Meet Your Neighbor: Subbarao Garlapati

"I grew up in Minnesota and went to college in Atlanta at Georgia Tech, where I earned my bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science. I then moved to New York in 2023.

I wanted to volunteer in a social way, so I looked through an online list of volunteer opportunities. That's how I found QCH. Their friendly visiting program seemed like a really good fit, so I decided to give it a shot!

I got matched with Nabin soon after. I was definitely a bit nervous to meet him for the first time because I had no idea what he would be like. But as the visits went on and we got to know each other, we've become really good friends.

It's definitely a highlight of my week when I go see Nabin and we do our weekly routine of playing backgammon and hanging out. Seeing Nabin every week has become part of my New York City experience, since I started visiting him right after I moved here.

I'm very thankful to QCH for giving me one of my best friends in New York City, and to the wonderful staff for being so kind, checking in with me every month, and inviting me to events.

All my friends and family know that I see Nabin regularly now. They always ask how he's doing, and the ones who live in New York are even interested in signing up for the friendly visiting program themselves!"

—Subbarao Garlapati