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‘Commonpoint Queens’ merges two organizations and extends services to more borough residents

CommonpointQueens
Photos courtesy of Commonpoint Queens

Two community organizations in Queens have announced a new name to mark their merger and rebranding.

The Samuel Field Y in Little Neck and the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills formally merged on July 1 of this year after announcing their intent to merge in the summer of 2016. To commemorate the union, the two organizations will now be known as “Commonpoint Queens.”

“In just the last year, this merger has allowed us the opportunity to expand our reach, to promote fairness in our neighborhoods, to meet the evolving needs of our borough, and to more effectively reinforce that we are a “common point” for the diverse population of Queens to come together,” said Danielle Ellman, Commonpoint Queens’ CEO.

Combined the two agencies serve a total of 45,000 people at 52 locations across Queens.

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“Prior to merging, the Samuel Field Y, founded in 1954 and the Central Queens Y which began serving the borough of Queens in 1973, were jointly managed, working closely together to deliver programs and services to the greater Queens community for almost 10 years,” according to the agencies. 

They were originally created to support the local Jewish community and were “guided by the Jewish values of service and justice.” But as time went on and demographics shifted, they extended their services to reach the broader community.

Since they were created, they were considered the two largest social service agencies in the borough and have offered numerous services including early childhood programs, summer camps, senior services, mental health resources, support during times of crisis by means of career help and a food pantry, health and wellness programs.

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The agencies have been able to “pool their human capital resources and capabilities” which enabled them to add new programs at nearly 20 locations across the borough which raised their annual client base from 35,000 to 45,000.

“You can be assured that the individuals and families that these two community mainstays serve will not notice any change in the quality of the programs and services currently offered,” said Larry Gottlieb, Commonpoint Queens’ Board Chair. “In fact, Commonpoint Queens will be able to increase the programs and services offered, as we’re continually innovating and responding to the needs of the community.”

As is the tradition on Sunday, Dec. 9, the annual Winter Celebration and Chanukah Festivals will be held at Commonpoint Queens’ Central Queens and at Commonpoint Queens’ Sam Field Center from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

For more information on Commonpoint Queens, you can visit their website at www.commonpointqueens.org.