As visitors to Williamsburg and North Brooklyn notice the towering high-rises and trendy restaurants that continue to appear almost overnight, they may forget the families struggling to make a living and stay in their homes. However, the number of individuals that the Los Sures Social Services department assists continues to increase, clearly demonstrating that these families are still here and that they need help.

The social services department employs a non-traditional community-based approach to assisting local residents of North Brooklyn, including formerly homeless tenants. The department manages the Los Sures Food Pantry and Hydroponic Farm as well as the Los Sures “David Santiago” Senior Center.

In 2014, the Los Sures Food Panty was honored as “Pantry of the Year” by Food Bank for New York City. 18,762 individuals received food from the supermarket-style “Choice” Emergency Food Pantry, representing a 12% increase from the year before. Additionally, 600 seniors receive monthly groceries through the Food And Nutrition program, which is a 50% increase over last year.

The Hydroponic Farm, located within the Food Pantry, was converted to a state of the art automated system where lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro are now grown. The pantry is in the process of expanding its access to fresh food by raising chickens to produce eggs.

As a Virtual VITA site, Los Sures filed 700 tax returns in 2014 bringing in approximately $300,000 in refunds to the community. The staff also assisted over 500 unduplicated individuals with a variety of issues such as housing and income supports.

The Los Sures “David Santiago” Senior Center continues to thrive by providing various classes, including Zumba, music, and basic computer literacy. Seniors also have the opportunity to enjoy trips to many different locations and activities. In 2014, the center was selected as one of only 5 centers citywide by NYC’s Department for the Aging and United Neighborhood Houses of New York to participate in the Older Adults Strengthening Communities through Food. This initiative will build and develop best practices for a strength-based and purpose-driven approach to programming in senior centers

The social services department also plays a vital role in creating a sense of belonging and community among seniors, not only at the senior center, but also in the senior housing buildings at 145 S. 3rd Street and 201 Roebling Street. The staff plans various holiday and special occasion celebrations throughout the year to encourage seniors to socialize and expand their support network. They also plan activities and keep them informed on important issues.

At the end of 2014, the department planned a successful Holiday Food and Toy drive to ensure that the pantry was stocked and that low-income kids in the neighborhood would be able to receive gifts during the holiday season.

The Social Services Satellite Office is able to assist residents residents East of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and it also plans celebrations, movie nights and other activities for the tenants of 366 Hewes Street, where the office is located.