The Queens Community House Rego Park Older Adult Center, located at 97-30 Queens Blvd. in Rego Park, commemorated its 45th anniversary of providing services to local Queens neighborhoods and residents, on Thursday, June 15.
“For 45 years, QCH’s Rego Park Older Adult Center has provided a culturally-rich environment where older adults can engage with their peers, make new friends, enjoy a hot meal, keep physically active, learn new skills, and explore new interests,” said Elana Tsibulevskiy, QCH director of the Rego Park Older Adult Center. “Reaching this milestone of longevity speaks to how important a space like this is for older adults in the community.”
The Queens Community House, a multi-service settlement house with 39 locations in 15 Queens neighborhoods, hosted the early morning-afternoon celebration with live music, food, gifts and more entertainment.
“The diversity of the participants and neighbors together for this celebration showed that the Center continues in its primary mission of improving the quality of life for the residents of this neighborhood and that has never changed,” said Robert Schaeffer, who served as the program director of the adult center from 1997 to 2001.
According to its website, the QCH began in 1976 as the Forest Hills Community House. The name was changed to the QCH in 2007, in recognition of its growth across Queens neighborhoods throughout the years. The organization’s goal is still to bring together economically, ethically and racially diverse residents for the sake of learning and bettering the community at large.
“I was so delighted to see so many Queens residents in the neighborhood who were visiting the Center for the first time,” said Maya Yankelevich, NYC Department for the Aging program officer. “A big community celebration for a major milestone created intrigue in the neighborhood, and when they stopped by, they were able to learn more about all of the activities and services that could benefit them as well.”
Roughly 300 people attended the event, along with Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. who honored the QCH Rego Park Older Adult Center with a recognition award for their many years of service.
