100PercentBronx

Sunday, March 22, 2026

🌱GrowNYC Volunteer Newsletter

GrowNYC Volunteer Newsletter

Interested in volunteering with GrowNYC? Join our online orientation where our Volunteer Program Manager will provide information about GrowNYC, local agriculture and food access, as well as current and upcoming volunteer opportunities.

When: Friday, April 10th

Time: 3pm - 4pm

Where: Virtual

Orientation is open to all; however, GrowNYC volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. The volunteer orientation is required to participate in our volunteer opportunities.

GrowNYC’s Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Oliver, our spotlight volunteer of the month! Read the interview below to learn more about Oliver. Through her words, you’ll discover his motivations, interests, and memorable experiences that have shaped his volunteering path.

1. How long have you been volunteering with GrowNYC?

I have been volunteering with GrowNYC since November 2024.

2. Why did you decide to volunteer with GrowNYC?

I started volunteering because I was already a regular shopper and genuinely loved the greenmarkets. I was looking for a way to be more involved in my community, and the mission of increasing access to fresh, healthy food really resonated with me. It felt like a tangible way to support something I already believed in.

3. Tell us about yourself, what interests you and how do you spend your time?

I’m originally from the Boston area and now live in Williamsburg. I love doing basically anything outside, whether that’s hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter, and spend a lot of time cooking (usually leaning into my Italian heritage and whatever I find on NYT Cooking). I also really enjoy seeing friends and exploring new parts of the city.

4. What has been your favorite moment/memory volunteering with GrowNYC so far?

It’s hard to pick just one. One favorite memory was making butternut squash soup for a cooking demo on a particularly cold fall day. Seeing people warm up with a sample and then ask for the recipe and go buy squash from the farmer was incredibly rewarding. Another standout, was volunteering at a Bronx greenmarket the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and helping with a food drive. The energy, gratitude, and sense of community that day really stuck with me.

Greenmarket Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer with GrowNYC Greenmarkets to help support local farmers by creating a welcoming environment and ensuring they have opportunities to sell fresh produce.

This is also a great way to do your part in helping ensure that all NYC residents have access to fresh and local produce!
These events are outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle!

Brooklyn:

Food Access Volunteer | McCarren Park Greenmarket | Saturdays (sign up)

Manhattan:

Outreach Volunteer | Tribeca Greenmarket | Saturdays (sign up)

Outreach Volunteer | Tucker Greenmarket | Saturdays (sign up)

Greenmarket Special Event Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer with GrowNYC Greenmarkets to help support local farmers by creating a welcoming environment and ensuring they have opportunities to sell fresh produce.

These events are outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle!
We are seeking volunteers to with basic bartending experience to assist with our Maple Milk Bar at the 79th & Inwood Greenmarkets

Volunteer shift information below:

Manhattan:

Maple Milk Bar Bartender | Inwood Greenmarket | 4/11/26 - 10am to 1pm (Contact us)

Maple Milk Bar Bartender | 79th Street Greenmarket | 4/12/26 - 10am to 1pm (Contact us)

GrowNYC Partner Volunteer Activities

The Lustgarten Foundation, the largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research, is gearing up for the NYC Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which is taking place at Rockefeller Park (Battery Park City) on Sunday, April 19.

Learn more about how you can participate in this fun event for an important cause.

Saturday, March 21, 2026

18-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR UNPROVOKED STABBING OF 30-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF THREE IN EAST ELMHURST

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce was arraigned on charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon possession for the unprovoked stabbing of a 30-year-old woman on her way to the bus in East Elmhurst Monday morning. Ponce allegedly followed the victim and stabbed her repeatedly with a knife just as the victim was about to cross the street at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 94th Street. The defendant then fled without saying a word or taking any of the victim’s belongings.

District Attorney Katz said: “The random and senseless nature of this attack is deeply unsettling to every New Yorker. As alleged, this defendant followed a 30-year-old woman before stabbing her multiple times without any prior interaction. This was a calculated act of violence, and my prosecutors will aggressively seek justice for the victim of this unprovoked stabbing.”

Ponce, 18, of East Elmhurst, was arraigned last night on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Criminal Court Judge Maria T. Gonzalez remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on March 24. If convicted, Ponce faces up to 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on March 16, at approximately 6:17 a.m., the victim was crossing the street at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 94th Street to get to a bus stop when she was approached from behind by the defendant.

Ponce allegedly had a knife in his hand and stabbed the victim repeatedly, paused, and stabbed her repeatedly again.

The attack was completely unprovoked. Ponce did not say a word before, during or after the stabbing and immediately left the scene.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with a punctured lung and four stab wounds requiring 11 stitches.

Detectives recovered a bloody knife from the ground approximately 15 feet away from the intersection.

Ponce surrendered at the 115th Precinct.

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

Governor Kathy Hochul New York State Seal

“After my meeting with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the federal government approved our plan to move New York back to the Basic Health Plan, protecting care for 1.3 million people.

“Because Republicans used their majority to pass the largest health care cuts in history, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are still facing painful decisions about whether they can afford coverage, and no state can fully backfill these draconian cuts.

“Even when Washington falls short, I’m going to keep doing everything I can to protect families, strengthen our health care system and make sure every New Yorker gets the care they need.”

Office of the New York State Comptroller Dinapoli - This Week: Small Business Owners are the Backbone of New York's Economy

weekly news header

Small Business Owners are the Backbone of New York's Economy

we are open sign on small business

A new report by Comptroller DiNapoli details how vital small businesses are to New York’s economy, generating nearly $1 trillion in sales and revenues with more than 3.7 million employees at over 422,000 establishments in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. New York ranked fourth among states in the number of small businesses and third behind California and Florida for its share of small businesses, but trailed the rest of the country in some key metrics, including small business creation and employment.

“Small businesses are the foundation of New York’s economy, stimulating economic activity in our cities and towns, spurring innovation across industries, providing a variety of employment opportunities, and enriching our communities,” DiNapoli said. “However, growth in small business jobs and new startups lags the rest of the nation. New challenges, like tariffs, have forced owners to make sacrifices and difficult choices. The state and local governments should continue to look for ways to support small businesses by easing their entry into markets and helping them thrive in New York.”

Learn More

Service-Providing Industry Sectors Dominate State's 21st Century Economy

Since 2000, health care, social assistance and other service-providing industry sectors, such as accommodation and food services and educational services, have increased their share of total employment in New York (including New York City), while the number of jobs in goods-producing sectors continued a long-term decline, according to a report released by Comptroller DiNapoli.

“Service-providing industry sectors have powered job growth across New York and have helped shape the 21^st century economic landscape,” said DiNapoli. “The strengthening of these service industries has been widespread, although there are still notable regional differences in the mixture of sectors. This report provides industry-level job and wage data and workforce trends to help policymakers as they continue their work to ensure quality employment opportunities for all New Yorkers.”

Learn More

New York State Sunshine Week

Comptroller DiNapoli works hard for New Yorkers to ensure accountability and transparency at all levels of government. Sunshine week celebrates this commitment to effective governance and prevention of waste, fraud and abuse. Open Book New York allows the public to search millions of state and local financial records and includes interactive data trackers to monitor revenue and spending trends, federal funding in New York, contracts, NYC agency services and industry sectors and more.

View Dashboards on Open Book New York

Watch Message from Comptroller DiNapoli

Comptroller DiNapoli Releases 2025 Fiscal Stress Scores for Villages and Some Cities

Comptroller DiNapoli announced that seven villages were designated in fiscal stress under his office’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System for their fiscal year ending in 2025. All non-calendar fiscal year local governments that filed their annual financial reports in time to be scored were evaluated. One village was designated in “significant fiscal stress,” four in “moderate fiscal stress,” and two as “susceptible to fiscal stress.”

The Village of Island Park (Nassau County) was classified in “significant fiscal stress.” The four villages designated in “moderate fiscal stress” were: Alexander (Genesee County), Coxsackie (Greene), Liberty (Sullivan) and Tivoli (Dutchess). The two villages classified as “susceptible to fiscal stress” were: Homer (Cortland) and Huntington Bay (Suffolk).

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Former Executive Director of the Fulton-Montgomery County Chamber Of Commerce Arrested for Embezzling Over $440k

Comptroller DiNapoli, Montgomery County District Attorney Christina Pearson, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced the arrest of the former Executive Director of the Fulton-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce for allegedly stealing $440,351 from the Chamber.

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