Day: March 5, 2025

The Amazin’ Mets Foundation recently awarded more than $280,000 in grants to support youth baseball and softball programs across the region, helping local Little Leagues with essential funding for uniforms, equipment, field repairs and scholarships.

The foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the New York Mets. Founded in 2020, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation focuses on youth development, community enrichment and improving access to sports. The foundation’s grants directly support grassroots baseball programs, ensuring young players have the resources they need to learn and grow in the game.

This latest round of funding aims to ensure that young athletes in communities throughout the New York metropolitan area have access to the resources needed to participate in and enjoy the sport.

Several leagues received significant contributions, including Merrick Bellmore Little League ($50,000, Merrick/Bellmore) for minor repairs and equipment and Ozone Howard Little League ($30,000, Ozone Park/Howard Beach) to support uniforms and registration scholarships. Other recipients include:

• Babylon Little League (Babylon) – $5,000 for minor repairs
• Bayside Little League (Bayside) – $20,000 for uniforms
• Bedstuy Sluggers Little League (Bedford-Stuyvesant) – $5,000 for uniforms
• Brooklyn Youth Association (Brooklyn) – $10,000 for registration scholarships
• Central Islip Little League (Central Islip) – $6,000 for uniforms
• College Point Little League (College Point) – $10,000 for uniforms
• Commack North Little League (Commack) – $25,000 for minor repairs
• Dwarf Giraffe Athletic League (Whitestone) – $10,000 for uniforms
• Forest Hills Youth Athletic League (Forest Hills) – $20,000 for uniforms
• Freeport Little League (Freeport) – $2,000 for uniforms & equipment
• Little League of the Islips (Islip) – $20,000 for equipment
• Malverne Little League (Malverne) – $20,000 for minor repairs
• NY Girls Baseball (New York City) – $25,000 for league support
• St. James Smithtown Little League (Smithtown) – $5,000 for field rental & tournament fees
• Valley Stream Little League (Valley Stream) – $15,000 for uniforms
• Works Little League (New York City) – $5,000 for registration scholarships

In addition to financial assistance, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation has emphasized its ongoing commitment to local Little Leagues, encouraging organizations to continue applying for grants each year. Some leagues were unaware they could seek additional support, prompting the foundation’s team to remind them of the opportunity.

For more information, visit amazinmetsfoundation.org.

If elected as the next city Comptroller, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine wants to go beyond the basics of the fiscal watchdog post with his own plan to tackle the city’s sprawling affordable housing crisis.

Levine’s proposal, which his campaign shared exclusively with amNewYork Metro ahead of its Wednesday release, would use the municipal pension fund system, which is managed by the comptroller’s office, to help finance building and preserving as many as 75,000 affordable units over the next decade.

The plan is one of many put forward by Democratic primary candidates this year who are pledging to address a housing shortage that has sent rents soaring and left only about 1.4% of apartments across the city available.

“New York’s housing crisis is a moral and economic emergency,’ Levine said. “We cannot let our city’s working families, seniors, and municipal employees be pushed out of the very neighborhoods they help sustain. As Comptroller, I will put our pension fund to work for affordable housing, ensuring that thousands of New Yorkers can finally access the housing they need and deserve.”

The Manhattan beep’s four-part plan is built on establishing what he has dubbed the “NYC Affordability Fund,” which would be run through the city pension systems’ already existing Economically Targeted Investments fund.

The ETI makes up 2% of the city pension funds’ investments, but according to Levine’s campaign, only about half of the fund has actually been allocated. That leaves roughly $2.5 billion remaining unused.

Levine’s proposed new fund would essentially create a vehicle for allowing developers to tap those dollars to finance their affordable housing projects, which could speed up the rate of development, Levine’s campaign says. The fund is unique because it would allow developers to convert the debt they take out into equity in a building once it is completed.

“Across New York City, there are thousands of homes waiting to be built — the plans are approved, but developers lack the financing to get it done,” Levine said. “The NYC Affordability Fund unlocks those dollars for us to invest directly in creating and preserving up to 75,000 affordable homes.” 

According to his campaign, the new fund would be complimented by the second part of Levine’s plan. That piece of the proposal calls for changing internal comptroller office policy to reclassify affordable housing as a “core” area of real estate investment, which would make it less expensive for developers to access the financing.

The plan’s third component involves pushing for the state to remove a limit on how much the city pension funds can invest in affordable housing production. Its fourth prong envisions working with the state and federal governments to lift a cap on the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which could also help projects get built more quickly.

Levine, who launched his comptroller bid last summer, is in a tight Democratic primary battle with Brooklyn City Council Member Justin Brannan. Both candidates launched campaigns for the position after current city Comptroller Brad Lander jumped into the race to unseat Mayor Eric Adams last year.

Although the race is competitive, Levine has emerged as the early frontrunner. He has a sizable list of endorsements from elected officials and political organizations.

Brannan has also received support, most recently from the left-leaning New York Working Families Party.

Levine has also far outraised Brannan by unlocking nearly $1.9 million in public matching funds. According to city Campaign Finance Board records, he currently has over $2.3 million at his disposal.