Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Could your baby qualify for Brooklyn’s new free child care seats?

And on the Brooklyn Patch calendar - Herbert Holler's Annual 80s Night + 50th Birthday!

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Sunday December 28th Patch AM
Sunday December 28th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Hello Brooklyn! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Could your baby qualify for Brooklyn’s new free child care seats?
  • See what’s new inside Bensonhurst’s freshly renovated Ryder Library branch.
  • How a Brooklyn man’s turtle shipments led to federal prison

Also on today's calendar: Herbert Holler's Annual 80s Night + 50th Birthday! and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Brooklynfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I’m trying to think of a new cloud joke. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Brooklynfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 37 and low of 34 degrees.
  • Monday: Becoming windier; a.m. rain, temps: high: 52, low: 27.
  • Tuesday: Very windy; colder, with a high of 32 and low of 27 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Brooklyn Families Can Now Enroll in Free Birth-to-2 Child Care Program (bkreader.com) — Brooklyn parents with infants and toddlers can now apply for completely free Birth-to-2 child care seats at multiple neighborhood providers, with services starting January 5, 2026. The city-funded initiative targets Central and Southeast Brooklyn, has no income limits, and aims to ease child care costs while expanding high-quality early learning and helping caregivers stay in the workforce.
   

2. Brooklyn Public Library Celebrates Return of Upgraded Ryder Branch (bkreader.com) — Bensonhurst neighbors can once again visit the Ryder Library, which has reopened after a three-year closure with a fully renovated, sustainability-focused building and new spaces for kids, teens, and tech. Brooklyn Public Library and city partners upgraded major systems, added solar panels, and plan to launch Sunday service in 2026, restoring a key community hub for learning and connection.
   

3. Chinese national sentenced to prison for smuggling reptiles in U.S. wildlife trafficking case (justthenews.com) — A Brooklyn resident has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for illegally shipping hundreds of protected reptiles overseas, including rare turtles and venomous snakes. Investigators say he sent more than 200 packages from the U.S. to Hong Kong, mislabeling them as toys. Many animals were intercepted, with seized turtles now housed at the Buffalo Zoo for conservation.
   

4. 55 Incarcerated People Wrote Us About Their Innocence Claims (portside.org) — A Brooklyn native serving a life sentence describes years of unanswered pleas to Brooklyn’s conviction integrity unit, highlighting how hard it is for incarcerated people without lawyers to get their cases reviewed. His story, rooted in East New York and Crown Heights, anchors a broader investigation into how conviction review units across New York often leave pro se applicants waiting for years.
   

📸 Around Brooklyn

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Brooklyn

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📣 Brooklyn Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who reached out or donated to my mutual aid redistribution this holiday season!
    Because of your support, I was able to distribute over 200 items to the my local community and other families in need. From sweaters and boots to… (Nextdoor E Flatbush (Beverly-Rogers))
  • LOST DOG
    Is someone looking for a black Yorkshire around Lafayette avenue and Lewis avenue? It kinda looks like this one, but full grown. (Nextdoor Stuyvesant Hts (MGarvey-Lfyt))
  • The Salvation Army Eastern Territory posted a job opening for Porter (Kingsboro Men's MICA Shelter) in Brooklyn. Apply here.
  • Good Shepherd Services posted a job opening for After School Group Leader (PS 224) in Brooklyn. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brooklyn here.

Ok Brooklyn! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I haven’t the foggiest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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