FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 25, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
Photo by Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
ACS celebrates Forest Hills foster program
Queens residents get ‘second chance’ at a clean record
BY ZACHARY GEWELB
zgewelb@cnglocal.com
@QNS
Hundreds of Queens residents had
their outstanding warrants cleared
at the Second Chance Summons
Warrant Forgiveness Event held Oct.
20 in Woodside, according to Queens
District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
Queens residents had the opportunity
to have low-level offenses — such
as disorderly conduct, consumption of
alcohol in public, trespassing or unlawful
possession of marijuana, public
urination and other transgressions —
resolved without fear of being arrested.
The event was held at the Universal
Church, located at 68-03 Roosevelt
Ave., during which approximately 401
people met with defense attorneys,
had their warrants verified, and for
those who qualified, their cases were
then passed on to the New York State
Court Administration and they were
able to see a judge.
“An unanswered summons can result
in an arrest and in some instances
jeopardize an individual’s employment,
educational and housing opportunities.
Of the more than 400 individuals
who attended the daylong event,
360 were able to have their warrants
adjudicated and they can now live
File photo/THE COURIER
without looking over their shoulders
wondering if an arrest is imminent,”
Brown said.
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@cnglocal.com
@MarkuuSan
City officials and leaders from the
Administration of Children’s Services
applauded the efforts of foster care
volunteers associated with Forestdale,
a Forest Hills based organization
which works to stabilized the lives
of children within their network on
Monday.
Ray Toomer, an associate commission
for ACS, was joined by Deputy Mayor for
Health and Human Services Herminia
Palacio to hear the stories of people who
volunteer in the Mockingbird Program
supported by ACS’s Home Away From
Home initiative to recruit more foster
homes.
Ryan Ali spoke of his experience
as an youth making his way into the
Mockingbird program and being placed
with Keturah Hardy.
“When it comes to having a network
and a community, I think it’s great to start
with a strong fundamental base,” Ali said.
“Th ere were times when Hardy would
speak to me and say, ‘Ryan, you’ve got to
start saving.’ I grew up with parents who
spoiled me, so I didn’t really have to start
saving.”
Ruth Frazier said she has adopted eight
children through the Mockingbird program
with most of them having graduated
high school.
Th e Mockingbird program started in
Washington state and was taken up by
Forestdale which started in Brooklyn in
1854.
Forestdale’s foster care network was recognized as an essential service to the borough’s youth and families who require social services.
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