In the 1990s, Queens became the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S., as major waves of immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and the former Soviet Union transformed neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, Corona, and Forest Hills into thriving multicultural hubs.
"When I first came to Queens Community House in 1986, childcare wasn’t on my radar. I was a social work intern, focused on housing. But when I graduated in 1987, my supervisor, Irma Rodriguez, encouraged me to stay and help develop a network for family daycare providers.
This feature was first published in 2018. Intergenerational work has always been a cornerstone of the settlement house model. QCH's Friendly Visiting program, which began in 2017, has since been fostering meaningful connections between home-bound seniors and volunteers.
"I first walked into Queens Community House around 1998, when I was a teenager growing up in Queens. A friend from my high school dance club told me there might be space at the Evening Teen Center for us to practice. We didn’t have anywhere else to go, so we asked if we could use a classroom.
"My father, Larry Matloff, was one of the original signatories who helped incorporate the Community House in 1975. He was drawn to the mission of economic and racial justice through providing opportunities for all neighborhood residents in a multi-age, diverse community center.
Tamiru: I first learned about Queens Community House through Ben, the Executive Director. I’ve worked in health and social services, including homelessness and aging, and he thought my background might be helpful to the organization.
"In 1983, I was a teacher at Halsey JHS, close to the Forest Hills Community Center. I started volunteering with the Community House with the Meals On Wheels Program and then I was offered a job as a Youth Worker. It was a new position with no job description.
Rev. Dr. Timothy P. Mitchell (1930–2012) was a lifelong New Yorker whose legacy bridged local community building and the national civil rights movement.
"In 2018, I started and ran the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at JHS 157. While researching local LGBTQ+ resources, I found Generation Q, QCH’s LGBTQ+ youth center just 10 minutes away. Soon after, my peers and I took a field trip there. The timing was perfect.
