“I first connected with QCH in the early 90s, not long after I moved to Forest Hills. I wasn’t looking for a full-time job. I just wanted to stay busy and be around people. A friend suggested I stop by the community center, and that visit turned into years of involvement.
"I grew up in the foster care system, moving from home to home while carrying a lot of trauma. School never felt safe. I often felt unheard and on my own. By the time I reached my teenage years, I knew I needed a fresh start—a place where I could breathe and rebuild.
A single mom doing it all — until she found a community that refused to let her struggle alone. This is Jenny’s story, and it highlights how QCH’s afterschool, housing, and food pantry support — all under one roof — helped her family find stability.
In 1983, a social work intern at our Forest Hills Community Center started hosting “Sunday Socials” for older adults who, due to mobility challenges, could no longer attend the senior center.
As you walk through Queens, you might spot one of QCH's Home Delivered Meals vehicles making its rounds—bringing nutritious meals and care to neighbors across the borough.
This feature from 2018 highlights one of the many young people whose lives have been shaped by Queens Community House’s afterschool program at The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS).
"When I came to Queens from the South, I brought with me a love for the land and a belief that good food brings people together. I grew up farming — learning how to grow vegetables, share them with neighbors, and care for the earth.
For over 20 years, QCH has helped young people bridge the gap between high school and adulthood. To meet the needs of graduates navigating college, training, or the workforce, we created the College & Career Pathways program.
"I first heard about Queens Community House in 2015, when my church shared flyers about English classes, housing help, and immigration services. Parishioners were already going to QCH, and I saw how valuable those resources were. That’s when I began to learn about this wonderful organization.
In the 1990s, Queens became the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S., as major waves of immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and the former Soviet Union transformed neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, Corona, and Forest Hills into thriving multicultural hubs.
Queens Community House brinda a las personas y las familias las herramientas para enriquecer sus vidas y construir comunidades saludables e inclusivas.
