Willie – Lives, Transformed

“I like that I got a job at Sam Field and I can still have fun with my friends in after school. Sam Field is my home away from home!

Willie has been coming to Commonpoint Queens Special Services since he was 5 years old. Last winter Willie had the opportunity to intern with the Sam Field maintenance team. As an intern, Willie learned valuable hard job skills, as well as soft skills. He learned to follow directions, advocate for himself, navigate the building, and money management. As Willie worked he practiced greeting and interacting with people whom he didn’t know and problem-solving to answer unfamiliar questions and complete a task. It was a perfect opportunity to build his confidence and develop social skills. Since the pandemic, Willie hasn’t been able to continue his internship and cannot wait to get back to work!”

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Commonpoint Queens is home for people of every race and ethnicity, from infancy to old age, from religiously observant to secular, from every corner of the political spectrum.

In mid-March, our buildings closed and we lost one-third of our revenue overnight. We sat in the eye of the storm as Queens experienced the highest rates of infection and death from COVID-19. Even with that, there was not a single-day of program interruption.

Until every person who needs our help is served, we will not rest.

From finding a job to getting your high school equivalency diploma, from food assistance to mental health services, from emergency childcare to help to pay rent or for a funeral for a loved one, Commonpoint Queens is a beacon of hope for our stricken community. We are here to support you.

We are committed to never turning away anyone who comes through our doors, but that requires money.

Do you swim in our pools? Send your children to camp? Pass by our buildings and see the lines for the food pantry? Perhaps you never entered one of our 56 locations but the thought of even one child going hungry is too much. Or, that a senior may be alone and unable to care for themselves worries you.

We are asking you, please help. Your tax-deductible donation and commitment to meeting the critical needs of our community is key to our existence. Without you, we do not survive.

On behalf of our clients, staff, and the entire Board, thank you. It is because of you that our most vulnerable will have access to the essential resources they need.

Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year.

Lawrence Gottlieb, Chair, Board of Directors

Danielle Ellman, CEO Commonpoint Queens