If you’ve ever wondered who really keeps Queens running — who volunteers at the food pantry, who organizes after-school tutoring, who shows up for seniors when no one else does — Queens Community House has an answer. They call them local heroes, and on June 4, they’re throwing a garden party in their honor.
The Garden Party: Celebrating Local Heroes is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM, hosted at the newly renovated outdoor patio of the Forest Hills Community Center, located at 108-25 62nd Drive in Forest Hills. Tickets are $85 per person, and the evening includes a reception, tours of the renovated community center, evening programming, and the chance to participate in unique raffles.
“This year’s celebration is especially meaningful as we gather in a space that reflects both our history and our future,” QCH wrote in announcing the event. “It is here, in spaces like this, that community members find support, connection, opportunity.”
For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Melinda Placide at mplacide@qchnyc.org or visit qchnyc.org/springevent.
About Queens Community House
Queens Community House is one of the largest human services organizations rooted in Queens, with community centers in Forest Hills, Pomonok, and Kew Gardens, as well as Beacon Programs operating in multiple neighborhoods across the borough. Their programs span nearly every stage of life: early childcare and after-school programs for young children, leadership development and workforce training for teens and young adults, immigration services and English-language classes for adult newcomers, social day programs and senior center programming for older adults, and dedicated LGBTQ services through Generation Q (their LGBTQ teen center) and a Queens Center for Gay Seniors.
The Forest Hills Community Center, where the Garden Party will be held, sits at the heart of a neighborhood that QCH has served for decades. The newly completed renovation of the center’s patio means this event isn’t just a celebration of the people who make QCH’s work possible — it’s also a celebration of the space where that work happens.
“Hosting this event in our own backyard allows us to share that impact with you,” QCH wrote. “It is a chance to come together with fellow supporters and local community members who are committed to strengthening neighborhoods and making a lasting difference.”
What It Means to Be a Local Hero
The phrase “local hero” gets overused, but Queens Community House means something specific by it. These are the people who show up consistently, without fanfare, to do the work that makes neighborhood life function. The person who has been running the English class at the community center for seven years. The volunteer who drives older neighbors to medical appointments every Tuesday. The teenager who started the civic club at their high school and recruited three dozen classmates to participate.
This is the kind of heroism that doesn’t generate press releases. It generates communities. And Queens — one of the most ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse places on Earth — runs on it.
Today is Mother’s Day, and there’s something fitting about pausing to honor the people who care for their neighbors the way a parent cares for a child. The Garden Party is a few weeks out, but it’s a good day to think about who in your Queens neighborhood deserves recognition — and how you might nominate or support them.
Getting More Involved Year-Round
If you can’t wait until June, Queens Community House offers volunteer and advocacy opportunities through their Take Action programs. They host events that bring together participants, neighbors, and supporters around issues affecting Queens communities — from housing and education to immigration and civic engagement. Check their full events calendar and program listings at qchnyc.org.
QCH’s administrative headquarters is at 108-69 62nd Drive, Forest Hills, Queens, NY 11375. You can also reach them by phone at 718-592-5757 or by email at info@qchnyc.org.
For more on what’s happening in Queens neighborhoods, see our recent coverage of what’s going on in Astoria this season.
What You Need to Know
- Garden Party: Celebrating Local Heroes — Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
- Location: Forest Hills Community Center patio, 108-25 62nd Drive, Forest Hills, Queens
- Tickets: $85 per person
- For tickets and sponsorship info: Melinda Placide at mplacide@qchnyc.org
- Queens Community House serves neighborhoods across the borough through community centers in Forest Hills, Pomonok, and Kew Gardens, plus Beacon Programs
- Programs include youth services, adult and family services, older adult services, immigration support, and LGBTQ services
- More information at qchnyc.org/springevent
