QCH MARCHES AT QUEENS PRIDE PARADE

Kicking off Pride Month with infectious energy, the QCH family came together in spectacular fashion for the 33rd Annual Queens Pride Parade in Jackson Heights on June 1st.

The turnout was extraordinary—participants and staff from the Queens Center for Gay Seniors, Generation Q, PS149 Beacon, and other QCH programs filled the streets, marching shoulder-to-shoulder with friends and family in a vibrant display of solidarity. One of the day's highlights was our dedicated trolley service, ensuring that older adults and anyone with mobility challenges could fully participate in the celebration.

Throughout the parade route, the QCH spirit was unmistakable. Our colorful contingent radiated pride and unity, serving as a powerful testament to the strength we find in coming together as one community. Click here for a short video with highlights from the parade.

QUEENS POWER HOSTS MAYORAL FORUM

As a proud member of Queens Power, QCH demonstrated our collective strength at a pivotal mayoral forum on June 1st, bringing over 100 dedicated community members to join 2,000 other passionate Metro IAF members at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn.

With the NYC Primary Election on the horizon, this forum represented a crucial opportunity for our community to hold candidates accountable. Five leading mayoral contenders—City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Brad Lander, Representative Zohran Mamdani, and Former Comptroller Scott Stringer—faced direct questions about three critical priorities identified by our members: building 500,000 new units of affordable housing, expanding support and funding for mental health services, and implementing meaningful NYCHA reforms.

QCH's commitment to civic engagement was evident in our careful coordination—we arranged transportation from multiple Queens neighborhoods, ensuring that geography wouldn't prevent anyone from participating in this democratic process. The result was a powerful display of community engagement, with neighbors of all ages coming together to help shape our city's future. Click here for a short video with highlights from the event.

LGBTQ+ YOUTH SUPPORT FEATURED ON CBS NEWS

QCH was recently featured on CBS News in a segment highlighting the impact of the termination of a national suicide hotline specifically for the LGBTQ+ community.

The recent surge in homophobic rhetoric has created an atmosphere of fear and isolation for many young people, making resources like LGBTQ+ youth hotlines more critical than ever. We know the statistics are sobering—LGBTQ+ youth face significantly higher risks for suicide and mental health challenges. But we also witness something powerful every day: when these young people feel genuinely supported and connected to welcoming communities, they don't just survive—they thrive and become forces for positive change.

This is why dedicated LGBTQ+ programming matters so deeply. At QCH, our commitment spans every life stage, and while LGBTQ+ individuals flourish throughout all our programs, we've witnessed the transformative power of spaces designed specifically for our community. This isn't simply about inclusion—it's about creating sanctuaries where people can be authentically themselves without fear or judgment.



In times of rising hostility, LGBTQ+ resources like youth hotlines serve as more than support services—they're lifelines that can mean the difference between despair and hope, isolation and connection.

To watch the CBS segment, click here.

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR:

IRWIN NESOFF

QCH is celebrating 50 years of impact and community building across the borough! We're continuing our "50 for 50" series, honoring people – past and current –who embody the QCH spirit.

“I came to the Community House in September 1979 as part of my second-year field placement for social work school. One of our assignments was to write a funding proposal. I submitted a proposal for a Neighborhood Stabilization Project—and it got funded! After I graduated, I was hired to run the program, which had two main components: tenant organizing and working with local businesses.

At the time, co-op conversions were taking off, especially in Queens. Landlords were turning rental buildings into co-ops and pushing out folks who couldn’t—or didn’t want to—buy in. It was a real threat to affordable housing and it fueled a wave of displacement and gentrification.

We organized tenant associations in several of the garden apartment complexes near our community center. Unfortunately, we weren’t successful in stopping the conversions, but we provided crucial support—helping tenants resolve issues, clear housing violations, and develop strong tenant groups.

After that we also helped form a borough coalition called QLOUT (Queens League of United Tenants) and joined forces with city and statewide organizations to advocate for changes in housing laws. We also helped establish a Housing Court Task Force. At the time, tenants were extremely vulnerable—many landlords had lawyers on retainer, while most tenants were unrepresented and unprepared. We set up information tables in housing court, met with judges, and educated tenants about their rights so they could better advocate for themselves.

That’s how the Community House’s housing program got started. I was later promoted to Associate Executive Director and, after three more years, left to become the Executive Director of Sunnyside Community Services. I’m proud to know the housing support work I did at the Community House continues and is still going strong.”

— Irwin Nesoff

Queens Community House provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities.