Nonprofit Helping Hand Astoria resident hand delivers care packages to homeless women across the city By Angela Matua One Astoria resident is directly impacting the lives of homeless women across the city by hand delivering care packages to those in need. Michael Zezima, a lifelong Astoria resident, thought about starting this project more than a year ago but officially started delivering supplies in October after a chance encounter with a homeless woman. “It came to a head this past fall in October when I was at an event in which there was leftover packaged food and I encountered a woman at the subway who was really 36 March 2017 i LIC COURIER i www.qns.com grateful to take the food,” he said. He initially used his own money to purchase things like pads, tampons, toe warmers, hand warmers, toothbrush and tooth paste. Zezima also started a Go Fund Me page for the project, which is officially called FOR (Female-Oriented Relief). So far, he has raised $1,545 and people in the Queens community have also stepped up to donate supplies like blankets and packaged food. Zezima takes frequent trips into the city, especially places like Union Square, Midtown and Times Square to hand out supplies. He focuses on those areas because its where he It came to a head this past fall in October when I was at an event in which there was leftover packaged food and I encountered a woman at the subway who was really grateful to take the food. Michael Zezima a lifelong Astoria resident Photos courtesy of Michael Zezima
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