What do you want to see next in Brooklyn? The project with the most votes gets funded!
This year there are 10 community-generated projects on the ballot:
1. Community Kitchen with Classes
Create a food center than offers cooking classes for the community. People come to the center to get food from a pantry and then learn to make a meal from what they selected. Optional: Field trips to farms.
2. Job Training and Support for Employment for Single Parents
Provide job training and pathways towards employment for single parents, fostering independence and economic growth.
3. Young Parent Support and Classes
Parenting hub that offers childcare for participants in order for them to receive coaching and support as well as helping them navigate crucial resources, benefits and connections.
4. Reducing Recidivism Rates
A mentorship program for justice-impacted individuals that offers trauma-informed counseling, job training, know your rights workshops and reentry support to help with successful transition back to society.
5. Youth Led Community Ventures (Cost: $235,000)
This is an entrepreneurship series for youth to create community-enhancing projects. Through mentorship with business owners, youth create beautification initiatives that foster pride and economic opportunities.
6. Youth LGBTQ+ Safe Space (Cost: $235,000)
A community hub fostering safety, support, and culture for at risk LGBTQ+ youth by offering resources like mental health services, crisis support mentorship, anti-violence training, housing aid, food stipends, and pathways to employment.
7. Intergenerational Financial Education and Employment Workshops (Cost: $235,000)
A program that provides education around financial literacy to help save and invest for the future. Community building combined with practical skills and workshops in an intergenerational model.
8. Youth Employment Training and Partnerships (Cost: $235,000)
Classes for youth focused on green jobs and technology, that offer certifications with paid stipends. Engage local and national business support to give a broad range of experience.
9. Period Pantry for Feminine Hygiene Supplies and Education (Cost: $235,000)
Create a central resource for feminine hygiene products for young women free of charge. Include an educational component including proper use, hormonal changes, pain relief, and health care.
10. Youth Job Training and Employment Opportunities (Cost: $235,000)
Connect youth with job training through outreach and awareness of training opportunities. Offer presentation & counseling on employment, career, trade opportunities at various locations with unengaged youth.
Pick up ballots and drop them off at these local East NY locations:
• Man Up Inc. office: 799 Van Siclen Avenue
• Cypress Hills LDC: 276 Chestnut Street
• Pink Houses Community Center: 2702 Linden Blvd.
• New Lots Library: 665 New Lots Avenue
• Community Board 5: 127 Pennsylvania Avenue
• East NY Restoration office: 1159 Elton Street
and more locations to come!
or vote online:
In 2024, 40,133 Brooklyn residents voted in The People’s Money in 2024. Brooklyn youth put forward a project called Life Prep for High School Students 101. They got 22,982 Votes and that project was funded (for $200,000)! Your vote matters. Please vote this year at the at the locations above or the East NY Restoration office from Monday through Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm or Online (under who sent you, please say ENY Restoration).
FAQ
From May 14th to June 25th, 2025, all New York City residents ages 11 and older, regardless of immigration status, can vote on how to spend $4M of the city budget to address their community needs!
“Participatory Budgeting is a powerful, non-partisan tool that puts real decision-making in the hands of New Yorkers—regardless of age, background, or political affiliation. By welcoming youth as young as 11 into the democratic process, we are fostering the next generation of civic leaders and proving that everyone’s voice matters in shaping our communities.” Holly Bonner, Commissioner, NYC Civic Engagement Commission
In an effort to build trust between communities and city government, this year’s vote campaign – You Pick, We Pay – aims to show residents that their voices aren’t just heard, but prioritized through real financial investment. It’s the city’s way of saying: we’re listening, and we’ve got your back.
Leave a Reply