Photo Caption: HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services held a ribbon cutting for the opening of a new Cornerstone Program for kids and youth at 280 Wyckoff Street in Brooklyn on Wednesday, October 26.

(Brooklyn, NY)–HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services (HSVS) held a ribbon cutting for the opening of its new Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program on Wednesday, October 26.

Councilman Stephen Levin  led the ceremonial opening of this safe new space for children and youth in downtown Brooklyn. HSVS staff, program participants and members of the local community, including NYPD officers, joined in the Halloween festivities, which included costumes and dancing.

“Typically, our Cornerstone Programs offer tutoring, recreational activities, creative arts and sports, but we listen very closely to what our young people want and we take it from there,” said Regina Mitchell, who will oversee the new Wyckoff program. HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services Community Programs, which are funded by NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, nurtured and educated over 3,000 children through its after-school and summer camp opportunities last year.

“We are grateful to have this new program location,” said Brooke Rosenthal, Vice President of Community Programs. “Our programs offer children the educational resources they might not necessarily have in the classroom or within their families.”

HSVS has four other Community Programs in Brooklyn, including the McKinley I.S. 259 Beacon Program and P.S. 102 One World COMPASS Program in Bay Ridge, as well as the P.S. 288 Shirley Tanyhill Beacon Program and Surfside Gardens Cornerstone Program in Coney Island.

For more information, visit www.hsvsnyc.org.