Meet Your Neighbor: Rose Marie Cerminaro

One day I was waiting for the bus when a woman passed me and gave me the friendliest smile. I waved back to thank her, and she walked up right up to me, pointed to the building behind us and asked, “Do you go to the center?” At the time, I had no idea she was referring to the Kew Gardens Community Center. I didn’t even know it existed. She gave me the information, and now I volunteer there almost five days a week.

I enjoyed a very successful career in office administration, so I support the center’s director by helping out wherever I can. I like to socialize, and I’m very good at it, so if I see someone sitting alone, I’ll bring them coffee and we’ll have a chat. When there’s paper work to organize, I’ll often take it home to sort it out there.

I’ve been retired for some time, but I stay quite busy. In the 1980s, I helped found the New York Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association, and we just celebrated 36 years. I’m glad I found a community center to share my talents and ideas with. Now, whenever I see someone my age sitting at the bus stop in front of the building, I smile and ask them “Do you go to the center?”