Fall Updates from The BRO Space
In this update from the BRO Space, Program Coordinator Anecia Henry reports the latest on the BRO Project and HERO Dads.
The BRO The Project is Back in Session!
“Who do we need to be to effectively support others?”
This is one of many questions I asked our incoming social workers during our training; but really, it’s something we all need to consider to be effective change-makers and community members. At the B.R.O. Experience, what we do and how we do it is an extension of our BEING – how we embody our characteristics and values each day. Effectively modeling this level of integrity is crucial because it is exactly what we aim to cultivate in each of our participants.
With our new cohort beginning in October, the B.R.O. Space is buzzing as we orient our new social work team and prepare for our next group of young men! This revamped iteration of the program aims to support all our participants in becoming emotionally aware, community change agents through engagement with our Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group sessions and new Critical Consciousness curriculum. Closing out with a culminating community change project, participants will be equipped with the tools to be mindful of their own thoughts and emotions, set goals around their personal growth, and critically reflect and intervene in the systemic conditions that impact them and their communities.
The Start of Hero Dads!
Bringing to fruition our collaboration with HERO Dads and Montefiore Hospital has made it possible to fulfill one of our organizational goals: A Fatherhood Program in Bed Stuy! Through this collaboration, participants discuss everything from co-parenting, to substance abuse, and employment. While parenting is one of the most important, yet challenging roles anyone can play, we often fall short in ensuring that parents are well equipped both financially and emotionally prepared to take on the task.
This collaboration allows us to chip away at this tendency one father at a time, bringing holistic support and wraparound services to our men and their children.
Success Stories & Community Care: Celebrating Wins Beyond the Job Search
Yesterday I had one of those moments that reminded me of the quiet but powerful ways we can support one another. One of our participants, a current member of HERO Dads and BRO Project grad, who had been relentless in his job search, secured four interviews this week and recently started his first day at a new job this month. He was sat at a laptop doing training modules for another potential position when he asked if we had any slacks in his size, as his new position requires business casual attire.
I pulled out the mirror and found a few options in our storage—pants, shirts, sweaters—and with his friend on FaceTime cheering him on, he tried on different looks, piecing together outfits that made him feel ready for this next chapter. It wasn’t just about the clothes; it was about watching him stand a little taller, preparing to step into his new role with the confidence and dignity he deserves.
While it's easy to think of clinical work as limited to talk therapy or case management, this moment felt like a reminder of the deeper layers of community care. It wasn’t just about celebrating his hard work or the payoff of his job search—it was about ensuring he had the tools to enter those spaces with pride. It made me think: How do we show up for people when they're not in crisis? How do we create spaces where they have what they need to intervene in their own material conditions, to sustain their wins, and just be themselves?
It’s a privilege to be part of that kind of support, the kind that sees the whole person and gives them the space to thrive, not just survive.
Let’s all send confidence and good vibes to this participant as he enters this new chapter – I can’t wait to hear how his first day went!
Anecia Henry is Program Coordinator for The BRO Space and The BRO Project and is a Master of Social Work (MSW) candidate at Fordham Graduate School of Social Services