Brooklyn's Dominican Day fair focuses on enhancing community quality of life

CYPRESS HILLS, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Brooklyn’s Dominican Day was celebrated on Tuesday, but it looked a little different than previous years.

“It didn’t feel appropriate to celebrate when people are struggling,” said Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

Dominican nationals struggle with expensive childcare, high rent, and pricey groceries. He put together the resource fair at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation.

“There are conversations about affordable housing, food access, and services from the local Dominican consulate,” Reynoso said.

The goal is to improve the quality of life of all Dominicans and Brooklynites. The Dominican Republic consulate recently opened its office in the neighborhood. They helped with passport renewal and dual citizenship applications.

Elvis Tineo, who represented the consulate, added that the Dominican population in New York City continues to expand.

“We have registered close to a million in our system, but there’s more that we haven’t counted,“ Tineo said.

Many Dominican nationals eligible for federal assistance may encounter a language barrier or feel confused when requesting specific services, which is why getting help is essential.

“We also have our human services, EBT, which is something that’s very needed in the community; they are helping people apply,” added Gaudi Polanco Mendoza, a spokesperson for Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation.

Honorees were recognized for contributing to the Dominican community during the resource fair. Brooklyn’s borough president and the National Dominican Day parade board chose this.

“We select an adopted Dominican, someone who supports the Dominican community and everything that we do,” said Cristina Contreras, the National Dominican Day Parade chair.

Plenty of events to celebrate ahead of the parade, including a food distribution event in Brooklyn. For more information, visit the website here.