for breaking news visit www.timesnewsweekly.com OCTOBER 22, 2015 • times 21 Rego Park school looks to help local soup kitchen BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @RidgewoodTimes Students at a Rego Park school are looking to help a local charity feed the hungry. The Beacon program at J.H.S. 190 is holding a kosher food drive this Thursday, Oct. 22, to help the Masbia Soup Kitchen based in Rego Park, which has experienced a decrease in donations in recent weeks. The drive is part of the Afterschool Alliance’s 2015 “Lights on Afterschool” event. For this year’s day of service, the Queens Community House — which sponsors the Beacon program at J.H.S. 190 — decided to join forces with Masbia Soup Kitchen. “We wanted to show that our youth in after-school programs care about their community. We heard about what was happening and we decided to help,” program director Patrick Pinchinat said. The Beacon program works to provide children ages 6 to 21 with valuable leadership skills, confidence and an interest in community service. The students in the program at J.H.S. 190 will be collecting kosher canned goods at their school, located at 68-17 Austin St., starting at 4 p.m. Thursday. Following the collection, the goods will be delivered to the Masbia Soup Kitchen on 98-08 Queens Blvd. Individuals are called to donate what they can to the drive and support those individuals within the community in need. Those interested in volunteering or more information can contact Patrick Pinchant at 718-830-5233 or by email at ppinchinat@qchnyc.org. Lourdes Ventura (at left) received Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown’s Hispanic Heritage Award. Trailblazing Hispanic lawyer with Corona roots earns special award from DA BY BROOKE SMITH editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport The first Latina president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association has been named the recipient of the Queens District Attorney’s 2015 Hispanic Heritage Award. Lourdes M. Ventura earned the award for her dedication to the Queens community as well as her outstanding accomplishments and tireless leadership. “It is truly a pleasure and an honor to pay tribute to Lourdes M. Ventura. A talented and skilled lawyer, she started her professional career in my office as an assistant district attorney,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown in an announcement on Oct. 16. “Ms. Ventura is a trailblazer who received a master’s in social work and a law degree at the same time. Throughout her career she has used her knowledge in both fields to assist others while also paving new paths for Latinos and women alike.” Photo courtesy of Queens district attorney’s office Born in Corona as the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Ventura struggled in school at a young age. Although she was born in New York City, she did not speak English. Ventura saw the obligation she had as the oldest of three children to translate English for her mother. This turned into a desire to be the one that her family could depend upon, according to Ventura. Ventura began a career of investigating and prosecuting drug cases, economic fraud and various street crimes. She then went on to join the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office where she was able to prosecute cases involving discrimination in housing, education, and other areas. Earlier this year, she became the first Hispanic president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association in its 84-year history. She is currently a senior associate at Ahmuty, Demers and McManus and continues to involve herself in numerous civic and professional organizations.
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