Waterbury's Bunker Hill

Brooklyn Neighborhood Association

Although this, and many other neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs have existed in this city for, in some cases, over 100 years, and although none of them have ever been neighborhood housing associations, they have been erroneously listed as such on the official City of Waterbury website as such. To be clear, neighborhood housing associations are very much different from condo associations, and both of those are very different from organizations such as Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury (NHSW) and Loyola Development Corporation, and all of those are vastly different from any of Waterbury's neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs. The function, purpose, and manifestation of each of these types of organizations is significantly different, and none should be confused with the other.

A typical neighborhood association and a typical (neighborhood) community club have most or all of the below-listed components. Likewise, several of the neighborhood association and community club pages herein include much of this information.

Description of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. This is a general description which helps to
  1. Educate others on the existence of the neighborhood association or neighborhood community club
  2. Is often used in Public Service Announcements (PSA).
  3. Is often used in Press Releases (PR)
2. The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is thought to be a non-profit entity, although it's form and filing status is unknown
Management of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) - election of Officers is typically an annual or bi-annual occurrence; therefore, many Office positions are occupied by several people over the course of the existence of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA)
1. President
  1. 2012 - 2016 Lisa Stokes Velez
2. Vice-President
3. Recording Secretary
  1. 2012 Antoinette Covino
4. Correspondence Secretary
5. Treasurer
  1. 2012 Jerry Covino Jr.
6. Deputy Treasurer
7. Sargeant-at-Arms
8. Deputy Sargeant-at-Arms
9. Board of Directors
10. Board of Trustees
  1. The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have a Board of Trustees
11. Board of Advisors
  1. The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have a Board of Advisors
12. Committees - many committees of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) are ad-hoc and per eventus, and not standing
  1. Public Relations Committee
    1. Performs as the "face" of the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club
    2. Ensures that the appropriate messaging is conveyed appropriately to the public and to public, private, and partnering organizations.
  2. Communications Committee
    1. Ensures that members, internal committees, the board of directors, and the officers have an appropriate means of communication between and betwixt each other.
  3. Beautification Committee
    1. Provides for the guidelines to define beautification within the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club territory.
    2. Manages the implementation of authorized beautification projects with the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club parameters.
    3. Acts as a liaison to external groups, as authorized, with external organizations.
  4. Fundraising Committee
    1. Define the fundraising activities of the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club.
    2. Manages the implementation of Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club fundraising activities.
  5. Safety Committee
    1. May or may not work with a neighborhood association or neighborhood community club, whether sanctioned or endorsed or not, Citizen Patrol.
    2. Often includes the local City of Waterbury Department of Police Community Officer, who typically
      1. presents local crime data to members at their meetings
      2. preventative best practices
      3. other safety-related data
    3. Although sometimes this is done solely by the Safety Committee, or the Chair or Member thereof
  6. Membership Committee
    1. Promotes membership
    2. Tracks membership data
  7. Welcoming Committee
    1. Welcomes new Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club members.
    2. Introduces new members to other members of the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club.
    3. Onboards new members so that each new member understands the nuances of the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club, and the responsibilities of each member.
  8. Ethics Committee
    1. Outlines appropriate and necessary behavior of all members who are acting as representation of the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club.
    2. Provides a safe and secret line of communication for members to file appropriate complaints.
    3. Endeavors to resolve any ethics violations and complaints.
    4. Processes complaints in a timely, professional, respectful, and private manner.
  9. By-Laws Committee
    1. Is responsible for providing the by-laws, in print or digital fashion, to all new members.
    2. Maintains a current and validated copy of the by-laws.
    3. Reviews the by-laws annually for appropriateness.
    4. Provides recommendations to the Board of Directors for further action and implementation.
  10. Hospitality Committee
    1. Welcomes members and, especially guests, at meetings, events, et cetera
    2. Facilitates the hospitalities of various additional events, et cetera
  11. Events Committee
    1. Helps determine what events the neighborhood association or neighborhood community club
      1. Sponsors
      2. Hosts
      3. Participates in
    2. Coordinates the dates and times of various neighborhood association and community club meetings and events
    3. Acts as a liaison to macro meetings, events, et cetera
    4. Reports to Officers, and/or Executives, and/or Members
  12. Sports Committee
    1. Most neighborhood associations and community clubs do not have a Sports Committee.
    2. Some will invite a liaison from external Sports organizations to speak or otherwise communicate with the neighborhood association or neighborhood community club regarding various sporting events et cetera.
      1. Examples of such external organizations include
        The Bunker Hill Sports Association
        The Town Plot Sports Association
        et cetera
  13. Youth Engagement Committee
    1. Most neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs do not have a Youth Engagement Committee, or anything similar
    2. An exception is the Willow-Orange-Walsh (WOW) Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) [which is, for all intents and purposes, equivalent to the more typical neighborhood association or neighborhood community club] , which
      1. Hosts its meetings and some events out of their own Community Learning Center,
        Which has a WOW/NRZ Youth Council
        and other youth-related partners
  14. Guidance Committee
    1. Most neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs do not have a Guidance Committee. Rather,
      1. Some rely on past Officers, Executives, and Members to, unofficially, guide the organization
      2. Some rely on other, typically external, allies and partners for guidance
  15. Nominations and Elections Committee
    1. Understands the neighborhood association or neighborhood community club by-laws, particularly as they relate to nominations and elections of Officers, Directors, Chairs, and such.
    2. Is responsible to ensure that at least one person is nominated for every available position at their election time
    3. Handles nomination and election related concerns
History of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA)
1. The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association is not known to have existed prior to 1964.
2. Most neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs cherish their history, yet many have done a poor job at documenting their history.
Other Names for the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA)
1. Over their existence, many neighborhood associations and neighborhood community clubs have changed their name, or have had more than one such organization, yet not typically concurrently.
Business Plan for the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) - The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have a business plan
1. Purpose of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
2. Vision of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
3. Mission of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
4. Methodology
5. Strategy
6. Tactics
7. Some neighborhood clubs and associations have business plans which guide what they do and how they do it.
  1. Typically, the business plans are available to Officers, Executives (Officers and Committee Chairs), or Members, especially if the association or club is a legal entity, and most especially if that legal entity is a non-profit organization.
    1. In fact, the business plan of non-profit organizations may be a matter of public record and, therefore, be available to any legal citizen of the United States of America upon request.
  2. Many neighborhood associations and clubs hold their business plans close to the vest, and only distribute them to Officers, or Executives, or Members.
By Laws of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. Most neighborhood clubs and associations have by-laws which govern what they do and how they do it.
2. Typically, the by-laws are available to members, especially if the association or club is a legal entity, and most especially if that legal entity is a non-profit organization.
  1. In fact, the by-laws of non-profit organizations may be a matter of public record and, therefore, be available to any legal citizen of the United States of America upon request.
3. Many neighborhood associations and clubs hold their by-laws close to the vest, and only distribute them to members.
Partnerships of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. For neighborhood associations and community clubs, this often includes
  1. Various government agencies
    1. Although there is no funding for neighborhood associations or community clubs in Waterbury, except by special request and the granting of such request, the City of Waterbury is the only (known) municipality which has such neighborhood associations and community clubs which also are members of a larger, quasi-governing, organization, which does not have a permanent funding, or, at least, partially-funding, mechanism in place for these organizations.
  2. Other neighborhood associations and community clubs
  3. Safety organizations and Citizen's Patrol groups
  4. Advocacy and Improvement groups
    1. For instance, in Waterbury, some neighborhood associations and community clubs work with Waterbury's
      1. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
      2. The Connecticut Community Foundation (CCF)
      3. The Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury (NHSW)
        Primarily in the Centre District and bordering neighborhoods
        Serving mainly lower income neighborhoods or blocks
      4. The Loyola Development Corporation
        Primarily in the South End District
        May be defunct in Waterbury, and is certainly not a predominant organization in Waterbury as it once was
      5. Several other worthy organizations
  5. A "parent" (for functional, not legal, purposes) organization
    1. In Waterbury, this, more than any other, includes the highly-troubled Waterbury Neighborhood Council (WNC)
      1. A once viable and influential force within the City
Sponsors and Benefactors of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. Citizens and residents who live in the neighborhood
2. The Town Plot Neighborhood Association (TPNA) [of the Clark Hill District's Town Plot Hill neighborhood] (from 2014 through 2016)
3. The Meadow Social Club
4. The Waterbury Neighborhood Council (WNC)
Events that are sponsored by the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. Monthly or other interval member meetings
2. Annual Christmas Parties, and/or similar religious events
  1. The Historic Overlook Community Club typically hosts an annual multi-denominational party
    1. Which, primarily, honors and celebrates the Catholic and Jewish holidays
    2. Which also honors and celebrates the faith and beliefs of other religious backgrounds
Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club Citizen's Patrol
1. Typically, but not always, sanctioned by the neighborhood association or community club
2. Typically, but not always, with the unofficial support of the City of Waterbury's Department of Police and Public Safety.
  1. In which case the Citizen Patrol typically abides by the requests, suggestions, and guidance of the City of Waterbury's Department of Police and Public Safety.
3. Typically, but not always,
  1. The citizen's patrol and the neighborhood association or community club encourages participation in the City of Waterbury's Department of Police and Public Safety's Citizens' Police Academy program,
    1. which is often offered several times per year
    2. which is typically a 7-week, one day per week, 2 hour, cost (to citizen students) free program
Contact the Typical Neighborhood Association or Community Club
1. Most neighborhood associations and community clubs do not have a web page
2. Several neighborhood associations and community clubs have a, sometimes officially sanctioned, social media presence
3. Telephone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses are typically made available to all members of their prospective neighborhood associations and community clubs, and sometimes to the public at large
News About the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association
1. 2012 Brooklyn Neighborhood Association creates memorial to 1955 flood
2. No additional news for the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) has been archived at this time.
Supporting and Related Links
1. Social Media Page -The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have a Social Media presence
2. Social Media Group -The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have a Social Media presence
3. Dedicated Website -The Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA) is not known to have any dedicated website presence
4. WaterburyLife.com page
  1. This page is the WaterburyLife.com web page which is dedicated to the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA)
    1. and it is provided as a service to the people of Waterbury at no cost to the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association (BNA)

Brooklyn Neighborhood Association Meetings

The Brookly Neighborhood Association meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month at the Saint Josephs' Parish Center @ 7:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Neighborhood Association Contact Data

Brooklyn Neighborhood Association
Jerry Covino - Pres.
32 Lawrence St. 06708
(203) 754-9207
(203) 578-0353 cell
jerry75@sbcglobal.net
[data per WaterburyCT.org as of 2024.03.02]