On August 16, Queens Community House's (QCH) Action Group organized a Community Clean-Up event at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The event gathered volunteers of all ages including QCH's older adult center participants, ESOL students, Summer Youth Employment Program interns, and housing assistance families.

QCH's Action Group is an advocacy and organizing initiative that brings Queens residents together to take on local issues. It is a multigenerational group and safe space where people can share their skills, learn from each other, and explore ways to build power to create positive change in their community.

During the event, volunteers also provided voting information on ahead of New York's Primary Election Day on August 23. "Encouraging everyone in the Queens community to participate in elections has always been important to QCH and the Action Group, so it was great to see a portion of the event devoted to getting out the vote and collecting pledge cards," said Julieta Larsen, QCH's Community Engagement Coordinator .

For this special back-to-school edition of our Meet Your Neighbor series, we are happy to highlight Cesar Ebonia, a teacher at QCH's Voyages South transfer high school.  

"I have been teaching for 28 years (8 years in the Philippines and 20 years in New York City) and I still feel excited by teaching. I consider every year as a new teaching-learning experience.

I worked in a regular high school for 11 years but decided to look for a change of environment. Voyages South is totally different from what I was used to. The first few weeks on the job were challenging in regards to my teaching style and the way I built a personal connection with students. Learning the school culture has been a great help in adjusting and eventually being part of the 'wolf ' family.

The collaborative partnership between school administration and QCH plays a big role in the school culture. The administration, teachers and QCH guidance counselors truly care for the students. The leadership style inspires me to be more creative and resourceful in my teaching, to try new ideas without judgement. For example, I have recently implemented Blended Learning and 3D Printing in my classroom. It makes me happy to watch the students in the 3D Printing class, and to see them realize that their imagination has no limits!

As a teacher, I am very passionate about my students and the work I do. I want to continue to have a positive influence and to make a difference in their lives."

QCH has hired two new Associate Executive Directors (AEDs): Takiyah Weekes as AED for Community Services, and Anne Foerg as AED for Older Adult Services. Both AEDs are expected to lead and shape the overall vision and strategy of their respective divisions, as well as contribute to the strategic leadership of the multi-site, multi-service settlement house.

"QCH is committed to ensuring all children, youth, families, and older adults are supported by our programs and services, so this change provides additional leadership that is essential as QCH continues to grow,” said QCH Executive Director Ben Thomases. “Takiyah and Anne are both seasoned leaders with significant experience in the human services sector. We are excited to have them bring their expertise and energy to our Executive Team.”

Weekes has over 15 years of experience in workforce development and human services. As the Director of Career Readiness for the NYC Department of Education’s (DOE) 135 CTE and Early College and Career Schools, she provided thought partnership, coaching, and professional development to school teams tasked with implementing Work-Based Learning and postsecondary preparation. She also supported capacity building to schools in the network, ensuring industry exposure and engagement for Black and Brown students, English-Language Learners, Student with Disabilities, and more. Prior to working at the DOE, Weekes served as Director of Youth Employment at Henry Street Settlement, and she continues to have a passion for the settlement house model in which QCH was founded.

Foerg is a licensed geriatric social worker who has focused her career on supporting the needs of older adults and the people who care for them. Before joining QCH, she was the Director of Penn South Program for Seniors, the nation’s first Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Supportive Service Program (NORC-SSP). Prior to that, Foerg was the Director of Social Work at CaringKind, the Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiving, supporting individuals with dementia and their families. She began her career in New York City settlement houses, leading case management programs at Hartley House and Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.