Author Archives: Renee Riebling

Dunkin’ in Jamaica Donates to The Child Center of NY

January 31, 2025 | Leave a reply

Last month, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins in Queens celebrated the grand reopening of their newly remodeled restaurant at 187-11 Jamaica Avenue. Dunkin’ franchisee Jamaica Donuts commemorated the occasion with a generous $1,500 donation to The Child Center of NY’s Jamaica Family Wellness Center (JFWC).

Omar Kazi, LMHC, Program Director of JFWC, expressed gratitude, stating, “I am honored to receive this generous donation from Jamaica’s Dunkin’ Donuts Program on behalf of The Child Center of NY. We are a community-based organization with an extensive behavioral health program as well as a range of support services. Our mission is to strengthen children and families in under-served communities with skills, opportunities, and emotional support to build healthy, successful lives. This donation from Dunkin’ Donuts will directly benefit the same community this location will serve during the upcoming holiday season.”

Photo of the Month: Noelia’s Sweet Delights

January 30, 2025 | Leave a reply

Investing in ingenuity this National Poverty in America Awareness Month

Noelia, a participant of Cash+Community Works, decorates a cake she baked for her business, Noelia's Sweet Delights.

Photo credit: Kyo Morishima Photography

Noelia began baking sweets and selling them to her family members to earn extra cash during tough economic times. Word got around that Noelia’s creations were better than any bakery’s. She started getting requests from other moms for custom-order cakes for birthday parties. With limited resources, though, her business could grow only so much.

Noelia’s story illustrates something we know deeply at The Child Center of NY: that talent, ability, and drive are equally distributed among populations, but opportunity is not. January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month, and it’s an important reminder of the ongoing struggle that millions of people face across the country—and right in our own communities. It’s also a reminder that poverty is not something that is inevitable or intractable; it’s something we all can change.

That’s why The Child Center launched Cash+Community Works (C+C) in 2022. C+C is a movement grounded in the concept of peer-driven change and defined by direct investment in under-resourced families, trusting them with power, and connecting them with peers to uplift whole communities. It works on the premise that families are the experts on what they need to break the cycle of poverty and achieve their goals; our job is to act as investors, advocates, and partners. Through C+C, we invested in Noelia’s obvious talent and hard work—and it paid off not only for Noelia, but also her entire community as she pays it forward.

In addition to her general participation in C+C, Noelia also took the initiative to apply for additional grants that C+C awards for particularly promising projects. Today, Noelia receives—and fills—orders for 50 cakes a week through her business, Noelia’s Sweet Delights. She has expanded her inventory to offer desserts at large events, including weddings, and increased her inventory to include offerings such as sweets for a Viennese table. C+C also enabled Noelia to take courses on food handling and sanitation.

One look at this Photo of the Month and it’s clear that Noelia’s abilities are worth the investment!

Team Spotlight: Sarah Garner, LMSW, honored by New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health

January 27, 2025 | Leave a reply

Sarah Garner, Master Social Worker at The Child Center of NY’s Cohen Family Wellness Center, was recently selected by the NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health as an Employee of the Year! She was honored at a ceremony in Saratoga Springs last month.

A note from Xiomara Borja, Director of Integrated Clinical Services, and Marielys Cruz, Clinical Supervisor and Sarah’s colleague at CFWC, speaks to how this honor was well-deserved: “Since joining The Child Center in July of 2023, Sarah has demonstrated remarkable dedication and a strong commitment to her professional development in the behavioral health field. As a new clinician, Sarah navigated the early challenges of familiarizing herself with our organizational protocols and deadlines. Despite the typical growing pains of a new hire, she consistently displayed an eagerness to improve and refine her clinical skills. Today, Sarah continues to show great determination in her growth, and her clinical abilities have evolved significantly. One of Sarah’s standout qualities is her exceptional level of client engagement. She is resourceful, always advocating for her clients and ensuring they have the support they need. Her colleagues and managers alike have noted her strong work ethic and her ability to collaborate effectively with the team. Sarah is consistently willing to go above and beyond for both her clients and her peers. She has shown a commendable willingness to contribute to the team whenever teamwork is needed, offering support to others and always making herself available when called upon. Sarah’s dedication to her role and her ability to work collaboratively with others truly set her apart. She has not only grown into an outstanding clinician but also a valued team member. I wholeheartedly believe that Sarah Garner deserves to be recognized as Employee of the Year for her hard work, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

Sarah spoke about how moved she was to receive this distinction: “It was an honor to attend the New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health celebration. I was privileged to be named the employee of the year at the Cohen Family Wellness Center. The convention not only broadened my perspectives on the necessity for mental health services for adolescents and adults, but it also taught me that implementing a client-centered and holistic approach in my sessions with my clients makes a difference in their lives. I could not have received this award without the support of my colleagues and the Cohen Family Wellness team. I am fortunate to be a part of The Child Center of NY, and I am excited to continue my work here moving forward and making a difference in my clients’ lives.”

Community Unity Cultural Celebration of Kwanzaa: Bringing Hope Through the Seven Principles

January 15, 2025 | Leave a reply

Rockaway residents celebrated Kwanzaa this holiday season the way they strive to live every day: with neighbors helping neighbors and celebrating their rich culture and each other. It all came together at the second Annual Community Unity Cultural Celebration of Kwanzaa on December 28 at B.R.I.D.G.E Family Enrichment Center. The celebration was sponsored and supported by several community organizations and attended by 180 Far Rockaway community members and friends. Thirty people served on the steering committee, making it a truly joint effort.

The event also was a testament to two of our Cash+Community Works participants, Kimberly and Vernell, who epitomize community strength and the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Kimberly

Four years ago, Kimberly survived four aneurisms. Doctors were shocked that she was able to walk and talk when she woke up. “I looked at that as a message from God that He has a mission journey for me to walk,” Kimberly says.

Vernell heard about The Child Center’s Cash+Community Works (C+C) initiative soon after she had retired from her job at Elmhurst Hospital. C+C is a neighborhood-based, peer-driven initiative that provides participants with cash incentives to pursue individual and community goals. Vernell applied to C+C and used the incentives to launch a grassroots nonprofit, Rockaways Neighbors Helping Neighbors. The organization serves as a conduit for exactly what the name says—neighbors and helping neighbors—and for bringing the community together. The annual Kwanzaa celebration is one of many ways Vernell accomplishes this goal.

Vernell

“A lot of our community members haven’t experienced a Kwanzaa event before,” Vernell says. “This was an opportunity to learn about the celebration, why and when it was created, for people to gain an understanding of how the seven principles can be incorporated in daily life, and for the community to come together in unity.”

The event began with the opening call to order, a prayer by Pastor Philip Sharp, and the singing of the Black National Anthem, followed by the libation, which is when participants “acknowledge their ancestors, all the people who came before them and struggled to make life better for us,” Vernell explains. “We did the ritual of pouring water into a bowl or plant and called out the names of our ancestors to pay homage to God for them.”

Since the Kwanzaa celebration derives from Africa, where they would celebrate the harvest and first fruits, Vernell says that the celebration is meant to pay homage to God for providing the first fruits and caring for the people. As such, they celebrated with food, singing, dancing, and looking forward to the coming year in unity. Kimberly says she was “blown away” by the singers, dancers, and drummers.

Making and giving gifts is also traditionally a part of Kwanzaa. There was a room at the celebration where children could choose toys to take home. “It was beautiful,” Kimberly says.

While all seven of the principles speak to Vernell, she finds Ujima—collective work and responsibility—particularly poignant. It’s why she started Rockaways Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and it’s one of the main reasons the annual Kwanzaa celebration is so close to her heart. “It was important for me to continue on our path of bringing people together and unifying the community in accord with the principles of Kwanzaa—introducing them to some, reiterating them to others—while impressing on everyone the importance of us coming together: My problem is your problem, and we can solve each one together.”

Vernell acknowledges that doing the work of incorporating the principles into daily life is not something that can be accomplished with one event. That is why they are planning to continue with the work of promoting the principles by educating the youth throughout the winter and training them on incorporating the principles into their lives.

One aspect of Kwanzaa that speaks to Kimberly is not one of the seven principles, but it is something that Kimberly thinks the observance is all about: hope. “Many residents in our communities feel like they have no hope. Studying, understanding, and practicing the seven principles can return hope to them. If your problem becomes mine and mine becomes yours, then it’s not so overwhelming. If I can be of help to you in the situation you’re in, I’ll do it. I’ll watch the kids so you can take care of business, and I know that you’ll be there for me another time, when I need it. If I see my 99-year-old neighbor going to the store all by herself, I will walk with her. There is so much going on in our communities. People can lose hope. But let’s come up with a solution. If it’s following the Kwanzaa principles to come together and unify and have self-determination, that’s what we’re trying to share and empower.”

Kimberly has leveraged her C+C participation to support her community work through the Redfern Houses Resident Council. She was voted in as president of the council and is using her C+C incentives to organize events and meet community needs in other ways, such as Narcan demonstrations.

Vernell and Kimberly are both mothers and grandmothers, and they believe teaching young people about the seven principles is important. “It gives youth an option, a better way to deal with life,” Vernell says. “Incorporating these principles gives them the hope that Kim was talking about.”

FV’s Story

January 9, 2025 | Leave a reply

FV is a 10-year-old boy who receives therapy at Kingsbridge Heights Community Center. Through The Child Center of NY’s Behavioral Health Consultation model, The Child Center shares its expertise in mental health and provides support and training to community organizations like Kingsbridge. This means that people like FV can receive mental health care at a place they already know and trust, in their own neighborhood. This enables The Child Center to reach exponentially more New Yorkers with the care they need and deserve. Below, FV says in his own words what therapy means to him.

Therapy is cool because you get to talk to someone about your problems. It provides different opportunities to express myself. I like that I get to join different groups and use different techniques without having to speak 1:1 to someone. I can get involved in art, play, and social groups.

Therapy is also helping me reach my goals. One goal I have for myself is to continue learning how to use my art skills to grow my career and express my emotions more effectively. Another is learning to work on my spontaneous responses to unannounced or uncomfortable scenarios. And to make lots of friends. In therapy, I have learned to be more confident and more social.

I am a guy who likes to be silly. I sketch spontaneous things that come to mind and create digital art, listening to game OST [original soundtracks], for example, Palmtree Panic from the Sonic CD. That’s one of my ways of being silly!

Therapist’s note: FV was referred for therapy at KHCC because he was having difficulties adjusting to changes in the household, especially his father no longer living in the home. He was having challenges expressing and managing his emotions, especially anger, hyperactivity, and worries, so we have been working on coping skills and ways to manage feelings. FV loves art, so we leaned into that. Art and play therapy have really helped FV open up. These sessions have improved FV’s well-being and mood self-regulation skills. He also is participating in an EMDR art group and improving his mood levels by using bilateral stimulation (BLS) to process emotions with a coping mechanism. In addition, he has benefited from family sessions with his mother to improve their communication and relationship. He has been excited to socialize and express his artistic self through various activities. I am excited to share that he is now being discharged from services after meeting all his goals! –Yadirys Batista, Community Coordinator/Social Worker at Kingsbridge Heights Community Center.

Note from FV’s mom: When my son first came into therapy, he was frustrated and irritable. He was isolated and felt away from me. Now, he is more communicative, caring, and kind. He is able to resolve conflicts on his own without getting angry, and when he needs help, he seems more open to asking for my help. He seems more open with me in general, and he comes to me for anything that is happening in school or anywhere. He is more secure and strong-minded as he has improved his self-esteem. Now, he is a confident young man, which makes me happy.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included references to Pepe the Frog. In the days following the original posting, we were saddened to learn that Pepe has been used as a hate symbol. Although this, of course, was not FV’s intention, and there have been efforts—including efforts by Pepe’s creator and the ADL—to reclaim Pepe, we decided to remove those images and references.

Photo of the Month: Thank you, Council Member Ung!

December 31, 2024 | Leave a reply

Spreading toys and joy this holiday season

Council Member Sandra Ung poses with T'yana Coutrier, program director, and students of The Child Center of NY's COMPASS program at P.S. 24Q in Flushing, Queens

Council Member Sandra Ung (left) and COMPASS Program Director T’yana Coutrier (far right) with participants of The Child Center of NY’s COMPASS afterschool program at P.S. 24Q.

‘Twas truly the season for joy, giving, and gratitude at The Child Center of NY! Friends and supporters showed up for our families in a big way, leaving no doubt that there is a whole community that cares about them and considers them part of our larger New York family.

With this Photo of the Month, we especially want to thank New York City Council Member Sandra Ung, who stopped by our DYCD-funded COMPASS afterschool program at P.S. 24Q in Flushing to deliver toys and sports equipment to our children for the holidays. As you can see, Council Member Ung delivered not just presents, but smiles, too!

“Government and government officials, and what they do, can seem abstract to children this age,” says T’yana Coutrier, the COMPASS P.S. 24 program director. “This was a wonderful way to talk to the children about public service and what it means to be part of a community—and, most important, for them to experience joy!”

Between individual efforts like Council Member Ung’s visit and The Child Center’s annual holiday drive, we truly had kids covered this season!

The holidays can be a difficult time for families who face daunting financial challenges but, like all of us, want their children to have a gift to unwrap. The Child Center of NY’s holiday drive aims to bridge the gap and bring unexpected joy to our families by offering new, unwrapped toys and gift cards during this special time of year. Thank you to all who contributed to our drive and played a part in creating a season of giving and a lifetime of smiles!

Editor’s Note: While our holiday drive has ended, you still can bring joy to a child’s life and contribute to the spirit of giving by supporting our programming. A gift of any size helps children grow emotionally, thrive academically, and reach their full potential.

Ashely’s Story

December 10, 2024 | Leave a reply

Oceanside Cornerstone Community Center Youth Council President Ashely wearing the Rock in the Right Direction shirt designed by the youth council

Ashely rocks the “Rock in the Right Direction” shirt she and other youth council members designed. “We call it ‘Rock in the Right Direction’ because we’re from Far Rockaway,” Ashely explained, “and because the council is dedicated to supporting teenagers in the direction they want to go.”

My name is Ashely, and I’m a senior in high school. I’m also the president of the youth council at Oceanside Cornerstone Community Center. The role is about giving young people a safe place to have fun and make friends. It’s also so much more.

One day I was walking down the street, and Ms. Kia* said to me, “Ashely, I think you should come back with me to the center.” I had never been to the center before. But I’m always willing to do new things, and I’m not going to lie, I usually just would come home from school and do nothing. So I went to the center and met Ms. Nydriah** and Mr. Dennis*** and learned about the youth council. Ms. Nydriah explained that the youth council was an opportunity for teens to make decisions and develop leadership skills. We get to decide what’s important to us, what we want to do and learn about. It sounded beneficial, so I decided to join and serve as vice president of the council. That was in April, and now I’m president.

It’s a fun role. We have a say in the events we want to do and the trips we want to go on. We organized a couple events called Family Day. The whole community came together as one and celebrated like family. We also started a fundraiser for trips. We had a meeting about entrepreneurship to discuss things like, if you have a dollar, how can you use that dollar to make another dollar? We use the money to go on trips, like to RPM Raceway and Launch.

So the youth council is about having fun after school, but it’s also much more than that. It’s an opportunity for us to talk about what matters to us and make decisions that will move us forward in life, toward our own goals. Everyone needs a push in the right direction. What that direction looks like is different for everyone. As president of the youth council, I can help all of us teens find our own path—the one that’s best for us as individuals. Maybe it’s college; maybe it’s trade school. I want to talk about things that will benefit us in life. For high schoolers, we’re about to graduate, and we need to start thinking about this type of stuff before we get out to the real world.

Members of the youth council working on the shirts they designed.

Youth council members working on the “Rock in the Right Direction” shirts they designed.

That’s why one of my goals for this year is starting a podcast. We’ll invite teenagers to talk about career goals, the future, and our opinions on things that are important to us. It’s good to hear other people’s opinions on the issues affecting our world and learn about where other people stand and why. We had a meeting and came up with a lot of topics and learned that the center has the equipment for us. I’m ready for it to start! I have a lot I want to say, and I’m sure everybody else has a lot they want to say, and I’m excited to begin, because everyone should be able to have a voice.

Another goal I have is to promote the youth council to other students and try to get it bigger. Two weeks ago, we invited middle schoolers to listen in. They’ve come back to spend time at the center, which I think is great. The youth council is open only to high schoolers for now, but I told them, when they’re ready, the door is always open. For now, just the fact that they decide to come here to the center every day means a lot. They decide to come here and do something productive.

When Ms. Nydriah first started the youth council, I didn’t know anyone. Being on the council brought me closer to the people here and gave us a bond. I really enjoy being around them, even if we’re just playing a video game or hanging out in the game room. You can always meet new people here and make connections. Everyone deserves a safe space they can come to where they can make friends, because it’s not easy out there for us teenagers. I’m so glad this is a safe space for us to come if we need to talk. We are always here for them.

*Ms. Lakia Echols, community school program director, Rockaway Park High School for Environmental Sustainability

**Ms. Nydriah Collins, program coordinator, Oceanside Cornerstone Community Center

***Mr. Dennis Williams, security guard, Oceanside Cornerstone Community Center

Photo of the Month: Annual Report Photo Shoot at Ocean Bay Cornerstone Community Center

November 30, 2024 | Leave a reply

Child Center of NY Afterschool Group Leader and Creative Artist Shaymon Thomas-Simmons with two afterschool program participants engage with shadow puppets.

Photo credit: Kyo Morishima Photography

Every year, The Child Center of NY presents an annual report to share the stories and accomplishments of the past 12 months with our community members, friends, and supporters. We also enlist a professional photographer to document what really goes on in our programs! This year, among the sites we photographed was Ocean Bay Cornerstone Community Center in Arverne in the Rockaways.

Cornerstone Community Centers, supported by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and private donors, are special places where community members of all ages, from children to seniors, can come together to learn new things, build bonds, and have fun!

This Photo of the Month features Afterschool Group Leader and Creative Artist Shaymon Thomas-Simmons with two of our afterschool program participants, Jordyn (left) and Meneyelik (right), both in kindergarten. Here they are engaging with shadow puppets, which present a hands-on way to teach children scientific concepts of light and shadow, promote language development and storytelling, and hone fine motor skills—not to mention instill a sense of curiosity and wonder!

Team Spotlight: Seline Bearman, Director of Early Childhood Mental Health, Clinical Services, Celebrates 31 Years at The Child Center

November 22, 2024 | Leave a reply

A group photo of the early childhood mental health team, including Seline Bearman.

The Early Childhood Mental Health Team at the (now closed) Elmhurst clinic in 2019. Seline is on the far right.

Seline Bearman, LCSW-R, Director of ECMH, Clinical Services, is a valued member of the Child Center of NY team who has been with the organization for an incredible 31 years. Over the course of more than three decades, Seline has witnessed and contributed to The Child Center’s growth and evolution. From her early days as an intern to leading the Early Childhood Mental Health program, Seline’s time with us offers a unique perspective on our work and how far we’ve come. Join us in celebrating this milestone and see what’s kept Seline inspired all these years.

The Child Center of NY: Can you share a bit about how you started your career here and what attracted you to The Child Center?

Seline Bearman, LCSW-R: Around 1992, I became a social work intern at The Child Center, which was called Queen’s Child Guidance Center at that time. A former supervisor of mine reached out when I was about to graduate. Soon I joined a school program at The Child Center and later worked in one of the clinics. Around this time, I had two children, so I took a little bit of time off. Then I ended up transferring to the Flushing clinic, because I speak Mandarin Chinese, for another school program for new immigrants. I went on to be a field instructor for other interns and got promoted to senior social worker. Through the years, programs and sites opened and shut; we were always consolidating and restructuring. And then I ended up where I am now. Since 2017, I have served the Early Childhood Mental Health Program as a director. Since then our team has probably doubled in size. It’s really exciting to see the growth and to be able to have more staff and help more clients.

What are some of the most memorable moments, valuable lessons, or milestones from your time with us?

Something I feel strongly about is maternal mortality and perinatal health. Unfortunately, there are moms-to-be who don’t know their rights and don’t have access to quality care. We’ve had quite a few perinatal clients who have almost died giving birth, which is very disturbing and simply unacceptable in this day and age. Our team is focused on supporting these young moms and ensuring they know what options are available to them. It’s a blessing to be able to work with them and support their growth and resilience.

Seline in 2024

How has the organization changed over the years, and what are the most significant transformations you’ve witnessed? What do you think is in the future for The Child Center?

The agency has changed tremendously in the time that I’ve been here. Thirty years ago, the entire team could fit into one large room when we had a holiday party. There were only maybe a hundred employees at that time, so we really knew almost everybody.

Did you know Jean Coppola and Kwan Wong? We recently interviewed them, and they started around the same time as you.

Oh yes, absolutely. Kwan and I used to work together in the Flushing clinic; our paths have crossed many times. And I knew Jean very well because she used to come in and do meetings and bonding activities with all the front desk staff. And there are a few others who have been here for a very, very long time like myself, or even longer.

In terms of the most significant changes, I would say the establishment of the electronic health record, since everything before that was handwritten. This was a total game changer that led to the clinical record. It made everything easier, especially in a crisis situation, I could just check the electronic health record and figure out what was going on rather than running into the office to find the paper chart.

Another big change was the pandemic. We had to transform the way we provided therapy when most of the clinics were closed. Only the school program at the Corona site was open. By offering tele-health we were able to serve clients we were never able to reach before, particularly pregnant mothers and parents of newborns who had a hard time keeping their appointments. Now about 30 percent of our clients in the Early Childhood Mental Health program are perinatal.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working here for so long?

As far as rewarding aspects, every day is a reward, and I mean that. The reason that I’ve been here for so long is because I really, really enjoy my job. Every day feels like a new challenge, and I feel like I am learning something new all the time. We are constantly training our staff and mentoring young clinicians. And beyond our clinicians, we have family peer advocates that work in our program, and our front desk staff who have moved up and gone back to school. That’s something that I really love about The Child Center: the way we encourage people to grow.