Borough President Antonio Reynoso has announced the first seven recipients of funding from his second annual Community Baby Shower Fund, directing resources to neighborhood-based organizations supporting new and expecting parents across Brooklyn.
Launched in August 2024 and renewed in July 2025, the initiative dedicates $50,000 in discretionary funding each year to help nonprofits host community baby showers in neighborhoods with historically high maternal mortality and morbidity rates. Each selected organization can receive up to $5,000 in matching funds, distributed on a reimbursement basis, for events taking place before May 31, 2026.
Community baby showers, organized by local groups, provide families with essential supplies such as diapers, wipes, blankets and breast pumps, while also connecting parents to city agencies and local organizations offering ongoing support.
“Brooklynites thrive when their community shows up for them, and pregnancy and early parenthood are no different,” Reynoso said in a statement. “Community baby showers are so impactful because, beyond distributing essential baby supplies, they foster support networks that parents can lean on, right in their own neighborhoods.”
This year’s awardees include:
- Brownsville Community Center, serving Brownsville
- Holding Hands Ministries, serving Coney Island
- Kiwanis Kings Plaza & Canarsie, serving Canarsie
- Life Equip Group, serving East New York and Brownsville
- New Neighbors Partnership Association, serving Flatbush and Midwood
- Nuestros Niños Daycare Center, serving Williamsburg
- Public Housing Community Fund, serving Bed-Stuy
The fund is part of Reynoso’s broader maternal health agenda. Over the past two decades, Black women in New York City were on average eight times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. Since taking office in Jan. 2021, Reynoso has focused significant resources on addressing that disparity. In his first year, he allocated his entire $45 million capital budget to Brooklyn’s three public hospitals for maternal health improvements.
Brownsville Community Culinary Center Executive Director Alexis Aquino said that the support “nourishes and empowers” local families.
“At BCCC, we believe that food, education, and community connection are essential foundations for new and expecting parents,” she said. “This funding allows us to expand access to nutritious meals, wellness resources, and supportive programming that help Brooklyn families thrive from the very beginning.”
Nuestros Niños Executive Director Ingrid Chungata added that the program uplifts new and expecting parents.
“Receiving support from the Borough President’s Community Baby Shower Fund allows Nuestros Niños Daycare Center to continue uplifting new and expecting parents by providing essential resources during a critical moment in their lives. Community baby showers not only help meet immediate needs but also strengthen trust, connection and dignity for families navigating early parenthood.”
The Community Baby Shower Fund is still accepting applications on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.
Eligible applicants must:
- Hold current 501(c) (3) status
- Match the requested funding amount, whether through internal funds or in-kind sponsorship
- Have a history of service in at least one target neighborhood
- Have experience serving prenatal and postnatal/postpartum individuals and their families
- Have experience organizing community baby showers or similar events
- Host their event between July 21. 2025 and May 31, 2026
Priority neighborhoods include Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Coney Island, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush/Midwood and Sunset Park.
For more information on Community Baby Shower Fund, click here.
