Central Queens Y: Job Assistance From Resume To Interview

In the heart of Forest Hills, there is an address where job applicants can go for assistance with résumés, cover letters, training, interviews, and follow-up advice, provided by experienced staff in a friendly setting. “When people come to us, they’ve hit a brick wall and couldn’t find a job for months. We build them up, help them, and with our relationships, employers give them a shot,” said Ahuva Yelizarov, the Employment Coordinator and Community Liaison at the Central Queens YM-YWHA.

Together with Adult Workforce Senior Director Brynn McCormick, she welcomes individuals in need of career advice. “With our partner, Allied Health Training, there is training for nurse’s aide, EKG technician, medical billing, and dialysis operator. On site, we offer training in IT, coding, and front-end developer,” said McCormick. “We look forward to opening an employment hub on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst in the coming summer.” At a recent recruitment event, one participant with multiple jobs on hand was the Council for Airport Opportunities, which offered a variety of positions at LaGuardia and JFK Airports. “We had some 60 applicants and they were here for jobs that are in Queens at these two airports,” said McCormick.

The hub will have space to serve more applicants. For now, the job assistance service is being promoted through social media and city agencies, but once the hub opens, Yelizarov expects a marketing campaign to promote its services. Raised in LeFrak City and Forest Hills, as Lilianna Zulunova, she was a community liaison for elected officials who once considered a career in politics before focusing her efforts on empowering individuals in need. After her marriage to she became known by her Hebrew name Ahuva. Her knowledge of city agencies from her previous work is useful in her present position. “We help people cut though the red tape to receive services that are already there.”

McCormick has master’s degrees in School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling, both of which she found useful in assisting youths and disadvantaged individuals. “Guidance counselors at local high schools should know about Adult Workforce. We help students who dropped out receive free GED programs for their equivalency diploma,” she said. “And for students in school, we connect them to city agencies that offer summer and year-round internships.” Along with Forest Hills High school, which is a block away, Yelizarov and McCormick also reached out to Jewish schools in the neighborhood that may be interested in connecting their students with youth employment programs.

Yelizarov noted that her organization’s relationships with employers enable her to follow up. When an interview does not result in a hiring, she can learn what went wrong in an interview and make sure that the applicant can improve in preparing for an interview.

Alongside its Adult Workforce Program, the Central Queens Y also offers ESL classes, after-school and senior programs, summer camp, and a kosher food pantry where clients can order their food by phone and then pick up the package. “It’s like Fresh Direct: You order from your home and we have a healthful menu in our pantry,” said Yelizarov. Another program of interest is the Single Family Initiative, which assists single parents with financial and emotional support, and in providing resources.

After merging in their programs and staff, the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck and Central Queens Y will soon be renamed as Common Point Queens, a unifying name for a one-stop shop for all of life’s needs. “We serve everyone, but we are funded by the Jewish Federation of New York, and all of our food is kosher,” said Yelizarov. “We want the Jewish community to know that we are here for them.”

Central Queens Y is located at 67-09 108th Street in Forest Hills. For more information on its Adult Workforce Program, call 718-268-5011.

 By Sergey Kadinsky