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South Slope Pediatrics Blog

Giving

10/27/2016

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GIVING.  There is nothing more fulfilling than giving to others and helping those in need.  Whether it be providing a meal to a person who is hungry, to spending time with an elder who feels isolated and lonely, to providing blankets and clothing to keep someone warm in the colder months – these are just a few of the ways we can show we care and want to share the love in our hearts with those around us.   For those of us who find it difficult to make time for volunteering, donations (both monetary or goods) can make an important impact in someone’s life.  After all, in this exceptionally ugly election race, we should all open our hearts and share a little more love, sensitivity and generosity.    It can be contagious!   Let’s all get involved and ask our friends to join us.  Make it a family outing and teach our children the importance of giving.  Here are a few ways we can volunteer and give back in NYC, both around the holidays and year-round.


NY Cares: Help mentor students, serve meals in soup kitchens, clean up parks, collect winter coats and help the homeless.  NY Cares offers one-time volunteer opportunities to weekly opportunities.  Volunteer as an individual, group or with your company. https://www.newyorkcares.org/volunteer?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=DesktopBannerTest


City Meals on Wheels: If you have a car, you can get involved with this organization that helps feed 18k elderly folks in the NYC area.  This Thanksgiving they’re looking for people to go to a senior center in Bushwick, Brooklyn and deliver food.  Here is a link the volunteer form, where you can sign up to volunteer for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years programs.  http://www.citymeals.org/volunteer-with-us/individual-volunteers/volunteer-application-form


NY Common Pantry: Choice Pantry volunteers help provide free grocery packages for families and hot meal volunteers help prepare and serve meals to guests at the NY Common Pantry location on 8 East 109th St. in Manhattan.  http://nycommonpantry.org/how-to-help/volunteer/  They also offer off-site opportunities like a Thanksgiving Food Drive, making sandwiches for the Brown Bag Program, and collecting new clothing and toys.  http://nycommonpantry.org/how-to-help/off-site-opportunities/


BARC Shelter:  Are you an animal lover?  Here’s a way you can help our furry friends.    Come take a dog for a walk, keep a cat company or bring in your old towels and blankets as a donation.  http://www.barcshelter.org/


Gobble, Gobble, Give: This organization meets in Harlem to assemble takeout meals for 200+ families in low income housing and shelters.   You can help put meals together or drop off the food.  Donations of food, clothing, toiletries, toys and books are also welcome. Check out their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/gobblegobblegivenyc


God’s Love We Deliver:   Help bring food to those who are sick and unable to shop and cook for themselves.   Every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve over 1k volunteers help in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.   https://www.glwd.org/volunteers/holiday.jsp;jsessionid=1394DCC88DACD66D864DB9F0427B108C


City Harvest:  Help fight hunger by distributing fresh food and collecting any excess food donations from farmers at the end of local farmer markets.   How about getting your company involved and work as a team to fight hunger?  https://www.cityharvest.org/volunteer


Good+ Foundation:  Donate that baby gear and those diapers, coats and toys that your children have grown out of or organize your own children’s coat or holiday toy drive.  http://goodplusfoundation.org/how-to-help/organize-a-drive/


Room to Grow:  Dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty, Room to Grow assists low-income families by accepting donations of baby items, funds and volunteering.  Learn how to get involved here: http://roomtogrow.org/index.php/get-involved/how-to-help-in-new-york

Posted by Jen Valu

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October family events

9/30/2016

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Photograph Courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest Festival


There is no shortage of family activities this October in and around Brooklyn. We have harvest festivals, Halloween parades and pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!!! Need a pumpkin break? How about a creativity lab session or a drop-off art class for your little one. Read up below on the festive calendar of things to do with your family this month!


  • Scarecrows & Pumpkins (Bronx Zoo): From September 17th through October 30th, come explore more than 30 friendly scarecrows set among rare and unusual pumpkins and gourds in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Celebrate the season by putting on a festive fall puppet show and having a spooky tea party in the Victorian playhouse. Guided activities feature making a sprout a seed necklace and exploring flowers, fruits, and seeds. Weekends bring interactive demonstrations featuring bats, reptiles, and other creepy creatures. And, on October 22nd and 23rd check out the giant pumpkins – some weighing more than a ton! http://www.nybg.org/exhibitions/2016/pumpkins-and-scarecrows/pumpkins.php
 
  • The Chile Pepper Festival (Brooklyn Botanical Gardens): Enjoy a full day of music and yummy (spicy) food on Saturday, October 1st from 10am-6pm. 6 Bands and 62 different food vendors will be there. 11am-3pm: Go check out “Hot Chiles for Cool Kids”, where your child can pot up a pepper plant to take home! Buy tickets and learn more here: http://www.bbg.org/visit/event/chile_pepper_festival_2016_tastings
 
  • Creativity Lab (The Brooklyn Museum): On October 2nd from 4-5:30pm, visitors of all ages are invited to drop by the studios and explore their creative side. In this drop-in workshop, take inspiration from their galleries and get messy, experiment with materials, and learn artistic techniques with a new project each month. Takes place in the education studios, 1st https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/creativity_lab_october_2016
 
  • Drop Off Studio Hours at Private Picassos Art Studio (Private Picasso’s Art Studio, 237 5th Ave): The 3rd Saturday of every month until December.  $36/child (15% off second sibling enrolled for the same program).  Pre-registration is required, as space is limited!  Email [email protected] or call 718-215-0589 to reserve your spot.  Walk-ins are welcome if space is available.  Parents can enjoy a date night while your budding artist explores new materials and makes new friends. Available the 2nd Saturday of each month for kids 5+. http://achildgrows.com/thecalendar/232160835/2016-10-15/
 
  • Zahhak: Legend of the Serpent King (BAM): A Persian legend comes to life with live musical accompaniment and intricate shadow puppetry. Taken from the Shahnameh or Book of Kings – an epic narrative penned in the 10th century by Persian poet Ferdowsi – this shadow play tells the story of a misguided prince who becomes the villainous Serpent King. Saturday, October 22nd at 10:30am and 3pm. Tickets: $15.   Ages 8-13. http://www.bam.org/kids/2017/zahhak-legend-of-the-serpent-king
 
  • Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest Festival (Brooklyn Bridge Park): Come celebrate the Fall season on October 29th , 11am to 2pm with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and Brooklyn Bridge Park at the 7th Annual Harvest Festival and explore a NEW parkland with the opening at Pier 6! Enjoy pumpkin carving, arts and crafts, puppetry, games and musical performances.   Did you know they will have a “haunted marsh”???!! http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/events/harvest-festival
 
  • Halloween in Prospect Park (various locations in the Park): On October 29th, Prepare for ghoulish happenings all over Prospect Park! Gather the goblins for a truly hair-raising Halloween Haunted Walk and Fair (noon to 3pm) at Lookout Hill and Nethermead. At the Audubon Center, there’s Creepy Crawly Halloween, where kids can learn about all sorts of shiver-inducing creatures, find bitty bones during an owl pellet dissection (1 to 2pm), or take a Creepy Crawly walk (3 to 4pm) in search for park-dwelling critters. Over at Children’s Corner, visit Lefferts Historic House for scary storytelling and crafts  (2 to 4pm; suggested donation $3), then spin to spooky music on the Haunted Carousel (noon–5pm; $2 per ride or five tickets for $9). All ages.   http://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/halloween-in-prospect-park
 
  • Boo at the Zoo (Prospect Park Zoo): On Saturday, October 29th and Sunday, October 30th don’t miss the zoo’s annual Halloween event. This year they have a costumed character scavenger hunt, face painting, spooky barn and of course – plenty of animals!!! https://prospectparkzoo.com/events
 
  • Halloween Family Party (Greenwood Park): On October 31st come for free pumpkin decorating, crafts and games, trick or treating and spooky snacks! Timing isn’t specified on the website, so call ahead to confirm hours: http://greenwoodparkbk.com/blog/calendar/
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  • Park Slope Halloween Parade (7th Ave and 14th St to the Old Stone House): Kicking off at 6:30pm sharp, this is the best family Halloween Parade around!   Maybe you’ve seen Dr. Cao and his family in costume in years past? The parade ends at the Old Stone House at Washington Park, with a little post-parade dancing at J.J. Byrne Playground. Feel free to gather with your family around 4pm, as many families and merchants begin greeting trick or treaters on Seventh and Fifth Avenues (yippee!). You never know what kind of spooks you’ll see at this festive celebration, and the costumes get increasingly inventive with each passing year-—so bring your A-game. All ages. http://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/park-slope-halloween-parade

​Posted by Jen Valu

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    Jen Valu
    contributor + supermom

    Jen Valu is the mom of 2 small children who were SSP patients. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially the silly dance parties and creative time with her kids. Recently relocated to the suburbs, she misses Park Slope terribly but appreciates the sanity that has come along with space and a yard. "Embrace the crazy" is her motto.

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South Slope Pediatrics,
​Dr. Hai Cao, MD
​501 5th Avenue, Park Slope, NY 11215
718.576.2450
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Call SSP
Email SSP
  • Expecting? Book a Free Meet & Greet
  • 718.576.2450
  • Patient Portal
  • Pay Your Bills
  • Meet The Doctors + Team
  • SSP Free Classes
  • SSP NEWS
  • Insurance
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  • SSP 4 Good
  • SSP Blog
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