‘Santa Day’ at Richmond Hill Block Association

The Richmond Hill Block Association (RHBA) hosted its annual “Santa Day” on Saturday, December 12. Hundreds of children and their parents turned out to take photos with Santa and enjoy a day of gifts, food and fun.
Many of the parents said that they take their children to the RHBA’s Mommy and Me classes, and that it would be a shame if the center, serving the community for 30 plus years, would be forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding.
“We gather, friends and everything, for the kids – it’s wonderful, they love it,” said Veronica Mendoza, who brings her four-year-old, Alexis, and two-year-old, Natalie, to Mommy and Me. Mendoza said her nieces and nephews want to attend the classes. “They learn songs, learn to play instruments . . . it’s a really wonderful head-start program.”
Should the RHBA be forced to close, Annie Siu said it would be “horrible because they provide such a good service to the community.”
Siu brought her four-year-old, Kate, and now brings her two-year-old, Sarah, to Mommy and Me and is hoping to be able to enroll her six-month-old, Julia. “I think it helps them before they go to school,” said the Forest Hills mom.