42 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 25, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Forest Hills chocolate shop partners with church to raise funds for local nonprofi t
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two Forest Hills establishments
are teaming up to host a sweet fundraiser
that began on March 22 and will
run through Friday, March 26.
Owners Mark Libertini and Rachel
Kellner of Aigner Chocolates, located at
103-02 Metropolitan Ave., will donate
20 percent of all online and in-store
sales during those fi ve days to
the community congregational
Christian
C h u r c h -
i n - t h e -
Gardens
fundraiser,
which
will be
sent directly
to Queens
C o m mu n i t y
House, a nonprofi
t organization
that off ers programs
such as childcare, homelessness
prevention, immigrant
services and home delivery meals
throughout the borough.
Th e agency, which was founded as the
Forest Hills Community House in 1975,
also runs community and senior centers
pp
in various neighborhoods.
Kellner said they’re thrilled to partner
with the Church-in-the-Gardens to
give back to Queens Community
House, an organization that
does so much for the community.
“Queens is a unique
place. It’s a community fi lled
with so much heart and
we are proud to be
here and supp
o r t
o r
g a -
nizations that enrich
the lives of so many,”
Kellner said.
Patrons will have to indicate
that they want their purchases
to be part
of the Christian
Church-in-the-Gardens fundraiser.
Th e 100-year-old
church, located at 50 Ascan
Ave. in Forest Hills, frequently
spearheads community
benefi t eff orts,
such as blood and holiday
gift drives.
Hal Christensen,
co-chair of the World
Service Committee
of
the church, said
the fundraiser is
part of their outreach
to the community,
with some
of it focused on
supporting nonprofit
organizations —
in this case, Queens
Community House —
with donations and volunteers.
“We saw an opportunity to
raise money for an organization and
I think this event will work out well,”
Christensen said. “Th is is a very important
part of what the church is and we’re
happy to do whatever we can to help other
people.”
Libertini and Kellner, who bought the
three-generation, family-run confectionary
in 2015, have maintained the same
original Austrian recipes and cooking
procedures with a few improvements and
upgrades. Th ey create all kinds of chocolates
(dark, white and milk) in various
forms (truffl es, clusters and cordials) with
an emphasis on mixing with nuts, creams
and fi llings. Th e shop also has plenty of
novelty items and non-chocolate treats
such as licorice, gummy bears and fruit
slices.
Because Easter is in early April, Aigner
will off er a wide array of chocolate bunnies,
eggs and gift baskets during the fundraiser.
Th e store is open seven days a week,
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
First Central Savings Bank sponsors Go Green Gardening program
BY CONNOR WALTER
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
First Central Savings Bank announced
a $2,500 funding grant to sponsoring
the Go Green Gardening Program created
by Th e Center for the Women of NY
(CWNY).
Th e new program immerses women
and victims of domestic violence in the
local food system in Queens. A focus of
the program will be on single, minority
women in low- to moderate-income geographic
areas who are more vulnerable
to food scarcity, lack of resource distribution
and other risks magnifi ed by climate
change.
Th e Go Green Gardening Program will
be an interactive initiative utilizing handson
experiences in farming and gardening,
health and nutrition, entrepreneurship
and leadership to teach life and work
skills. Th e goal is to positively aff ect crops
and distribution of goods while promoting
healthy living.
“Our sponsorship will serve a vital role
by increasing food security, outreach and
education in hard-hit communities during
climate change. Moreover, it gives the
opportunity for women to hear and practice
important lessons in plant and soil
science, urban biodiversity and sustainable
gardening during climate challenges,”
said Anna Marie Vallone, vice president
and business development offi cer at
First Central.
CWNY is a voluntary, nonprofi t organization
dedicated to educating women
on economic independence. Th eir mission
aims to empower women by off ering
services that provide the skills, information
and support they need to address
economic, emotional and legal challenges.
Th e sponsorship from First Central
Savings Bank is the fi rst step to making the
Courtesy of First Central Savings Bank
program a reality for women in Queens.
Th e expansion will bring new opportunities
for CWNY to educate women on the
environment and climate change while
giving back to the community.
First Central Savings Bank is sponsoring a ‘Go Green Gardening’ program.
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“Queens is a unique place. It’s a community fi lled
with so much heart and we are proud to be here
and support organizations that enrich the lives of
so many.”
— Rachel Kellner
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