What if Glenmore Plaza felt like family?
By forming teams of up to 5 residents looking out for one another, it can be!
How it works
You and up to four Glenmore residents agree to form a GatherFor Neighbor Team
We’ll guide you through some initial conversations to better get to know one another
GatherFor provides funds for you to have one outing together once a month, which could be spent on food, transportation, child care, or whatever your group needs. You decide as a group how to use the funds and send GatherFor a picture at the end of the month to get gathering funds for the next month.
You elect a captain, who checks in on each of you once a month, and makes sure you have your team gathering. The captain attends a once / month gathering with other Glenmore Plaza Neighbor Team captains, who support one another.
How Glenmore Residents Teamed up with GatherFor to get NYCHA to make thousands of repairs
In 2023, GatherFor Founder Teju Ravilochan attended Glenmore Plaza Resident Association meetings and heard stories of ceilings collapsing, leaks and mold, children breathing in asbestos, and senior residents having falls from NYCHA failing to install grab bars.
As a nonprofit, GatherFor provided some resources and training to support Glenmore Residents who volunteered to go door-to-door and collect repair needs in the building. We compiled those repair needs into one spreadsheet and presented them to high level executives at NYCHA. We told NYCHA we were going to organize a block party (aka “Family Day” on August 12, 2023, also known as “Kindness Party”) in 3 months to serve as a celebration of their completing the repairs, making sure local residents and the press were there.
NYCHA agreed to make repairs and started a “blitz” bringing in electricians, painters, plumbers, carpenters, and more to complete 1,600 repairs in 2 months and 5,000 repairs in 4 months.
The initiative revealed what residents of the building can do when they come together.
Since then, GatherFor has continued to advocate for Glenmore Residents getting repairs from NYCHA.
We hope to build on the success of this initiative by continuing to hold NYCHA accountable, and to find other ways to make our community safer, stronger, and happier, together.
A history of the relationship between GatherFor and Glenmore Plaza.
What Your Experience Will Be
Step 1: Fill out a form online here or complete a paper form and return it to the Neighbor who gave it to you.
Step 2: You come together in person with your new Neighbor Team of 4-5 Glenmore Plaza residents. We'll facilitate you as a group getting to know each other and getting the group started!
Step 3: As a group, you elect a captain, who will check in on you each month and make sure the group gets together. We will provide the group with funds for monthly gatherings. As a group, you come together for celebrations and to support one another when needed. Your goal is to build a sense of chosen family, where you feel your Neighbors are your people and have your back no matter what!
Hear From Current Participants
This pilot of GatherFor: Glenmore Plaza is based on the work we’ve been doing in Brownsville, Brooklyn with 50 participants in Neighbor Teams, most of whom are mothers supporting one another as chosen family. Hear from them to get a sense of what experiences on a Neighbor Team might be like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any cost to participate?
There is no cost to participate at all!
Who qualifies for participation in GatherFor: Glenmore Plaza?
Anyone over 18 years old living in Glenmore Plaza in Brownsville, Brooklyn, can participate in GatherFor: Glenmore Plaza.
Where does GatherFor operate?
We’re running pilots of GatherFor in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
If I want to participate, what do I do?
You can fill out this form and GatherFor staff will reach out to you for a phone call about what’s important to you right now and for more information about how GatherFor: Glenmore Plaza works. You can also fill out a paper application received from a member of the Glenmore Plaza Resident Association Board.
How long does the engagement last?
When you join a Neighbor Team, we ask that you commit to it for at least three months at first. After that time, we’ll check in with you to see if it’s something you want to continue doing. Many of our Neighbor Teams have lasted for years, but participation is optional and should be something you continue only if you find the experience valuable and enriching.
Can I participate if I'm an undocumented immigrant?
Absolutely. We will take special precautions to be sensitive to your situation. We also may be able to connect you to legal support.
I’m worried about sharing my personal information with others.
We completely understand. You are always in control of what information you share and don’t share and won’t be asked to do or say anything you don’t feel comfortable with.
I’m needing support with mental health. Is there any way to get that through GatherFor?
Yes. First, we encourage Neighbor Teams to practice compassionate listening and support one another first and foremost by showing up for one another and offering our presence. Second, we have partnerships through which we may be able to connect you to mental health professionals who can provide free counseling, emotional support, trauma counseling, and more.
Is GatherFor a nonprofit?
Yes, GatherFor is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with EIN 85-3982098. You can see our Candid / Guidestar profile here, where we have a 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency.
Why the name GatherFor?
We chose the name GatherFor because it communicates what we believe: if we come together with one another committed to each other’s well-being, we have everything we need. Ultimately, GatherFor: Glenmore Plaza is about supporting Glenmore Residents as they support each other. If you join a Neighbor Team, it’s up to you and your team to define what you gather for. We’ll be there with you to give you resources, opportunities, and structure as it’s helpful.
GatherFor: Stories
As the Delta Variant surges, the eviction moratorium and federal unemployment assistance are winding down. Our Neighbors need support weathering this gap. We’re raising $2,000 for each of the 43 in our pilot and you can help. Read on to find out how.