Bed-Stuy Families Get Grants, Gift Cards With New Relief Fund

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A new mom, a woman who was laid off during the coronavirus pandemic and the family of the 1-year-old who was killed in a shooting earlier this month were the first to receive a new grant in Bed-Stuy this week.

The Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation announced a COVID-Relief fund on Wednesday that will help Brooklynites who have lost a loved one or have struggled financially during the coronavirus crisis.

The fund plans to give out hundreds of grants and gift cards to families in need, including three who got the first round of help this week.

“I was feeling very down and wondering how I was going to take care of my family,” said Celeste Blake, a mom of three, including a newborn, who received one of the first grants.

“I had to cancel my baby shower because of COVID-19 which was going to help me with the needed clothes, food and other baby supplies. This came when I needed most.”

The organization set up the fund with help from MoCaFi, or Mobility Capital Finance, an African American-owned online banking company.

It is intended for those who have increased expenses during the coronavirus crisis, have lost their job or income, or those who are not otherwise eligible for other benefits.

The restoration corporation said it will specifically prioritize restaurant workers in Central Brooklyn who have been displaced or single mothers whose childcare needs have made work impossible.

“In 2019, the Federal Reserve released a report stating that 40 percent of all Americans would be unable to cover a $400 emergency expense,” said Wole Coaxum, MoCaFi founder and CEO. “The impact of COVID-19 on our communities has brought this academic assessment into sharp relief as millions of families are struggling to survive."

Families chosen for the grant will get up to $400, gift cards provided by Foodtown or diapers for newborns gifted by the Mayor's Office, BSRC said. The families will also receive access to benefits, job support and financial coaching and counseling.

“This project aims to support both emergency needs and financial capacity building," BSRC President Colvn W. Grannum said. "...Many of our clients are facing unemployment, an inability to receive benefits, loss of health insurance, and any emergency savings.”

The fund includes help from MetLife, Robin Hood Foundation, the Arizona Community Foundation, United Way/BET, Cabrini Foundation, Foodtown and other individual donors, according to BSRC.

Those interested in accessing the fund and other supports through Restoration can click here.