Before I started attending the QCH All Starz afterschool program at Halsey, JHS 157, I had never played soccer a day in my life. A few months after I started the program, I realized I loved to play and was getting really good at it.
On September 11, 2001 I turned on the TV and saw a plane had just struck the World Trade Center. My husband was in the basement of the North Tower at the time. I called him and we spoke briefly. He made it out at 9:30, just before the building collapsed. Many of his friends didn’t make it.
QCH opened up a Beacon Program in my Junior High School when I was in 8th grade. The program offered a safe space to hang out with friends and get advice from counselors. It’s exactly what I needed at the time, so my friends and I joined. That was twenty years ago.
I found out about Generation Q when I walked by one day and saw a rainbow flag taped to a door not too far from my home. I immediately looked it up online and found out it was a program for LGBTQ youth and that anyone 13 or older could join.
This is my first year attending the Beacon Afterschool Program at JHS 190, and I haven’t missed a single day yet. Even if I’m sick, I still go to the program. There’s always something you can learn, and I like to learn.
When I first came to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in 2000, the congregation was looking to grow, not only in size but in commitment to the surrounding community. That has always been the hallmark of St. Luke’s.
Before my father moved to California in the nineties, he and I used to spend all of our time walking the streets of New York City. We'd talk for hours about what he was reading or writing at the time. He was such a passionate guy, and I was never able to keep up with him.
Lenore (Left): Some people are surprised to find out that I’m a 94 year old who texts and uses an iPad. I’ve never thought of age as a reason to stop growing and learning. Lately, I’ve been spending more time at home, so a friend suggested I sign up for QCH’s Friendly Visiting Program.
I am originally from Khartoum, Sudan. My father is a diplomat, and when I was three months old, my family moved to Pakistan, then to Dubai, then to Morocco. After each assignment, we’d go home to Sudan and wait for the next move. My fondest memories are from Morocco.
People say I am the most active retired person they know. I recently retired from the New York Police Department after 23 years on the force. I wanted to continue giving back to my community, so I looked into pet therapy.
