Join Us At The Brooklyn Org Changemakers Ball Oct. 29!

The Brooklyn Org 25: Champions For Health & Well-Being Across Brooklyn

Sep 30, 2025

Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI), 2023 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize winner

At Brooklyn Org, we know that our community thrives when every Brooklynite has access to holistic services and support to lead healthy lives. Health and well-being are built close to home: on the block, in schools and clinics, and in the community spaces where neighbors gather. Across our borough, nonprofits connect practical support with dignity so people can find care that is trusted, culturally responsive, and within reach.

“Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn” is both a call to action and a promise, a commitment to meet the needs that our neighbors tell us matter most across our communities — and through our public polling this year, we heard loud and clear that challenges for Families, Health & Well-Being, and Housing are among the top priorities for Brooklynites today.

The results from our People’s Pulse polling underscore the urgency. Eighty-five percent of Brooklynites say the city’s mental health crisis is a serious problem. Seventy-eight percent agree that too many people living with mental illness are left without adequate care, and 73% support city-funded programs that pair mental health support with public safety to reduce crime and violence. Health is also about access to food: 76% say food insecurity is a serious problem, 35% report they or a family member have struggled with it, and 74% agree that rising food costs make it harder to get healthy, quality food.

At the same time, Brooklynites affirm compassion as a core community value: people feel for their neighbors and want solutions that meet them with care.

78% of Brooklynites surveyed believe that too many individuals suffering from mental illness are left without adequate care

The Peoples Pulse Survey (2025)

When Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn, every neighbor can access the care and compassion they need to live healthy, connected lives. Nonprofits across the borough are making that vision real by addressing mental health, food insecurity, and wellness with dignity and trust. We are proud to celebrate these champions at our Brooklyn Org Changemakers Ball on October 29 through The Brooklyn Org 25, our annual recognition of the borough’s dedicated nonprofit leaders.