Queens Community House Celebrates 50 Years with Community Celebration at Forest Hills Community Center

Queens, NY — November 15 — Queens Community House (QCH), one of the borough’s largest social service organizations, marked its 50th anniversary with a major community celebration at its Forest Hills Community Center—where the organization first began its work in 1975.

The event brought together hundreds of attendees, including current program participants, alumni, staff, families, and neighborhood residents. As part of the celebration, QCH transformed the center into a museum-style experience, featuring decade-by-decade rooms that highlighted key moments, programs, and milestones from the organization’s 50-year history. Guests explored archival photos, stories, and artifacts that illustrated QCH’s evolution and lasting impact across Queens.

The milestone celebration also featured dancing, opportunities for longtime staff and participants to reconnect, multigenerational activities including face painting and ping pong, and a pop-up QCH swag station. The event captured the spirit of community, connection, and care that has defined QCH over five decades.

“We were thrilled to celebrate 50 years right where it all began,” said Ben Thomases, QCH Chief Executive Officer. “This anniversary is about our history, as well as the thousands of individuals and families who have shaped QCH and continue to make our mission possible.”

The organization continues its year-long 50th anniversary commemoration, honoring the past while looking ahead to the next chapter of serving Queens communities.

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About Queens Community House:
Queens Community House is one of the borough's largest nonprofit organizations, committed to serving the diverse neighborhoods of Queens. Serving 30,000 children, youth, adults, and older adults every year, QCH provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities. Through a broad network of programs, QCH offers Queens residents a needed support system at every stage of life, helping them to develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills to change their lives for the better and become active participants in their larger community. QCH opened its doors in 1975 and is excited to celebrate 50 years of impact and community building across the borough this year.