BFS program

2003-2004 BFS Community Service Projects

PRESCHOOL

Delivered baked desserts to the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue women’s shelter.
Led division-wide clothing drive for Sanctuary for Families (for victims of domestic violence) and collected over 40 bags of clothing and supplies.
Led division-wide book drive for Reach Out and Read (for children who use medical clinics) and St. Johns Family Center daycare center, and collected 8 bags of books.

LOWER SCHOOL

Kindergartners:

Made and sent holiday, valentine, and birthday cards to homebound seniors who receive meals through Citymeals-on-Wheels.

1st Graders:

Planted tulip bulbs with the 7th graders on October 28th in Cadman Plaza Park with Partnership for Parks and went back together in the spring.
Led UNICEF drive in November and collected $800.
Visited the Cobble Hill Health Center four times. Children danced, sang and socialized with the same group of seniors every time. This spring, students potted plants in decorated pots made on Service Day and then brought them as gifts to their senior friends.

2nd Graders:

Baked and delivered cakes and deserts for the Community Dinner at Schermerhorn Street and several second grade families volunteered their time at the monthly dinners.
Led the Penny Harvest for Common Cents New York from October-November and raised $381.
Baked pumpkin pies for CHIPS (soup kitchen) for Thanksgiving.

3rd Graders:

4th Graders:

Created note cards of individual Brooklyn landmarks (each card will have a student drawing of the landmark and 2 paragraphs about each one). The sale of these cards will benefit the Brooklyn Historical Society.

LS Division:

Led fundraising drive through the Heifer Foundation and raised $1,000 to purchase animals for villages in third world countries. Students decided to purchase 1 Heifer, 1 Water Buffalo, 1 goat, 5 Flocks of Chicks, and 1 beehive. This list received 120 votes: everyone in the Lower School voted.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

5th Graders:

Visited the seniors three at the Carlton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Three visits have been made. Students sang songs at the holiday party, socialized and played recreational games, and interviewed the seniors. Students were given a plaque of appreciation by the seniors.

6th Graders:

Visited pre-school children at the St. John’s Place Family Center and shelter (a new CS partner) two times during the year. Students also learned about child development in advisory to support them in their work. The Director of the center visited the school twice to orient our students and to bring closure to the project.

7th Graders:

Planted bulbs with the 1st graders in October in Cadman Plaza Park with Partnership for Parks; cleaned up the area in November, December, and March; went back with the 1st graders in the spring, and painted benches in May. 7th graders designed and silk-screened T-shirts promoting volunteerism in the park.

8th Graders:

Continued their work with their K-buddies.
Visited seniors at the St. Charles Jubilee Senior Center (a new CS partner) in Brooklyn Heights in late February and March.

MS Division:

Student Government coordinated the December gift drive for the Auburn Family Shelter (largest family shelter in the City) and gathered and wrapped between 200-300 presents with parents and students.
Raised $6,940 to benefit the American Heart Association.
Recycled every Friday during activity period.
Played with the pre-school children in child care activity period.
Knitted baby blanket squares for babies with aids in hospitals during activity period.
Assisted in library during activity period.

UPPER SCHOOL

9th grade students went on community service overnight led by the Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP). Students prepared and served food at a homeless shelter.
11th graders went on an overnight to work with Habitat for Humanity.
The student-led Latino Club, with the student-led Social Action Committee, raised more than $100 for homeless people during Thanksgiving. Canned and non-perishable goods, as well as money, went to the Bowery Mission, Church of St. Francis, and some local soup kitchens.
The Social Action Committee raised over $500 and supplies for three international organizations serving different populations in Zambia, Ethiopia, and other third world countries. Organizations included the Kabwata Orphanage and Transit Center, Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, and the Heifer Foundation.

US Community Service Placements:

Students volunteered their services at many different community agencies and institutions such as: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park Alliance, Community School district 12, Talmud Torah Elementary School, St. Thomas Apostle Church, Baitul Aman Islamic Center, The Experiment in International Living, St. Francis Hospital, America's Adventure (Costa Rica), Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Volunteers of America, Village Community School, De La Salle Academy, Mohonk Preserve, YMCA, Omni Camp, Brooklyn Monthly Meeting, Bucks Rock Camp, Heights and Hill Community Council, Landmark Volunteers, Animal Kind Animal Hospital, Planned Parenthood, Tillery Street Fire Dept., Medicare Rights Center, HOBY NY Metro and LI Leadership Seminar, United Cerebral Palsy, Prospect Park Audubon Society, Visiting Nurse Service of NY, Mary Mc Dowell Center for Learning.

PAT COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE

Organized and conducted Auburn Family Shelter Toy Drive with the Middle School student government.
Small group of parents went three times to help maintain the Auburn Shelter library.
Led the second annual BFS Community Service Day for BFS schoolwide community in April with indoor and outdoor service activates benefiting Cadman Plaza Park (through Partnership for Parks), Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition), the St. John’s Family Center and Shelter, the Carlton Senior Center, and the Cobble Hill Health Center.
Led a Blood Drive with the New York Blood Center in the spring.

FACULTY VOLUNTEERS

As a wonderful extension of the community service work done in school, three faculty members generously began volunteering their individual time and spirit at the Auburn Family Shelter and the St. John’s Place Family Center. In addition a faculty member organized (as a volunteer) two weekends of BFS family wood-project fun to benefit the BFS Scholarship fund.

See community service activities from other years: 05/06 | 04/05 | 03/04