In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, we all responded to the immediate call for aid to provide food, water, and medical care. At Brooklyn for Barack, we also wanted to do something to reach out to our Haitian friends, neighbors, and colleagues right here in Brooklyn. In May, we will be partnering with Haiti Cultural Exchange (www.haiticulturalx.org) to provide arts workshops for Haitian and Haitian-American kids here in Brooklyn who were affected by the earthquake, either directly or indirectly. We are offering arts workshops for a range of ages on four Saturdays in May. Some of the activities will be geared to give kids a break from all they’ve been through; others will focus on giving kids a chance to document their experiences. And, as a part of the events, we plan to invite everyone who comes to help create a portable “mural” on a long roll of oaktag that can then be shipped to a school in Haiti.

If you have art supplies or other resources you’d like to donate, or if you would like to help out in an organizational capacity, please email jeanne@brooklynforbarack.org

Join Organizing for America to celebrate health insurance reform!
Drink Specials! $3 pints!
2,3,4,5,B,Q,N,R to Atlantic/Pacific

7pm start time!

You can also sign-up on MyBo:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/healthreformcelebrationevents/gp8s5j

Following a highly successful Public Advocate Candidates Forum, Brooklyn for Barack will be hosting:

New York City Comptroller Candidates Forum

August 20th
7-8:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Union Temple
17 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Please RSVP here and submit questions for the candidates to info@brooklynforbarack.org. Questions will also be accepted at the event. All questions will come from the listserv and from attendees. The program will include a brief presentation on the Office of the Comptroller.

As we in Brooklyn turn our attention towards affecting CHANGE locally, Brooklyn for Barack teams up with Brown Memorial Baptist Church for a Public Advocate Candidates Forum. Moderated by the distinguished Jonathan Hicks, the event will present an exciting opportunity for community leaders, grassroots activists and the general public to hear from an impressive array of candidates. We encourage any and all to submit questions for consideration to info@brooklynforbarack.org by Thursday, July 23rd. In addition to a question and answer segment, the program will also include a brief overview of the Office of the Public Advocate.

3 of the 4 candidates are confirmed to attend. Each candidate will remain for the full 90-minute program. Please join us for what will prove to be an informative and interesting evening in New York City politics.

WHO: City Council Member Bill de Blasio
City Council Member Eric Gioia
Attorney Norman Siegel
Moderated by Jonathan Hicks

WHAT: Public Advocate Candidates Forum

WHEN: Monday, July 27th, 7:00-8:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)

WHERE: Brown Memorial Baptist Church, 484 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216
Fellowship Hall (entrance on Gates between Washington and Willoughby)

Trains: C,G to Clinton Washington