Mandingo Tshaka, Bayside’s “community crusader”
GoFundMe drive for
ailing Bayside activist
BY JENNA BAGCAL
For years, Bayside
activist Mandingo Tshaka
has worked to improve
the borough where he
grew up.
The “community
crusader” was a
Community Board 11 board
member, fought to get drug
dealers off the streets
of his neighborhood and
advocated for a playground
behind M.S. 158.
But recently, a
GoFundMe user named
Marion Bunn started a
fundraising campaign
asking the community
to help Tshaka with his
ailing health.
“Mandingo’s health is
now failing and he needs
our help to maintain
his physical ability to
live out the rest of his
years comfortably,” said
Bunn in the fundraiser’s
description.
According to Bunn,
Tshaka’s “many ailments”
include both prostate
cancer and dementia.
The current goal is
$15,000 which will go
toward the 88-year-old’s
medical expenses.
Among Tshaka’s most
notable accomplishments
was his work to get a
Flushing playground
recognized as a 19th
Century African and
Native American
Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
burial ground.
Tshaka drew attention
to the park’s historical
relevance in the 1990s
when Parks began
renovating the site.
In 1996, Parks
Department commissioned
a $50,000 archeological
study, during which
archeologist Linda Stone
concluded that between
500 to 1000 bodies were
buried at the site.
Corresponding death
records from 1881 to 1898
showed that 62 percent of
those buried were African
American or Native
American, 34 percent were
unidentified and more
than half were children
under five years old.
Following the discovery,
the Parks Department
renamed the space The
Olde Towne of Flushing
Burial Ground in 2009.
In October 2018,
Mayor Bill de Blasioa
and Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz
allocated $1.6 million for a
new memorial at the
burial site.
Search Tshaka’s name
on gofundme.com to donate
to Tshaka’s GoFundMe
campaign.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at
jbagcal@qns.com or by
phone at (718) 224-5863
ext. 214.
Dressed for the big night
Hospital holds first ‘Prom Closet’ for Queens teens
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens staff helped high school students choose their perfect prom outfit at
its first-ever Prom Closet event held on April 24. Photo courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Staff and volunteers
at NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens Hospital in Flushing
helped high school students
choose garments for their
prom at its first-ever Prom
Closet event held on April 24.
NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens welcomed 112 students
from local high schools to its
Prom Closet to select dresses
and suits for upcoming prom
night, graduation ceremonies
and job interviews thanks
to generous donations by
hospital employees.
The students had 297
dresses and 140 suits to choose
from at the event, as well as
shoes, purses, jewelry, brandnew
makeup and ties.
“We encouraged all of
the students to take home
outfits like a little black dress
or the perfect tie and shirt
combination that will help
them build a professional and
formal wardrobe for whatever
their futures may bring,” said
Jacqueline P. Cahill, director
of Volunteer Services at New
York-Presbyterian Queens.
The students were from
Lexington School for the Deaf,
Thomas Edison High School,
Forest Hills High School,
Flushing International High
School and John Bowne
High School.
“Out of the 297 dresses that
we collected, we were able to
match 136 of those gowns to
young ladies,” said Cahill.
“We did the same thing to the
boys. We were able to match 64
boys with full suits … and give
them extra shirts, pants and
ties to go on these interviews.
We are setting them up
for success.”
According to Cahill, who
works with the schools in
the community, the idea for
a Prom Closet stemmed from
a member of her team at the
hospital who had participated
in a similar event at
her church.
“Throughout Queens and
Brooklyn there are hundreds
of students living in shelters
or temporary housing,”
said Cahill. “Many families
cannot afford to send their
children to prom because
of the cost of outfits and the
tickets. In hopes of taking
part of financial burden
off the parents, NewYork-
Presbyterian Queens hosted
a Prom Closet offering
these students.”
Cahill added, “It was an
emotional night because
there was a lot of crying
going on. One little girl said,
‘I’ve never been able to wear
anything so pretty’ and her
mom happened to be there
hugging everybody and she
said to me, ‘Jackie, we don’t
live paycheck to paycheck. We
don’t live dollar to dollar. We
live from penny to penny. So
having the hospital do this for
us is amazing.’”
Cahill said they’re looking
forward to hosting another
successful Prom Closet event
next year and maybe a “My
First Interview” or “Dress for
Success” event.
“We want to invite not
only the children that are
graduating but we can also
invite the parents that are
living in these shelters or
temporary housing to come
and get outfits to go on
interviews and get jobs that
can help them better where
they’re living,” said Cahill.
Aside from prom garments,
the hospital team also
provided a table filled with
everyday clothes such as jeans
and dresses, said Cahill.
“A girl left with four bags
of stuff. She was so excited,”
said Cahill. “We had other
students who were just
so thrilled. A young man
actually left wearing a threepiece
suit donated by a friend
of mine and he said, ‘I’m never
taking this thing off.’”
Cahill said being able to
give back was an amazing
experience and watching
the kids’ transformation
preparing for the biggest
night of their young lives.
“This truly was an
amazing event and it took a
team to make it work. I am
so grateful I was able to lead
this team and that the results
were out of this world,” said
Cahill. “This was completely
different. Just watching
these kids pick out dresses
and shoes, and outfits from
top to bottom … Watching
them turn into young women
and men, it was truly an
emotional night.”
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM MAY 3-9, 2019 3
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