Meet Your Neighbor: Alice Ostrowsky

“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t pursue those interests as an adult. When I retired from full-time work in 2017, I decided to find a way to reawaken some of that creative energy. I sought an activity involving craft or design skills that would be inexpensive and result in a useful every-day product that could also benefit the environment and my community. This daunting checklist led to creating tote bags and small accessories using upcycled single-use plastic and used textiles. After some very positive feedback I created an Instagram account @newolddesigngal. I sell the products through the site and donate the proceeds to local and national causes. 

Over the past few years, I wanted to find ways to contribute to the LGBTQ+ community. My research led me to the Queens Community House, and I designed a bag and dedicated its proceeds to QCH’s Queens Center for Gay Seniors. Afterward, QCH informed me about another opportunity to support their programs for the community: by designing a special bag for their Spring Benefit raffle happening later this month. This photo shows me with the rainbow tote I created. The colors represent the diversity of the populations served by QCH.” 

- Alice Ostrowsky, Artist of @newolddesigngal