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Queens Community House provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities.
QCH is celebrating 50 years of impact and community building across the borough! We're continuing our "50 for 50" series, honoring people – past and current – who embody the QCH spirit.
"Growing up in Lefrak City, a large community without a dedicated center, meant the streets became the unintended social hub for many, including myself as a pre-teen. This environment led me and some friends down paths with wrong choices, some even facing incarceration or worse. I knew I needed a different direction.
In 1995, my mom introduced me to the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), not so much for a career, but for some pocket money and a way to figure things out. I was placed at the Forest Hills Community House. Surprisingly, I found a connection there. I enjoyed being around people, especially kids, and the community spirit resonated with me. My supervisors noticed, even though I was just figuring things out, and they asked me to return during the school year.
Working at the Center felt less like a job and more like supporting people, which I loved. I saw how the organization connected individuals with resources and supported them at every stage of life. I, myself, even benefited from their housing eviction prevention services during a tough time.
Forest Hills Community House (now Queens Community House) wasn't just an afterschool program for me; it connected me to families and the wider community. Through trainings and professional development opportunities, I grew within the organization, from a youth worker to eventually becoming the Director of the Pomonok Community Center.
Looking back, my journey is a testament to QCH's commitment to providing opportunities and fostering growth. I see my younger self in some of the participants who walk through our doors. It's a full-circle moment, and it fuels my commitment to pay forward the support I received by ensuring the Pomonok community has the same welcoming, inclusive, and opportunity-rich environment that shaped my life. QCH has always been about meeting people where they are, and I'm proud to be part of extending that reach and impact."
– Patrick Pinchinat, QCH Director of the Pomonok Community Center