community programs
Virtual Programming for the seniors
The program aim is to provide free of charge classes for senior citizens in the community. While classes were previously held at the MBSCC and community/public spaces like the Joyce Klimer Park, courses were moved to an online-only format via the new MBSCC YouTube channel in September 2020 because of the pandemic. Currently there are 24 online video classes for seniors (including exercise, fitness and wellness classes such as line dancing, mindful meditation, poetry reading, nutrition education, art classes and many more). Explore more classes HERE
Job Resource Center
Mid Bronx Senior Citizens Council’s Afterschool program assists children 6-12 years old by providing academic support. Not only do we provide homework help to each child, we also provide targeted tutoring to help children who are having problems mastering a topic. The academic components of the program are supported by a rich array of arts taught by professional artists from the Andrew Freedman Artists-in-Resident program. A typical curriculum includes piano, music production, painting, and art history discussions. Children will also have access to the diverse art collection in the Andrew Freedman Cultural Arts and Media Center that can excite their natural curiosity.
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Workforce Development & Training
Mid Bronx Senior Citizen Council, Inc., through its Workforce Development, Job Resource Center, and Youth Services departments, has taken a collaborative approach to addressing issues of unemployment, underemployment, education, economic development, and community building. Our partnerships with nonprofits, government, businesses, and the community have made a real impact on the Bronx, helping residents quickly connect to jobs and opportunities that positively impact their lives.
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Family Social Services
Mid Bronx Senior Citizen Council, Inc. Adult and Family Services provide comprehensive services to families and individuals within community district 4. We are a staffed by the Director of Social Services, a Licensed Social Worker (LSMW) and the Assistant Director/Recovery Counselor who is extremely knowledgeable around alcohol and drugs issues. The program was design to serve tenants from the Ogden, Plimpton, Summit, Morris and Grand Concourse East apartments, as well the community at large. It is extremely important to note that The Adult and Family Services have offered critical support to these families, during these difficult economic times where tenants/clients are looking for a quick solution and someone to listen to their crisis, needs and situations.
Through our collaboration with MBSCC housing Department, job resource, Head Start, early learning, GES/ESL, food pantry, volunteer, computer classes and tax preparation programs, the adult and family services have played a major role in providing comprehensive services to this community.
The internal programs at MBSCC have supported this program thru our agency’s referral process, not to mention the referrals that we receive from the community at large. We have assisted and been a part of interdisciplinary team meetings for the head start program, and worked with families from both job resource and early learning. Our social service program is known in the community, we can tell by the volume of calls we receive daily and the number of walk-ins that visit our center daily. Within our services we provide a recovery group, women and men’s support group and individual counseling.
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Food Pantry / Hunger Prevention
MBSCC services the community at large (seniors, children and adults) the food pantry is held at 1125 Grand Concourse (between Walton and McClellan Avenues) every third Friday of the month starting at 8:30 A.M. to 12 noon. You must bring identification for you and your family members. “Put Food on the Table” There are 1.3 million Bronx families living below poverty level. In our community the increasing demand for food and the battle against hunger is real.
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Neighborhood Partners Initiative
Fatherhood Initiative
The Fathers Initiative is a part the Head Start/Day Care Sites programs requested by ACS. The father’s initiative was designed to provide support to fathers and their children. The Father’s meets every third Monday of each month; we invite any male who is related to the child who attends the program. Activities: Father and daughter dance; bring your child to school day; father’s breakfast gathering; guest speakers who discuss topics selected by the fathers.
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Family Preservation Center
The Family Preservation Center, opened on the ground floor of MBSCC's landmark Andrew Freedman Home in 1998, provides comprehensive support services to enhance family stability and self-sufficiency through a "one-stop shop" approach. Services are provided through the collaboration of MBSCC and other organizations, and include affordable child care, comprehensive case management, basic education/literacy, ESL, immigration services, community organizing, counseling, community health services, nutrition programs (WIC), in-home visiting services, youth services, prenatal care, and housing for those living with HIV/AIDS. The center also houses MBSCC's Job Resource Center, which provides employment training and job referrals to community members, as well as a Technology Center that trains residents in basic computer skills. MBSCC is one of only nine organizations in New York State to have received a commitment of State funding to establish a family preservation and support center.
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Youth Employment Services Program
A comprehensive program designed by MBSCC to meet the educational, social and economic needs of local Bronx youth. Since 1994, MBSCC has provided educational and cultural enrichment, conflict resolution training, leadership skill development and career exploration opportunities to community youth. Funded by various organizations, including the Department of Youth and Community Development, this program aims to serve at-risk adolescents by improving attitudes, expanding career awareness, preventing dropouts and developing core skills and competencies. It features an after-school program, business internship program and summer youth employment for all participants.
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Saturday Studio Arts Program
The purpose of the Saturday Studio Arts Program is to heighten our community’s awareness (parents and their children) to the arts and expose them to performing arts such as dance, theater and music. Parents and children are also exposed to visual arts and creative writing. The Saturday Studio Arts Program also offers martial arts classes for those who are interested. Our participants also have an opportunity to display their talents by participating in the Children’s Performance Day, where our youngsters put on a performance and exhibit their art work to their parents and to our community.
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Summer Day Camp
Mid Bronx Summer Day Camp is an 8-week summer camp for youth aged 6-12 which infuses special creative arts themes that are noticeably absent from our community, with creative planning centered around fun activities and organized play. The camp calendar of activities consists of Music, Dance, Drama, Marshal Arts, and Trampoline. There are weekly cultural and art trips and the production of theatrical performances. The Summer Day Camp is approved annually by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and is subject to the adherence of all relevant health codes of article 48, which address summer day camps and overnight camps.
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Homework Help Program
Homework Help Program is primarily a free two and half hour daily (3:00PM to 5:30PM) homework assistance service for fifteen (15) to (25) twenty – five elementary students. The Afterschool Homework Help program operates during the public school calendar year and addresses key parts of elementary student’s learning process, which of course is homework. We provide free snacks and then tutor students in reading comprehension, vocabulary / skill / phonics and spelling, essay and writing skill development, geography, social studies and history and math and math related equations. Besides helping with homework, the program is infused with creative arts such as preforming art, dance and visual arts.
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Day Care program
The Early Learning Center (ELC), implemented in 2000, is our Day Care program. Our Day Care program is licensed by the Department of Health and provides pre-school services to a diverse population of children 3 to 5 years old. The Center is staffed with qualified, multicultural, multilingual professionals who plan age appropriate activities for the children to help foster their intellectual, social and emotional growth. Our program is enriched with music, creative arts, dance, educational trips and computer training. In coordination with Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK), there are two sets of programs available for children and their families: a UPK-only program, where 4-year olds are given instruction from 8am to 2:30pm; and a UPK/ELC program, where 3- and 4-year olds are given instruction from 8am to 6pm. Both programs leverage the same curriculum from 8am to 2:30pm, but the UPK/ELC children receive enrichment activities from 2:30pm to 6pm. The programs feature services provided to two different sites within the South Bronx for 219 children. In addition, 40 home-based providers will service an additional 200 children. These providers receive ongoing training, supervision and support from our staff.
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Head Start program
The provision of adequate childcare is essential for keeping families active in the work force and engaged in the community. Our Head Start program began in 1995 with four service areas: education, health, parent involvement and social services. In particular, we are focused on improving the social, emotional, cognitive and fine motor skills of the children we serve. We've joined together with parents from varied backgrounds in order to help children succeed in school and in life. Today, our Head Start program serves 383 children at three centers. We also provide vocational counseling, adult education, nutrition/health services, and literacy development to parents and adults. We offer a safe, nurturing environment where both children and parents come to learn and excel. Our Head Start program operates year-round and is absolutely free! Finally, each 4-year old child receives additional supports via the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) educational curriculum. This curriculum helps 4-year olds prepare for the transition into Kindergarten.
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Transportation Services Program
The MBSCC Transportation Services Program aims to prevent seniors who are unable to travel or access public transportation from becoming socially isolated and/or declining physically by assisting them in getting to and from places throughout their communities. The program covers community districts 1 through 8 and offers two main types of trips:
Medical trips: Only allowed for non-Medicaid clients and include travel to and from any and all medical appointments or facilities. The trips are typically single-service trips, although several clients can be transported to a variety of locations within an area, if the origination and destination are within a reasonable distance. Social: Social trips are allowed for all eligible clients, regardless of Medicaid status.
Social trips: Can be single-service or group, and may be reserved by an organization or a trip coordinator. There is a limited to a sixty mile radius.
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Concourse Plaza Senior Social Services
Implemented in 1981, Concourse Plaza Senior Social Services provides an array of social, medical, and legal services and referrals, as well as cultural, educational, and recreational activities for seniors residing in the Concourse Plaza and surrounding community. The program offers professional Case Assistants who help participants resolve issues and crisis through linkages to the most appropriate and targeted services.
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Home Delivered Meals
Home Delivered Meals program serves nearly 1000 healthy, hot (and cold) meals a day. Our service area includes community districts 1 through 6 and includes 13 hot trucks and 2 cold trucks. Our cold trucks support our frozen meal program, which allows seniors an opportunity preserve a meal for later consumption.
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Concourse Plaza Wellness Center for Adults
Concourse Plaza Wellness Center for Adults is an innovative health and wellness program launched in 2012. The program is funded by the Department for the Aging and offers a comprehensive array of programs and services to a diverse group of seniors, including our Concourse Cafe, 5,000 square foot outdoor space and garden, multi-purpose room/computer lab and our 6,000 square foot cafeteria and program space. These programs include advocacy for benefits and entitlements , nutrition workshops, health education and chronic disease management, cultural workshops and weekly exercise, walking groups, weekly consultations and screenings with a Doctor and certified nurse (on premises), entertainment, celebrations and events, trips and transportation services.
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