Food & Basic Needs
Neighbors Together
Brooklyn
Soup kitchen and community advocacy center: free to-go lunch Mon-Fri 12-2 and dinner 4-6 on select days, plus housing, benefits, job training and healthcare support.
Reentry Services in Brooklyn
Second Start lists 78 reentry programs based in Brooklyn, from housing and legal aid to jobs and healthcare, plus 317 citywide services that also serve Brooklyn residents.
Brooklyn is large, so check the address and travel time before you go, and ask whether the program takes walk-ins.
78 local services
Browse by need in Brooklyn
Based in Brooklyn
Employment & Job Training
Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI)
Brooklyn
Skills training, employer-recognized credentials, job placement and career development for people with significant barriers to employment; sector programs incl. cable installation, woodworking, TV/film production.
Substance Use Recovery
Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) - Crossroads
Brooklyn
OASAS-licensed outpatient program for anyone, whether or not affected by the criminal legal system: counseling, medication-assisted treatment (methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone), mental health counseling, employment services, drug testing, HIV/hep C testing, court advocacy.
Food & Basic Needs
St. John's Bread and Life
Brooklyn
Grab-and-go breakfast/lunch bags Mon-Thu 9-12:30, digital-choice food pantry Mon-Thu 8-2 (registration required), mobile soup kitchen in Brooklyn and Queens, benefits help, medical clinic and mail service.
Substance Use Recovery
After Hours Project
Brooklyn
Community-based harm reduction: syringe services, hygiene kits, counseling for people who use drugs, housing for people with HIV/AIDS, case management, medical transportation.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS)
Brooklyn · Queens
Free court-appointed defense in criminal, family and immigration matters (Brooklyn and Queens), plus civil advocacy, social work, and the Reentry Speaks support group.
Employment & Job Training
Brooklyn Public Library - Business & Career Services
Brooklyn
Free one-on-one resume and career help, mock interviews, job-search resources and small business support.
Family & Reunification
Osborne Association
Bronx · Brooklyn
Reentry hotline, workforce services, housing support, elder reentry, court advocacy, sealing consultations, video visiting and family programs.
Substance Use Recovery
Addiction Care Interventions (ACI)
Brooklyn
OASAS-approved treatment centers for adults 18+, offering medical, psychiatric, and withdrawal management services alongside individual, group, family, and couples counseling. Also provides DWI/DUI-mandated screening, assessment, counseling, and treatment.
Education & GED
Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) - Bard Microcolleges
Manhattan · Brooklyn
Full tuition-scholarship, accredited college program where students earn a Bard College Associate in Arts degree attending classes at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library or a location on 125th Street in Harlem, with faculty, tutors and academic advisors.
Healthcare
Bedford-Stuyvesant Family Health Center
Brooklyn
Care for low-income New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, substance use disorder, mental illness and other chronic conditions: care management, harm reduction, HIV and hep C testing, peer education. Also WIC and wellness programs.
Education & GED
Brooklyn Public Library - Adult Learning Centers
Brooklyn
Provides free Adult Basic Education, multiple High School Equivalency (HSE) pathways (including NEDP, Fast Track, and Spanish-language GED), industry-recognized credential classes, ESOL, computer literacy, citizenship prep, case management, and laptop/hotspot loans.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Financial Services
Brooklyn
Provides free virtual financial counseling and classes on budgeting, investing, student loans, and retirement planning, plus tax help and one-on-one guidance connecting patrons to entrepreneurial, employment, and education opportunities.
Benefits & Financial Help
CAMBA - Economic Development & Financial Counseling Services
Brooklyn
Offers financial counseling, money management help, and small business services, along with foreclosure and eviction prevention counseling for HPD Section 8 recipients, as part of a broader set of education, family support, health, housing, and free legal service programs.
Housing & Shelter
CAMBA - The Gathering Place
Brooklyn
Drop-in center for single adults with three meals a day, shower and laundry facilities, clothing, mail and phone services.
Employment & Job Training
CAMBA - Workforce Development & Small Business Services
Brooklyn
Workforce development and small business services (Small Business line 718.226.0436).
Education & GED
CUNY Fatherhood Academy
Bronx · Brooklyn · Queens
Free HSE prep or college prep track with tutoring, counseling, parenting seminars, financial incentives and job preparation.
Employment & Job Training
Goodwill NYNJ - Workforce Development
Brooklyn
Job training and placement, plus GoodTemps temp-to-hire staffing for people with barriers to employment.
Housing & Shelter
Housing Works
Brooklyn
Housing, healthcare, job training and legal help for homeless and low-income New Yorkers affected by HIV/AIDS; Emergency and Transitional Housing program gives 12 months of housing for people recently released.
Education & GED
Imani House, Inc. - Adult Literacy Program
Brooklyn
Offers free small-group and one-on-one classes in basic literacy, ESOL, HSE test preparation, pre-HSE, and math tutoring.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYS Office of Victim Services
Brooklyn
Reimbursement for medical expenses, lost earnings, funeral costs, counseling, court transportation and domestic violence shelter costs for eligible crime victims.
Housing & Shelter
Providence House
Brooklyn
Transitional residences, apartments and permanent supportive housing for women recently paroled from prison and their children, with support services.
Housing & Shelter
Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ)
Brooklyn
Provides comprehensive services to veterans and their families throughout NYC, including housing assistance, employment support, benefits advocacy, and counseling. Its Incarcerated Veterans Transitional Program (IVTP) offers pre-release planning, case management, employment assistance, and coordination with the VA and community partners for housing, healthcare, and reintegration support.
Employment & Job Training
Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ) - Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP)
Brooklyn
Helps veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness secure stable employment and housing through job readiness training, employment placement, case management, and connections to supportive resources.
Mental Health & Counseling
Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ) - SSGT Fox Program
Brooklyn
A BVSJ program offering targeted mental health support for veterans, including counseling, crisis intervention, and connections to long-term wellness resources, addressing PTSD, depression, and adjustment challenges with veteran-centered care.
Employment & Job Training
Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES)
Brooklyn
Provides alternative-to-incarceration programming, mental health and substance use treatment, and youth education and employment services for court-involved New Yorkers.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Community Alternatives (CCA)
Brooklyn
Statewide network for people affected by mass incarceration: substance treatment and recovery communities, sentence mitigation, court advocacy, workforce readiness, civic restoration, emergency/transitional housing, youth mentoring.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Federal Defenders of New York
Brooklyn
Defends people accused of federal crimes who cannot afford a lawyer, handles appeals, and supports reentry programs for people with substance use disorder and mental illness. Eastern District covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island; Southern covers Manhattan and the Bronx.
Education & GED
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT)
Brooklyn
Employment training centers for adults and youth offering HSE preparation, adult literacy, ESOL, foundational industry courses, and advanced hands-on training in fields such as construction, healthcare, and technology, plus job placement.
Substance Use Recovery
Start Care Inc.
Brooklyn
Culturally responsive mental health and substance use services for people ages 5 and up, including medication for addiction treatment (methadone and buprenorphine) for opioid use disorder, counseling, psychiatric and medical care, peer support, and harm reduction. Also offers job training and workforce development for adults.
Benefits & Financial Help
Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS)
Brooklyn
An independent office within the IRS that helps people resolve tax problems they have been unable to fix on their own, including cases of undue hardship caused by IRS actions or inaction.
Mental Health & Counseling
Baltic Street Wellness Solutions
Brooklyn
Job skills training, work-readiness and job retention help, housing placement, benefits advocacy, support groups and educational referrals for adults with lived mental health experience.
Family & Reunification
Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC)
Brooklyn · Bronx
After-school tutoring, summer camp, mentoring, a licensed mental health clinic and family engagement services for children of incarcerated parents.
Employment & Job Training
Drive Change
Brooklyn
Paid fellowship training formerly incarcerated young people in the food and hospitality industry.
Healthcare
Haitian-American Community Coalition (HCC)
Brooklyn
Serves low-income and houseless New Yorkers, primarily of Caribbean descent, with health and fitness programs, adult literacy, housing placement assistance, HIV/AIDS testing and prevention education (including PrEP/PEP), and mental health counseling at its Be Well Center.
Substance Use Recovery
Brooklyn Center for Psychotherapy - New Directions Substance Use Clinic
Brooklyn
Outpatient counseling, anger management, art therapy and vocational evaluation, with specialized services for court-involved people (supervised urinalysis and breathalyzer screenings, domestic violence and parenting classes). Psychotherapy clinic 718.622.2000.
Mental Health & Counseling
Mustard Seed Counseling Services
Brooklyn
Assessment and treatment for people charged with or convicted of a sexual offense, or with sexual behaviors that interfere with relationships and work.
Substance Use Recovery
Realization Center
Brooklyn
Outpatient treatment for substance use, dual diagnosis, relapse, gambling, DWI, anger management and more, including a program specifically for formerly incarcerated people. Telehealth available.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Arab American Association of New York
Brooklyn
Immigration help, English classes, youth programs and family support in Bay Ridge.
Healthcare
Bridging Access to Care
Brooklyn
A multi-service, community-based behavioral health care organization. Services include case management for people living with HIV, living with mental illness, or former substance users; STI, HIV and hepatitis C testing; psychiatric evaluations; individual and group therapy; and smoking cessation.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID)
Brooklyn
Advocacy, benefits counseling and peer support for people with disabilities in Brooklyn.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union
Brooklyn
Community credit union offering accounts, credit-building loans and free tax prep.
Employment & Job Training
Brooklyn DA - ComALERT
Brooklyn
Brooklyn DA reentry program offering counseling, substance use treatment, job help and transitional work for people on parole.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn DA - Community Resources & Re-Entry Program (ComALERT)
Brooklyn
Runs the Kings County Re-entry Task Force, ComALERT and GRASP: Medicaid/SNAP enrollment, clothing, HSE classes, resumes, treatment, counseling; pays for lost birth certificates and NYS ID.
Employment & Job Training
Brooklyn Navy Yard - Employment Center
Brooklyn
Connects NYC residents to jobs at Navy Yard businesses, with fair-chance hiring partners.
Education & GED
Brooklyn Public Library - Computer Workshops
Brooklyn
Free Computer Basics, Internet Searching and Microsoft Word workshops.
Housing & Shelter
Brooklyn Public Library - Justice Initiatives Welcome Home
Brooklyn
Reentry Navigators offer one-on-one appointments to set goals, guidance on housing, health and reconnecting with family, monthly peer dinners, and links to library services.
Education & GED
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Community Health & Social Work
Brooklyn
The Community Health Team connects people to health and wellness services through education and resources, provided via virtual webinars, programming, trainings, and community partner events.
Education & GED
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Immigrant Services
Brooklyn
Offers free in-person and virtual citizenship classes; for more information email immigrantservices@bklynlibrary.org. Offers programs in multiple languages including English language classes and conversation groups, family cultural events, free citizenship classes, and adult literacy courses.
Employment & Job Training
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Services for Older Adults
Brooklyn
Offers a range of programs, services, resources, and events for adults ages 50 and over and their caregivers including lectures, health and wellness series, musical performances, art classes, classes on computer basics, and more. Also provides retirement literacy, estate planning workshops, and job-readiness programs.
Education & GED
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Youth & Family Services
Brooklyn
Offers a range of materials and programs for young people, birth through teens, and their families and educators. Programs include Babies and Books; Storytime; Ready, Set, Kindergarten!; STEM programs; Inclusive Services programs for children and teens with and without disabilities; and more.
Healthcare
Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center
Brooklyn
Primary and specialty care in Brownsville and East New York.
Employment & Job Training
Business Outreach Center Network (BOC)
Brooklyn
Provides business development resources to underserved entrepreneurs who are trying to start or expand their small business. Offers comprehensive small business counseling and services ranging from business plan development to licensing and permit information.
Housing & Shelter
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
Brooklyn · Queens
Food pantries, housing, mental health and senior services; serves all faiths.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) - Youth Services NYC
Brooklyn
Provides services to youth, both court-involved and non-court-involved, including case management, financial literacy and life skills workshops, civic engagement opportunities, community benefits projects, internships, unsubsidized job placements, and mentoring. Visit the website for more information and requirements.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Brownsville Community Justice Center
Brooklyn
Youth-focused justice center in Brownsville offering alternatives to detention, job training and community programs.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Red Hook Community Justice Center
Brooklyn
Neighborhood court and service hub in Red Hook offering counseling, youth programs and alternatives to incarceration.
Mental Health & Counseling
Center for Justice Innovation - Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) Crown Heights
Brooklyn
Cure Violence-model gun violence interruption program in Crown Heights.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Common Justice
Brooklyn
Restorative justice alternative to incarceration for violent felonies, centered on the harmed party's needs.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Correctional Association of New York (CANY)
Brooklyn
Independent prison monitor that tracks conditions in NYS prisons and takes reports from incarcerated people and families.
Employment & Job Training
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation - Workforce
Brooklyn
Job readiness, training and placement in Cypress Hills and East New York.
Housing & Shelter
Elite Learners - Reentry Services
Brooklyn
Offers support services to youth where mentees receive one-toone case management, general issue advocacy training, as well as wrap-around family support.
Housing & Shelter
Emma's Torch
Brooklyn
An 11-week paid apprenticeship program in culinary training for refugees, asylees, or survivors of human trafficking ages 18 and over, who are authorized to work in the US. Offered throughout the program are weekly English classes focused on culinary vocabulary and interview preparation, job-readiness workshops,...
Housing & Shelter
Envision Freedom Fund
Brooklyn
Pays immigration bond to free people from ICE detention who are unable to afford it, and provides post-release support for those they bond out, including food, mental health, medical, and housing support. Never charges money, fees, or asks to be paid back for services provided.
Education & GED
Exalt Youth
Brooklyn · Manhattan
Education and paid internships for court-involved youth.
Mental Health & Counseling
Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI)
Brooklyn
Hospital- and school-based violence prevention with counseling and mentoring for young people.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Make the Road New York
Brooklyn
Legal services, adult education, job help and organizing for immigrant and working-class communities.
Employment & Job Training
Man Up! Inc.
Brooklyn
Violence interruption, mentoring and youth employment in East New York.
Food & Basic Needs
Masbia Soup Kitchen Network
Brooklyn
Free kosher meals and food pantry, open to everyone.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Mixteca Organization Inc.
Brooklyn
Provides a range of services to Spanish speaking immigrants in NYC. Offers ESOL classes, computer classes, and adult basic education and literacy classes in Spanish.
Healthcare
NYU Langone - Family Health Centers
Brooklyn
Federally qualified health centers in Sunset Park and other Brooklyn sites.
Employment & Job Training
Pathways2Apprenticeship (P2A)
Brooklyn
Construction pre-apprenticeship that prepares justice-impacted and low-income New Yorkers for union apprenticeships.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Police Athletic League (PAL) - Juvenile Justice
Brooklyn
The Brooklyn location offers the Mentorship and Advocacy Program (MAAP) for court-involved and underserved youth ages 12–21, where participants are matched with a mentor after a referral from either the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI), Close to Home, or the Family Assistance Program (FAP).
Employment & Job Training
RiseBoro Community Partnership
Brooklyn
Bushwick-based multi-service agency with workforce, housing, senior and youth programs.
Food & Basic Needs
The Campaign Against Hunger
Brooklyn
Food pantry, urban farms and workforce programs in Brooklyn.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
VOCAL-NY
Brooklyn
Membership organization of low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, incarceration and homelessness; organizing plus direct services.
Citywide services
These serve people from every borough, often by phone, online or at more than one office.
Housing & Shelter
Unlock NYC
Citywide
Online tools and peer support for people facing housing discrimination because they use rental vouchers (CityFHEPS, Section 8, FHEPS, HASA); helps document and report discrimination and connects to agencies.
Benefits & Financial Help
Community Health Advocates
Citywide
Offers free one-on-one help finding and using health insurance and care, including resolving medical billing and debt problems, disputing coverage denials, accessing hospital and prescription financial assistance programs, and understanding health insurance tax credit forms.
Housing & Shelter
Housing Court Answers
Citywide
Information for tenants, landlords and advocates: housing court procedures, landlord-tenant rules, code violations, referrals to free legal help and back-rent assistance.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
LawHelpNY
Citywide
Online directory of free legal services across New York with plain-language rights information, court info, and live chat Mon-Thu 9am-9pm.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Legal Services NYC
Citywide
Free civil legal services in housing, benefits and immigration, plus representation for conviction-history employment discrimination.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Mobilization for Justice
Citywide
Provides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers on housing, civil rights, disability rights, aging rights, bankruptcy, tax, consumer, employment, government benefits, and kinship care matters, including advice, counsel, and representation to help people with past criminal records re-enter the workforce.
Healthcare
New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF)
Citywide
Helps New Yorkers and people traveling to New York State access abortion care through financial assistance, case management, and referrals to legal, counseling, and community resources. A volunteer case manager returns calls or emails within 48 hours, and information is kept confidential.
Family & Reunification
NYC HRA - Office of Child Support Services (OCSS)
Citywide
Help with child support orders, license suspensions, lowering or eliminating child support debt owed to the government, paternity, DNA testing, mediation, and free financial counseling.
Education & GED
NYPL Free English Classes
Citywide
Free ESOL, ABE and English-for-Work classes in 10-week cycles.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLSNY)
Citywide
Provides free legal services to people incarcerated in NYS DOCCS prisons on matters including mental health and medical care, discrimination, disciplinary hearings, excessive force, conditions of confinement, sentence calculation, and immigration. A Pre-Release and Re-Entry Program (PREP) offers counseling and planning for people within 6-18 months of release, and an immigration unit represents noncitizens in removal proceedings. Case acceptance is decided individually and does not extend to county, federal, or out-of-state facilities.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
The Legal Aid Society
Citywide
Free legal representation and advice on criminal, civil and juvenile issues: policing, bail, benefits, housing, immigration, parole, sealing and more.
Benefits & Financial Help
ACCESS NYC
Citywide
Screens eligibility and guides applications for 40+ city, state and federal benefits (food, cash, housing, internet, childcare).