Queens Community House Hosts Annual Gala at the Museum of Moving Image
Close to 150 people gathered to support Queens Community House (QCH) during its Annual Gala at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria on October 21.
 
The theme of this year’s program was “Recovering Together, Rebuilding Together, Better Together”, highlighting how QCH pivoted during the last 18 months to help communities that were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The central Queens communities we serve were at the epicenter when COVID-19 first struck, so we responded to the families in greatest need by expanding our homebound meal service by half and two food pantries tenfold,” said QCH Executive Director Ben Thomases. “And as our programs reopen, we are working to continue our support for the more than 25,000 children, youth, adults, and older adults who rely on our services every year.”

The event was the organization’s first in-person gala since 2019.
QCH honored the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis for its pro bono contribution toward the purchase and renovation of QCH’s Forest Hills Community Center. The second honoree was Blanca Izaguirre, who served on the QCH Board for 27 years.
 
The event raised more than $400,000, and proceeds will be used toward furthering QCH’s relief and recovery work in 14 Queens neighborhoods. “It’s heartening to see this level of support,” said Jennifer Wright of Christie’s, who led the paddle raiser session. “The funds raised tonight make the incredible services offered by this organization possible.” 
 
Sponsors for the event included Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Greenberg Traurig, Paul Weiss, Lamb Insurance, Bank of America, and many others, including more than 15 advocate sponsors.
Free Mammograms Provided for Pomonok Residents at QCH Community Center

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, QCH teamed up with Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal and the Italian-American Cancer Foundation to bring preventative breast cancer screenings to the Pomonok Community Center. Patients were able to sign up for appointments ahead of time or walk into the mobile bus to receive their screening.

“Early detection saves lives,” Rosenthal said. “As we assessed the effects of the pandemic on preventative care, we wanted to ensure that women did not forgo their critical annual exams. I thank the American-Italian Cancer Foundation for providing this crucial service in a safe manner and QCH for their partnership.”
Election Day is Approaching, but You Can Vote Now!

Early voting for the upcoming general election is underway! That means you can get out and vote any day this week through October 31. Click here to find your poll site (important to note that early voting sites often differ from election day polling sites).

You can still apply for an absentee ballet in-person at your local county board of elections office until November 1.

To learn about the candidates, you can check out the NYC VOTES website, which lists the candidates for each election race and provides some information about them, including "top 3 issues" for each of them.

Make sure that your voice is heard for the November 2 general election!
Queens Community House provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities.