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QC12122013

48 The QUEE NS Courier • business • december 12, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶business ▶MK Vision Center: A prescription for great vision It isn’t hard to see what sets MK Vision Center apart from the competition. Founded three years ago by Eleanor, Kaleena, and Ernie Ma, MK Vision Center has not only been helping its clients achieve the best sight they can, but also giving back to the local communities. MK Vision is a part of Mott Optical Group, and has one branch in Queens, three in Manhattan, and will eventually be expanding to even more boroughs. “We moved to diversify our client base,” said co-owner Kaleena Ma. “We’ve been in the industry for 30 years and have served primarily the Chinese community in the downtown locations, but we are opened to serving everyone. Forest Hills is a very diverse area, and we like the community.” Ma, who has been wearing glasses since she was eight years old, has always enjoyed helping people, and felt that the best field for her would be something that combined fashion with something that carried with it a sense of necessity. She dedicates herself to helping customers achieve the best eye sight with the proper eyewear. “The process is technical and challenging, BUSINESS in the NEWS but also very fun,” she said. “We see with our eyes, which makes them very important. So that means it is equally as important to get the right prescription and the right style.” What makes MK Vision unique is that it combines professionalism with competitive prices and an unbeatable selection of eyewear. It also carries its own house brands, called Suki Eyewear, and features a VIP room in its store which allows customers to browse even more exclusive and premiere selections. MK Vision Center has an optometrist on site every day, accepts most major insurances, and brags the biggest selection of sunglasses in Queens. “We’re not only here to sell glasses, but also to build relationships,” said Ma. “We value everyone who comes in to get their glasses with us, as evidenced by our commitment to the community, the visual screenings we do at schools and our involvement with the Forest Hills Youth Activities Association. We take our time with every customer to find out what they want, and we do it with professionalism, knowledge, and experience in the field.” MK Vision Center 107-29 71st Avenue Forest Hills, NY 11375 718-575-8288 Touro hosts Community Day The 40-second clip from “Rescue in the Philippines,” made for public television, previewed a rescue mission of 1,200 European Jews in 1939 by Philippine President Manuel Quezon. The moving clip was then followed by a recent NBC Nightly News segment showing the Israel Defense Force working to save lives at an emergency hospital the IDF repaired in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which has left thousands of people dead, displaced and missing. “This is international social work at its best,” said Steven Huberman, Ph.D., dean of the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, as he opened the school’s fall 2013 Community Day, “Challenges and Critical Issues Facing the International Social Work Community.” The 1939 rescue mission by President Quezon later became the subject of a full-length feature documentary that was shown at the United Nations just hours before Haiyan arrived, the dean told the audience of approximately 200 social work students, faculty and staff. That’s how Community Day went – a myriad of historical connections, case studies and facts, many troubling, which forced the audience to ponder weighty issues facing the community, such as international child protection, human rights, human trafficking, torture, and the global agenda. Keynote speaker Alberto Godenzi, Ph.D., dean of Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, addressed why social workers needed to be “globally literate” even if they never plan to leave New York City, and outlined three essential components for attaining global literacy: global awareness, versatility with language, and “cultural humility.” Dr. Godenzi urged students to read a variety of media sources, in different languages, including media that portray non-Western perspectives, in order to see different points of view. He stressed that cultural humility for a social worker was most important. Touro MSW student Veronica Olivares, who traveled to Colombia last summer to assist kids ranging in age from 10 to 21, shared her experiences working with a non-profit theater group, ImaginAction, which runs innovative workshops to promote healing in communities affected by violence. She participated in a 10-day program, with the help of Touro, in the small town of Palomino. According to ImaginAction, the local communities at Palomino have long suffered from armed conflict. Olivares said she plans to return to Colombia in January. Other speakers at Community Day included Rebecca Davis, Ph.D., director, Center of International Social Work Studies, Rutgers University School of Social Work, who spoke on “Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa;” Susan Mapp, Ph.D., chair, Department of Social Work, Elizabethtown College, who spoke on “International Child Trafficking;” Lisa Matos, M.A., project director, HealthRight International Human Rights Clinic, who addressed “What you Need to Know about Working with Victims of Torture Seeking Asylum;” and Robin Mama, Ph.D., dean, Monmouth University School of Social Work, who addressed “The Global Agenda & Social Work Day at the United Nations.” The event was organized by Allison Bobick, MSW, LCSW, assistant professor and director of student advancement at the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work. Photo Courtesy Brooklyn Media Group Larry Kinitsky, Michaela Lynch, Leah Heister, Vincent Palagiano and Terence Mitchell with the check. HELPING THE CHILDREN Vincent Palagiano, chairperson of Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh; Terence Mitchell, chief retail officer; and Larry Kinitsky, chief marketing officer, presented the proceeds of the Dime’s 2013 Halloween Pin Up Drive to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Accepting the check for St. Jude were Leah Heister and Michaela Lynch. Including this check for $15,000, The Dime has raised $105,000 on behalf of St. Jude over the past two years.


QC12122013
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