26 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JANUARY 13, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Hour Children announces retirement of founder
Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, appoints new leader
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Hour Children, the Long Island
City-based provider of services for
incarcerated and formerly incarcerated
women and their children in New
York state, announced Monday, Jan.
3, that founder and executive director
Sister Tesa Fitzgerald has stepped
down from her leadership role after
30 years.
Dr. Alethea Taylor, who formerly
served as a distinguished doctoral
lecturer with Hunter College School
of Education and as the executive
director of Greenhope Services for
Women, will succeed Sister Tesa as
executive director.
“I welcome Alethea with an open
heart and the utmost support as she
assumes leadership of Hour Children,”
Sister Tesa said. “It is a sacred and
honored role to be of service to Hour
families and to grow Hour programs
inside prisons and in the community.”
In 1986, Sister Tesa helped develop
a home in Long Island City for children
whose mothers were incarcerated,
and Hour Children was born of
the realization that the mothers she
was visiting would need additional
support if they were to successfully
reunite with their children after their
release. In 1992, Hour Children was
incorporated and is now the leading
provider of prison- and communitybased
family services for incarcerated
and formerly incarcerated women and
their children.
In 2014, Sister Tesa was honored at
the White House as one of President
Barack Obama’s “Champions of
Change.” During her tenure, Hour
Children grew to include six communal
homes, three apartment houses
and two housing partnerships —
all welcoming respites where mothers
and children could reunite and thrive
together.
“The mission that Sister Tesa started
is phenomenal. As executive director,
I will work with the board of directors,
staff, clients, advocates and the
community to assure Hour Children
is the organization people consult
when they think about advocacy,
housing and services for incarcerated
and formerly incarcerated women
and families,” Dr. Taylor said. “We
will continue to help advance the fight
to end mass incarceration of women.
The mission has not changed, the
commitment has not changed, but we
still have much work to do. I am honored
to continue Sister Tesa’s legacy.”
Consistent with Hour Children’s
mission, Dr. Taylor brings more
than 20 years of experience serving
incarcerated or formerly incarcerated
women. She is a member of
The Independent Commission on
New York City Criminal Justice and
Incarceration Reform and serves as a
consultant with the New York Women’s
Foundation on its Justice Fund initiative.
A graduate of Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale, Dr. Taylor
holds a doctorate in Rehabilitation
Counseling as well as a master’s
degree from NYU in Vocational
Rehabilitation Counseling.
“Sister Tesa’s passion and dedication
to this cause is equal parts inspiring
and commendable, and we’re excited
to continue and expand her work as
Dr. Taylor steps in to lead, build and
move this organization forward,” said
M. Jane Stanicki, board chair at Hour
Children.
The nonprofit provides prisonbased
services such as infant nurser,
transportation and visiting programs
and parenting education and
advocacy. Community programming
includes supportive housing, job
training, childcare support, mentoring
for children, a community food
pantry and Hour Children Thrift
Shops to benefit the organization’s
work.
For more information, call 718-433-
4724 or visit hourchildren.org.
Photos courtesy of Hour Children
Hour Children founder Sister Tesa Fitgerald (l.)
has stepped down as executive director and Dr.
Alethea Taylor (r.) will take over the Long Island
City-based organization.
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