Volunteer of the Month for October: Howard Hetzron

Commonpoint Queens is blessed to have volunteers as dedicated and kind as Howard Hetzron. Born on the on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to European immigrants, Howard is a lifelong New Yorker and has lived in Forest Hills for the last thirty years.

Married with two grown sons, Howard recently retired from his career as a surgical planner. While on a neighborhood walk, Howard witnessed a large line outside of the Commonpoint Queens Central Queens food pantry and decided that he wanted to start volunteering. “I inquired, signed up, and was welcomed,” Howard explains. Since that fateful day in July, Howard has been a key part of the Central Queens food pantry’s volunteer team.

Ana Mizrahi, the Central Queens Food Pantry Assistant, says that Howard is “Professional. He just goes about his business with a smile. He is punctual, kind, very funny, and is always willing to help and learn.” Howard says that his favorite part of volunteering is “the camaraderie that can be felt at all times.”

If Howard had one message to share with the world, it would be that “there are a million excuses for not helping people in need, but one reason to: need.”