It started as a response to a specific community crisis: Greek immigrants arriving in Astoria in the early 1970s, with limited English, limited resources, and limited access to city services. The Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee — HANAC — was founded in 1972 to close those gaps. More than five decades later, the organization has grown into one of Queens’ most comprehensive social services providers, serving some 30,000 individuals a year across New York City.

If you live in western Queens and you have needed help at some point — as a senior, as a parent, as a recent arrival, as a young person trying to stay on track — there is a real chance HANAC was somewhere in that story.

What HANAC Actually Does

The breadth of HANAC’s programming is unusual even by New York nonprofit standards. The organization operates across senior services, youth programming, immigration services, housing, and family support — often in the same neighborhoods, often serving multiple generations of the same family.

For seniors: HANAC runs multiple senior community service centers, including the Angelo Petromelis College Point Senior Center, which has been funded by the NYC Department for the Aging since 1972. The Queensview NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) program provides nutrition, health and wellness workshops, fitness classes, and assistance with prescription costs, food stamps, and mental health services. The East-West Connection transportation program operates seven buses and a private car service contract, providing more than 38,000 one-way trips annually to over 1,100 registered clients across Community Districts 1 through 7 in Queens.

For young people: The HANAC Astoria Beacon program serves 1,050 participants a year from age 6 and up, helping young people acquire the skills and attitudes needed to graduate from high school and build careers. The Child and Family Preventive Services program, funded through the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, supports families in keeping children safe and thriving at home.

For immigrants: HANAC’s Community Services Center in Astoria provides immigration legal services and has long been a first stop for Queens residents navigating the immigration system. The organization originally founded to serve Greek immigrants has evolved to serve a much wider range of communities — reflecting how Astoria and western Queens have changed over the decades.

Still in the Neighborhood

What makes HANAC meaningful as a community institution is not just scale — it is proximity. The organization is based in Astoria, where it has always been. Its senior centers are in the neighborhoods where seniors live. Its youth programs are embedded in local schools and community spaces. It is the kind of organization that does not require its clients to travel far to get help.

That model — community-rooted, multi-generational, continuously adapting while staying in the same geography — is harder to build than it sounds. HANAC has managed it for more than 50 years.

What You Need to Know

• HANAC (Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee) was founded in 1972 in Astoria, Queens and now serves approximately 30,000 people per year across New York City
• Programs span senior services, youth programming, immigration legal services, family counseling, and transportation
• The East-West Connection transportation program provides more than 38,000 one-way trips per year to seniors in Community Districts 1–7 in Queens
• The Astoria Beacon program serves 1,050 young people annually from age 6 and up
• Immigration services are available through the HANAC Community Services Center, Astoria office
• Learn more at hanac.org

HANAC is one of several long-running institutions proving that community organizations built to serve one neighborhood often become essential infrastructure for an entire borough. For more on how Queens Community House serves residents across the borough, see our earlier piece on Queens Community House celebrating local heroes this June. And for a broader look at living across the five boroughs, our 2026 NYC Resident’s Guide covers neighborhoods, services, and local life.