:

As many of you know, my friend, Jennifer Jones Austin is very ill. Jennifer a beautiful, healthy and active wife, mother, daughter and sister was unexpectedly stricken with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in September a few days before her 41st birthday. Doctors have said that her chances of surviving the disease are slim unless she can undergo a bone marrow transplant within the next few months. Before this disease touched my life, I had no idea that a simple Q-Tip cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if you can save a person's life; In this case, Jen’s.

Note that if you are a match, the donation process is as simple as giving blood - it no longer requires a surgical procedure. In fact the term bone marrow transplant is outdated, it is actually a stem cell transplant that comes from donating blood.

Under normal circumstances Jennifer would be like all of us, preparing for the holiday season. Figuring out what she is going to get for Christmas for Shawn, her husband of 14 years and their two beautiful children (a daughter age 12 and a son about to turn 8). The youngest of her four siblings, Jen is often the center of family activities. Jennifer is the type of person who will spend as much attention to the details on her daughter’s swim themed birthday cake as she will drafting a policy statement to ensure that healthy foods are available in local urban neighborhoods.
Jen is an accomplished child advocate and has dedicated herself for over 20 years professionally as an attorney in the private and public sectors. She attended Rutgers University and Fordham Law School. She is a member of the Brooklyn Chapter of Jack and Jill Inc. and is a long time and dedicated member of the Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, where her father, the late Rev. Williams Augustus Jones II served as pastor for over 40 years. She serves on many boards and civic organizations. Jen is wise beyond her years, funny, and always willing to listen. She is an amazing person and is greatly loved by many.

Yes, Jennifer is one of us. And now Jen needs us. During this season of giving I am asking you to help save a life, Jen’s or another person’s loved one by registering with the Be The Match Registry.

You can help Jennifer by becoming a registered donor with the Be The Match Registry and being tested to determine if you are a compatible match with her. We also need your help in reaching as many people as possible to ask them to be tested for compatibility. Our collective goal is to register at least 1000 people before the end of the year.

The Be The Match Registry is in great need of registered donors, especially those of African and Hispanic descent. Unfortunately, because African Americans and Hispanics are dramatically underrepresented in the National Bone Marrow Registries, White people have a 92+% chance of finding a match while African Americans have less than half of that chance of finding a match in the current pool of donors. In fact there are more than 5 Million white registrants but only about 500,000 of African descent.

Please register yourself and others as donors by going online to Be the Match Marrow Registry. Note that the "promo code" is JJA1068. You can receive an at-home testing kit without charge. Even if you don't match with Jennifer, you may match another and help save a life.

I believe that Jennifer is a Bed-Stuy resident as she attends one of our local churches, and as Bed-Stuy has one of New York's largest black populations, I'm hoping that one of you will be a good match for her. All it takes is a swab of your cheek to find out. Please take the time to register. You could save Jennifer's or someone else's life with a simple blood donation.

Toy Drive and Holiday Dinner

Photo: Robert Stolarik for The New York Times

Former Bed-Stuy resident, La Toya, may no longer live here but she hasn't forgotten her peeps, she writes:

The day before Thanksgiving I volunteered at an annual Thanksgiving dinner which went well but could been organized a little better. I went home feeling really good and decided this is something that I want to do a regular. So I decided to ask the owners of the club if I can use the club to have yet another dinner but for the holidays, you know Kwanzaa, Xmas and Hannakah. And to my surprise the owners said yes. So I quickly got the phone and Internet and started to tell everyone that I know, yes everyone I know. LOL! And to my surprise again, people responded with some love wanting to donate toys and make some dishes to help feed the homeless and or needy in Bed Stuy. None of the volunteers are being paid for their efforts on this day, so I just to make sure that everyone comes to enjoy our food and of course donate a toy for the drive. The toys will be donated to the Interfaith Medical hospital pediatric ward. I am trying to find some more places to donate the toys to as well.

Sounds like a worth cause worth donating to, and if you're hungry and homeless, it's a good place to celebrate the holidays with a hot meal and friendly faces:

I wanted to add if anyone has dropoffs for the toys and cannot make it on Sundays from 12pm to 2pm then I will be more than happy to make arrangements for pick ups during the week. Also, if anyone has any other donations or would like to volunteer then they can contact me directly via email (latoyab001@yahoo.com) or by phone 347-989-7577.

Details:

Date: December 24th, 2009
Time: 12pm-4pm
Place: Ice Club and Lounge
1253 Atlantic Ave. (Between Nostrand and New York Ave.)

"Nothing is required to enter. Free food. All are welcome! Come with an appetite!"

The Anti-Consumer Christmas

Although this isn't a Bed-Stuy event, I thought this one was worth mentioning. For those of you with more dash than cash this Christmas (as I have been for most of my adult life) or for those who can't stand the consumer capitalism of this holiday, this Saturday, New York's own Reverend Billy presents:

REVEREND BILLY TALEN DECREES "BLESSED ARE THE JOBLESS! BLESSED ARE THE BROKE!"

As American unemployment hit the double digits in November, the highest in over 25 years, Reverend Billy Talen has a message of Peace on Earth and peace of mind for Brooklynites facing the holidays amid financial uncertainty.

"You don't have to buy a gift to give a gift" says Talen, of the Church of Life After Shopping. "Consumerism enforces a bizzaro-world morality around the holidays, where we don't feel guilty for indulging but instead feel guilty for not indulging and spending enough! We're telling Brooklyn: You can have a guilt-free, debt-free Christmas this year. Don't charge Christmas on the credit card, SAVE Christmas by spending time with your family and community."

New Yorkers can tap into the holiday spirit of buylessness by joining Reverend Billy and his 40 voice, Life After Shopping Gospel Choir at the Brooklyn Lyceum on Saturday December 12, 2009 at 8pm.

Tickets are a sensible $10.00. As often the case with Church Of Life After Shopping "fabulous worships", no one will be turned away for lack of funds. The Rev notes that "we're 1/5th the price of the Rockettes, twice the fun, and the Choir is ten times sexier!"

Tickets can be purchased at: http://bit.ly/47IgXe

I, however, am taking advantage of being gainfully employed and spending my little heart out, as unfortunately I have zero time to be making popcorn and cranberry garlands, volunteering in soup kitchens, and making heartfelt homemade Christmas cards. After 20 or so years of doing just that, I'm taking the online shopping route. Reverend Billy, please forgive me.

"Date Number One"

Start Over - Date Number One Story 1 from Sujewa Ekanayake on Vimeo.

I don't quite know what to make of this clip - visually, it does nothing for me, but somehow I was drawn into the couple's scenario long enough to watch the entire 10 minutes. And for a mere $5 you can check the full 90 minutes of this film at Bed-Stuy's Aeon Logic Art Gallery, for the month of December:

DATE NUMBER ONE
a comedy about several first dates
a film by sujewa ekanayake
December 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 30
Every Wed & Fri of December (except Fri 12/25)
7 PM (doors at 6, opening act at 6:30)
*
Aeon Logic Art Gallery
4 Malcolm X Boulevard
(Malcolm X & Broadway, Bed-Stuy, nearest subway: Kosciuzko Street on the J line, map)
Brooklyn, New York 11221
347.787.4626
*
$5
*
Event website: http://dnonyc1209.blogspot.com/
*
About Date Number One:
A writer,
A ninja,
A woman who is working on saving the world,
and a guy who works at a bookstore
searching for love in
DATE NUMBER ONE
http://datenumberone08.blogspot.com/
A movie by Sujewa Ekanayake

What I did find particularly interesting is DVGuru's interview with the filmmaker, Sujewa Ekanayake, on his thoughts about DIY filmmaking.

*12/9/09 update from the filmmaker: December shows canceled, "due to low turnout for the 1st 2 shows (last week) & lack of time in December to do tons more publicity work" but movie is available in DVD from his website.

Children of Promise - Wonderful Volunteer Opportunity

And if you don't have extra cash to give this holiday season, how about some of your time? For many years, before I had a child, all I had was extra time and volunteering in New York's many charities gave me as much if not even more than I was able to give those in need. Especially when I was unemployed. From Children of Promise, a Bed-Stuy based program that mentors children with parents in prison:

Volunteers Needed to Manage/Staff Library for After-School Program in Brooklyn

Help manage and staff an after-school program's new library in Brooklyn specifically for children whose parents are incarcerated.

NEEDED: 2-4 volunteers with a background/interest in library sciences

WHAT: For after-school program that serves children of incarcerated parents

TIME: Needed ASAP to manage/staff a new library, 3:30-6:30 PM shifts M-Th

LOCATION: Children of Promise, NYC, 600 Lafayette Ave, 6th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11216

CONTACT: Dominique Jones, djones@cpnyc.org, (718) 475-9404

BACKGROUND: The unprecedented expansion of the criminal justice system over the past two decades has had effects that reach far beyond the criminal offenders themselves. Parental incarceration affects a large and increasing number of children who face significant uncertainty in nearly every aspect of their lives. As of 2006, 2.4 million of America's children under the age of 18 currently have a parent in prison. The US Dept of Justice indicates that without intervention, 70% of these children will follow in the footsteps of their parent(s) and enter into the juvenile and/or adult criminal justice system. Vulnerable to elevated levels of anxiety, fear, loneliness, anger and depression, these children are often stigmatized and ostracized, lose self esteem, withdraw emotionally and socially or become truant. Problems sparked by one generation's prison boom will feed and fuel the next.

Children of incarcerated parents rarely receive the support they need as they suffer the consequences of their parents' poor decisions. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), these children are far more likely to experience emotional and behavioral disturbances, trauma, substance abuse, depression and conduct disorders as a result of their parent's incarceration. While children who lose a parent for reasons other than incarceration will likely receive sympathy and care from others, children of inmates face social burdens and potential stigma. They are denied many necessary supports and normal social outlets for grieving the departed parent.

Consequently, while there are an estimated 45,000 minors with incarcerated parent(s) in New York City, there are no government agencies (neither police nor courts routinely inquire at the time of arrest or sentencing if a prisoner has children), public policies and few child welfare agencies and organizations in place to address the needs of this target population. Those children who receive any services at all are simply woven into existing after school and social service programs in their areas. However, due to embarrassment and fear of being stigmatized, many of the children keep their parents incarceration a well-guarded secret so classic interventions prove unsuccessful.

For this reason, Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC), became the first and only organization of its kind in New York City. We are a non-profit committed to embracing and empowering the lives of children of incarcerated parents through a unique after-school program. Our goal is to provide critically-needed services to this vulnerable population while ultimately breaking the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system.

Founded in Oct 2007 as a 501(c)(3), we chose to begin our work in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a predominantly African-American community (79%) that is profoundly impacted by poverty (33% below the poverty line) and felony arrests (4,812 in 2006, the 3rd highest in Brooklyn). We currently serve 100+ children of prisoners and their families from Bed-Stuy. For these invisible victims of incarceration, receiving services from a program that addresses their special challenges as well as the mental health issues associated with them can determine if they flourish or perish. Research shows that if these children receive appropriate support from family, friends and the community during their parents' incarceration, they are less likely to experience long-term stress, anxiety and depression.

CPNYC seeks to provide a different path for these children to follow by identifying, engaging, monitoring, treating and educating children of prisoners, thereby creating future leaders, role models and productive members of society.

Robbed!!!

Artist: Above
RI >>>CHPOOR
(STEALING FROM THE RICH AND GIVING TO THE POOR)
THE GOOD INTENTION EXCUSES THE BAD ACTION
-PORTUGUESE PROVERB
LISBON, PORTUGAL 2008

The day before Thanksgiving, I received this email from Clarisa, of Divas for Social Justice:

I really need your help. I went to our office today and we had been robbed! I am so broken hearted. All of our equipment was stolen. Donated and bought 5 i-mac computers, 2 digital slr cameras, dvd players,microphone kit, memory cards and an epson printer. Everything we used to train our girls on. When you sent out your email we got such a huge response. Please can you help us again?

In the above street art, the artist depicts stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Only in our neighbourhood, the poor steal from the poor too. It is heartbreaking. On so many levels. And I just read this article in the NY Times entitled, "Food Stamp Use Soars, and Stigma Fades." I don't know about the 'stigma fades' part but I heartily agree with the 'food stamp use soars' part. So. I know a lot of you out there are having a tough time financially. But then there are those like the landlord of the building I work in who just sold a building on the Upper West Side for $765 million dollars. Of course, people like that aren't reading blogs like mine. However, if you have an old computer, camera etc. lying around and would like to donate it to a good cause, please contact Sha Sha Feng and Clarisa James at diva4justice@gmail.com. Sounds like they could use a better security system too.