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Broke-tographers, we need your lenses

vintagecameracropOne problem with all the incredible Brokelyn-approved stuff out there is that we need more eyes, ears, pens and lenses to cover it all. And right now, we’re smack in the middle of a photographer drought.

If you’re an under-worked photographer, or an over-overworked but generous one, or really, if you’re any kind of real photographer who wants to shoot happening events, stores and other Brooklyn phenomena for Brokelyn, we want you. We’ll send you on some missions, and your shots will be seen by the masses. The work’s unpaid, but we try to make up for it with heaping praise. And if you’re someone who’s shot for us before (thank you), but you haven’t heard from us in a while, let us know what you’re up to these days. Email jonathan@brokelyn.com.


Clothing swap in Bed-Stuy this weekend

Our standard clothing swap photo, by Jenene Chesbrough. It has no connection to this event.

Our standard clothing-swap photo, by Jenene Chesbrough. It has no connection to this event.

Kioka, organizer of the Brooklyn Clothing Exchange, writes in to tell us about a clothing swap in Bed-Stuy this weekend. The details:

Saturday March 13, noon – 4 p.m. at Brooklyn Public Library, Macon Branch
361 Lewis Ave. at Macon Street, Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn, 718-573-5606
A to Utica
B15 to Macon or B25, B26 to Lewis

Bring at least one bag of clean clothing. For other rules, see the Brooklyn Clothing Exchange’s MySpace page.

Marty till the break of dawn!

swearing inYou can’t tell this from looking at the picture, but hidden in the glare of the spotlight is Borough President Marky Markowitz being sworn in by Mayor Mike at the Park Slope Armory last night. The photo is so awful because we were actually on stage behind them at this fancy shmancy politico-love-fest!

16 ways to help other Brooklynites

holidayhelpIt’s the season for giving, especially to the needy, and there’s so much more you can do than throw change in the Salvation bucket or drop a few cans of creamed whatever at the local food drive. Why not go for the charity glory and don a full Santa suit for the kids, or better yet, walk some nice old lady’s dog on Christmas Eve? Whatever your inclinations, get started with our roughly 16-point guide to holiday charity in (and around) Brooklyn.

No. 1: Provide your own jingle bell rock
For any under-appreciated rockers out there, Brooklyn Nonviolent Communication is seeking volunteer musicians to provide the tunes at their holiday party. You’ll play a few hours of background music, and you’ll even be allowed to set up a table to peddle your records and merch. Contact Dian Killian at 718-797-9525 or Kelly Shannon at events@brooklynnvc.org for more information.


How to help a homeless kid in Brooklyn

Photo via iStock.

There’s no shortage of local ways to spend your money this season, but what about diverting a bit of that economy-boosting cash to some of the borough’s neediest locals: kids living in shelters? The Brooklyn Community Foundation, an entirely Brooklyn-centered fundraising group that started up in October,  just launched its Caring Neighbors holiday campaign to help Brooklyn’s homeless kids have at least a decent holiday this year. The foundation is accepting donations for their Caring Neighbors Kits—packages of toys, books, and other educational resources that will be given out to ease the stress of being homeless. The city has more than 16,000 kids in shelters, the foundations says, and Brooklyn covers about 30 percent of that—including these four, very much in need of a few of those kits. Donations accepted here; those up to $250 to be matched dollar for dollar.

10 ways to ace a clothing swap

Clothing swap victory! Photo by Jenene Chesbrough.

This is not the author. Photo by Jenene Chesbrough.

I’d heard clothing swaps are a great way to upgrade a wardrobe for free. Some people, women usually, love them—like Clothing Swap and Meet founder Nichelle Stephens, who says such events bring out her “Sagittarian hunter-like leanings as well as appeal to her sense of vanity and thrift.” I wanted to believe Nichelle’s claim that they are also fun, but feared that such feel-good events only existed in Jennifer Garner movies. After all, this is New York: there are ugly sweaters, raw emotions, and bedbugs.

So my friends and I got together and hosted one ourselves. The Great Swap included a potluck dinner and wine; these were the highlights. Unfortunately, the swapping part didn’t flow as freely as the wine.