Meet Your Neighbor: Toolarie Iqbal

"In my early years, social work was never something I thought I’d be interested in. I have close to twenty years of experience in the field of science. I left the lab and jumped into social services. I started at QCH as a volunteer at the Forest Hills Older Adult Center, and I was able to build great relationships with all of the participants and the QCH staff. When the position opened for Assistant Director, I remember preparing for the interview and walking in the building all dressed up that day, and the staff were cracking up laughing. They notified me that I got the job. The rest is history. I’ve truly enjoyed working here for the past eighteen years, from volunteer to Director of the Forest Hills Older Adult Center. I made a lot of friends here. It has been such a pleasure working with everyone at QCH, especially the participants – I love them all dearly. I lost my parents at the age of 35. Doing this job, working with the older adults has filled a big void in my life. I treated them like I would treat any family member. If I end up pursuing any work after leaving here, I will surely continue in the field of social work."

- Toolarie Iqbal, Director of QCH Forest Hills Older Adult Center and Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)