Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Democratic representative for the 9th Congressional District, on Friday opened her new office to better serve constituents.
A steady stream of constituents, community leaders and officials trekked to the new office at 222 Lenox Rd., between Nostrand and Rogers avenues, in the epicenter of the Caribbean community, from 2 pm to 8 pm, to be warmly greeted by Clarke and staffers.
“We’ve been planning all along to do a grand opening so the community can spread the word,” Clarke told Caribbean Life in an exclusive interview amid the fanfare.
“I’m very proud to represent this district,” she added. “We want that to be reflected in all that we do. We also want to collaborate with community organizations for the services we provide.
“Our goal is to build a strong community, to partner with those involved in growth,” continued Clarke, who is serving her 10th year in the US House of Representatives.
Clarke said she moved to the new office in February after the owners of the old office, at 123 Linden Blvd., sold the building.
She said her new office is a former medical facility that was “retrofitted to meet the needs of our office.”
The congresswoman said her district, formerly the 11th Congressional District that was redistricted in 2010, is very diverse, with constituents from the Middle East, South Asia and Turkey. She said they comprise the “bulk of the Muslim community.”
The 9th Congressional District also comprise the Jewish community – from ultraorthodox to liberal – and the Christian community, including the Caribbean community.
Clarke said the Caribbean community is the largest cultural, ethnic and religious group, comprising nationals from the English, French, Spanish and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.
The 9th Congressional District, Clarke said, is also the only congressional district that comprises constituents in one borough in New York City.
The highly residential and commercial district runs through the middle of Brooklyn – from the Barclays Center, downtown Brooklyn, to Sheepshead Bay, and includes Parkslope and Brownsville.
In her new office, Clarke said she plans to conduct a series of small community meetings, “where people can come to get professional services.”
Clarke has a conservative opponent in the November Presidential Elections, as she seeks her sixth consecutive, two-year term in Congress.
