Samuel Field Y and Central Queens Y complete merger, move forward as Commonpoint Queens

Queens NY, Nov. 26 – After announcing a merger process in the Summer of 2016, the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck and the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills have completed the process, and will now be known as Commonpoint Queens.

Prior to merging, the Samuel Field Y – founded in 1954, and the Central Queens Y – founded in 1974, were jointly managed, working closely together to deliver programs and services to the greater Queens community for almost ten years. As two of the largest social service agencies in Queens, they have offered early childhood programs, summer camp, senior services, mental health resources, support during crisis by means of career help and a food pantry, health and wellness programs, and everything in between.

“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 “commonpoint” for the diverse populations of Queens to come together,” said Danielle Ellman, Commonpoint Queens’ CEO.

A formal merger of the agencies has enabled Commonpoint Queens to pool their talents and resources. With greater scale, they have been able to advocate for community needs and harness philanthropic resources more effectively and thus, have a greater impact on the communities that they serve. Over the past two years, they’ve added new programs at nearly 20 locations across the borough, increasing their annual client base from 35,000 to nearly 50,000.

“You can be assured that the individuals and families that these two community mainstays have served should not notice any change in the quality of the programs and services that they offer now,” said Larry Gottlieb, Commonpoint Queens’ Board Chair. “In fact, Commonpoint Queens will be able to provide more programs and services over time, as we’re always responding to community needs.”