COMMUNITY INVOVLEMENT: Jonah Cohen, 57, has nearly 40 years of volunteerism under his belt.
He is the chief of the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department (WHBVFD) and the new president of the Ozone Park Kiwanis Club.
He first began volunteering at local firehouses as a student at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks. When he graduated, he wasn’t quite ready for the experience to end, so he moved back to Brooklyn, his hometown, and joined first the Lindenwood Ambulance Corps and then the WHBVF.
“Wanting to help people – that was my original reason for joining,” he said.
The 30 WHBVFD volunteers undergo much of the same training as FDNY firefighters.
WHBVF began in 1928, and has been involved in many large-scale disasters in New York City, including 9/11, where its members drove medical personnel and wounded citizens between Ground Zero and local hospitals.
As president of the Kiwanis, Cohen replaces Vincent Marino.
The Ozone Park Club, said Cohen, has been around since 1955, and started the South Queens Boys and Girls Club.
“Through the years, we have supported them, HeartShare and various sports organizations, among others,” said Cohen.
Members also hand out turkey dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and donate to New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC).
And the Kiwanis Club has 245 K-Kids and Builders Club members at P.S. 207, as well as 60 Key Club members at John Adams High School.
If you are interested in joining the Ozone Park Kiwanis, members meet every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Prima Pasta in Howard Beach.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “To make it through the year with hopefully an increase in membership in the organizations I belong to,” said Cohen. “The more members, the more help we can give to the children on the community.”
FAVORITE MEMORY: Cohen’s memories range from the first attack on the World Trade Center, to plane crashes in Rockaway and JFK Airport, to a South Jamaica fire with six fatalities, to September 11.
One of his favorite, he said, was helping to save a man who had gone into cardiac arrest. That man is still alive today, said Cohen.
He also recounts one of his fondest memories as recently giving awards to the K-Kids. “Seeing all these kids helping, ready to be the next generation of Kiwanians [is rewarding],” said Cohen.
INSPIRATION: In regards to the WHBVFD, Cohen said, “Walking down the street and having people thank you for helping them in their time of need.”
As far as his Kiwanis service, Cohen said his inspiration is two-fold: member Nick Sangiamo, from South Jersey, who has been around since the club’s inception; and “helping children in the community by raising money for particular events and organizations.”
Cohen explained that Key Club members serve meals at the Ronald McDonald House and raise money for breast cancer research; the K-Kids and Builders Club send cards and car packages to service men and women overseas. – Tonia N. Cimino
