Our Mission

Age Friendly Central Brooklyn (AFCB) evolved out of the Age Friendly NYC established in 2007 as a one-of-a kind partnership between the Office of the Mayor, The New York City Council, and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) that works to identify and catalyze improvements to enable older people to access, enjoy, and contribute to city life. After receiving its official designation as an age-friendly city in 2007, New York City launched a pilot program in 2009 that featured three Aging Improvement Districts (AID). Bedford Stuyvesant was the only locally controlled AID district whose residents were primarily of African Descent.

In 2015, the City Council expanded and renamed the initiative Age Friendly Neighborhood Initiative. It was at that time that the Bedford-Stuyvesant Aging Improvement District became the Age Friendly Neighborhood Initiative of Bedford-Stuyvesant & Crown Heights (now an independent entity known as AFCB).

Age Friendly Central Brooklyn has a growing membership; offers an array of activities and services to promote healthy aging and longevity by focusing on four Cohort Groups: Advocacy, Economic Empowerment, Intergenerational, and Social Inclusion; and a monthly newsletter entitled THIRD CHAPTER LIVING (12-page, color magazine format) that highlights the issues of the day as they relate to aging. Launched in January 2020, the title THIRD CHAPTER LIVING was inspired by renowned sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot from her book: “The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk and Adventure in the 25 Years After 50”.