50 for 50: Alma Reyes

"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.

My connection grew through Anna Dioguardi Moyano, Director of Community Engagement, who I often met at community meetings. She knew I was involved in my church’s social justice committee and invited me to join QCH as a Census outreach worker in 2020. When the pandemic closed everything down, I shifted to phone outreach. I made hundreds of calls — not only helping people complete the census, but also checking in to ask how they were doing. For me, those calls were more than a job; they kept me connected during a very difficult and lonely time.

After the census, I joined QCH’s Community Action Group and later became a Community Organizer. We worked on issues that mattered most to neighbors — cleaner parks, safer streets, and now, affordable housing through Queens Power’s “Public Land for Public Good” campaign. This fight is personal. I lived for nearly three decades in a basement apartment without proper heat, and I know too many families struggling under similar conditions.

Even if only some families benefit, affordable housing brings dignity, stability, and hope for future generations.

What I love about QCH is that it brings people together — seniors, families, new immigrants, longtime residents — and shows them they have a voice. Whether it’s English classes, afterschool programs, or neighbors organizing for change, QCH helps people feel less alone and more powerful. I’m proud to be part of that mission: turning our stories into action that makes Queens stronger, healthier, and more inclusive for all."

— Alma Reyes