ACTION OF THE MONTH:
Become a Friendly Visitor this winter!
Friendly Visitors are volunteers who offer companionship to home-bound older adults through weekly visits in their home. Sign up and make a difference in someone's life today!
Contact sjackowitz@qchnyc.org for more information.
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Queens Community House
is a multi-service settlement house whose impact reaches more than 20,000 children, teens, adults & older adults every year.
Our mission is to provide individuals and families
with the tools to enrich
their
lives and build
healthy, inclusive communities.
For a full listing of programs and services, visit us at:
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We can always use your help!
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QCH Protects Most Vulnerable During Record Lows
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As temperatures drop to record lows this month, our senior program staff are taking extra steps to make sure their most vulnerable participants are safe.
Many older adults rely on our daily, home-delivered meals as their main source of nutrition. When storms are predicted, our Meals on Wheels staff send extra meals to cover the disruption of deliveries. "No senior goes hungry on my watch," says Jose Pena, Program Coordinator. "Every last participant will have something warm to eat at every meal, no matter the weather."
QCH senior center staff make regular calls in the winter to members who are unexpectedly absent or who haven't been seen in a while, to make sure they are all right. As winter storm Grayson approached, staff and volunteers at our Forest Hills NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) reached out to their home-bound seniors to assist with last-minute grocery and pharmacy needs. "We make sure our members have everything they need before the chilling weather hits," says NORC Director Evelyn Gottlieb. "No senior should be without basic necessities or become isolated because of cold weather."
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Free Holiday Camps Support Working Parents
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Holiday school closings may be eagerly awaited by students, but they can often be a burden for working parents who can struggle to find affordable and trusted childcare. QCH's free holiday camps met the needs of hundreds of local working parents last week, while offering full days of engaging activities for our kids. Doors opened at 8am, and energetic staff kept the children safe, learning, and having fun for 10 hours each day. We also served a daily hot lunch and afternoon snack, saving parents additional money. According to one parent, "I would have to miss a week's work if not for QCH's holiday camp and my child begs me to go, so it's a win-win situation for both of us."
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Generosity When Families Need It Most
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The holiday season ignited the spirit of giving in so many of our neighbors and local businesses this year, who donated toys, food, winter clothes, and their time to help out our less fortunate community members. Hundreds of others contributed to our end-of-year appeals, in support of QCH's year-round programming.
A special thank you is owed to St. Luke's Church, GACE Engineering, Senator Jose Peralta, We Rise, and many others for their our support of our holiday toy drive. This year we were able to provide gifts to more than 500 children.
We are so grateful for the generosity of all our supporters. Thank you for helping to demonstrate what community is all about.
Happy 2018!
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