Elmhurst social service hub set to open next month

Commonpoint Queens will open a social service center, which includes a training kitchen for aspiring chefs, in Elmhurst in April. Rendering courtesy of Commonpoint Queens

By David Brand

Commonpoint Queens, one of the borough’s largest social service organizations, is set to open a new workforce hub in Elmhurst next month, with a specific emphasis on assisting individuals and families facing homelessness.

The program, known as the Hub, will provide job training, legal counseling, a food pantry and classes for English-language learners.

“It is all of our responsibilities to ensure that no one be kept from their dreams — a job paying a living wage, graduating from high school or providing food for their family,” said Executive Director Danielle Ellman. “Together we can remove the barriers that may be preventing someone from reaching their goals.”

The organization, founded as a merger between the Samuel Field Y and Central Queens Y,  operates sites in Bay Terrace, Forest Hills and Little Neck and offers services to thousands of families, teens and seniors.