Neighbors in Action

NIA

Neighbors in Action works to make the central Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant safer and healthier for all.

Operating out of storefront offices since 1998, Neighbors in Action (formerly known as the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center) seeks innovative ways to promote community cohesion. This includes providing residents with links to resources on issues such as education, parenting, housing, and immigration; providing support to young people navigating the challenges of violence, drugs, and poverty; and galvanizing neighborhood stakeholders in order to improve the quality of life for all residents.

More About the Program →

Connect with Us

neighborsinaction.org
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Highlights

  • Legal Hand

    Legal Hand empowers community residents to support their neighbors with the legal information they need.

  • Make It Happen

    Make It Happen helps young men between the ages of 16 and 24 who have experienced violence acquire the tools necessary to overcome traumatic experiences.

  • Youth Impact

    Youth can be transformative leaders, addressing inequity in their communities and the factors that lead to youth involvement in the criminal legal system.  

Gariyana
If you're feeling down, there's help here. If you're bored, it's a positive place. Through Neighbors in Action, I learned to care for myself and gained the confidence to push for what I believe in.
Gariyana, 18 Youth Organizer, YO S.O.S.

Photo Gallery

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Cutting the Ribbon

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center celebrates its new identity: Neighbors in Action.

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New York City Council Proclamation

Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo honors Neighbors in Action on its twentieth anniversary and for its adoption of a new name: "a name that describes well the dedication...you bring to collective, inclusive community healing and change."

Panelist in Safety Discussion
What is Safety?

The Center for Justice Innovation convened a panel to discuss neighborhood safety and well-being. Participating are, from left, Errol Louis of NY1, Amy Ellenbogen of Neighbors in Action, Erica Mateo of the Center, Marlon Peterson of the Decarcerated podcast, and Mark Winston Griffith of the Brooklyn Movement Center.

Community Mobilization
Community Mobilization

S.O.S. Peace March in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

Publications & Digital Media

See All Publications and Digital Media →

News

  • Why We Prioritize Economic Justice

    Everyone deserves meaningful opportunities to make a stable living. For our teams across the city, that raises a critical question: What does it look like to build economic justice from the ground up?

  • Saving Our Streets Brooklyn

    June 5, 2024
    Our Time Press

    "To finally end gun violence in our communities, we need to invest in our kids and give them the support they need to thrive." That was Anthony Rowe, project director of our Neighbors in Action program in Brooklyn, after the team partnered with Launch Charter School in Crown Heights to support a walkout of more than 100 middle school students for National Gun Violence Awareness Month. In Our Time Press, hear from teachers, community activists, and lawmakers on the tragic toll of gun violence in Brooklyn and the important work being done to prevent it.

  • 2024 Spark Prize Honors Brooklyn's Equity Champions

    March 6, 2024
    BKReader

    Our Neighbors in Action program received Brooklyn Org’s prestigious annual Spark Prize, which recognizes five nonprofits each year working to build racial and social justice in Brooklyn. The five winners of the award were honored at this year’s Spark Breakfast at the Brooklyn Museum. “We want to make Brooklyn a beacon for the world,” said Brooklyn Org president and CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey. “Not just in style, but in equity and justice.”

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Looking to Implement a Program in Your Neighborhood?

Find out more about how we can help you.
Contact Our Experts →

Partners

As a community-led project, we have hundreds of partners. A few are listed here: Brooklyn Children's Museum, Brooklyn Jewish Children's Museum, Dreams/Youthbuild, Reconnect Brooklyn, NYLAG, Legal Aid Society, Urban Art Beat, Theater of the Oppressed, Cure Violence, all the members of the Crisis Management System as well as dozens of dedicated volunteers.

Related Areas of Focus

We rely on the generosity of supporters to do the work we do.

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