30 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 6, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Hospital in Queens makes big gift to help teen moms
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@cnglocal.com
@QNS
Members of the NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens Medical Staff Society recently
gave a generous donation of $5,000 to a
Brooklyn-based organization that supports
and inspires teen mothers.
“It represents leadership,” said Steven
Yager, DPM, President of the NYP
Queens Medical Staff Society. “Our physicians
wanted to recognize an organization
that inspires the community.”
Dont4GetMe The Frances Canty
Foundation assists teen mothers and
mothers-to-be between the ages of 16-23
to reach their full potential as mothers,
women, and tomorrow’s leaders. Th e
organization seeks to empower young
moms to pursue certifi cations in healthcare,
allowing them to foster careers in
the medical fi eld, according to Simone
Goss, founder of the organization.
It is the fi rst charity, of hopefully many
others, that the New York Presbyterian
Queens Medical Staff Society has donated
to, according to Yager.
“We are actually inspired by the community,
and if the community gets
inspired from us…all the better,” said
Yager. “We just wanted to do the right
thing and maybe others will follow in our
footsteps. Hopefully there will be other
charities in the future.”
Goss expressed gratitude for the medical
staff ’s donation that will help provide a
Christmas party and gift s for families who
live in shelters.
“Th is passion of mine is because I’ve
Members of the NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Medical Staff Society recently assisted local mothers in need by donating $5,000 to the Don’t4GetMe
organization.
been through it, so to see other people
believe in my vision and to see there is a
need for it and want to help is just simply
amazing,” said Goss. “I just want to say
thank you, thank you again to the doctors
at New York Presbyterian. Th ey’re
amazing.”
Goss, who was a single teen parent at
the age of 16 to her now 21-year-old son,
said she named the organization aft er
her foster mother and support system,
Frances Canty.
“She raised us like we were own and
instilled her values in us,” said Goss. “I was
only right to name it aft er her because her
mission in life was to take care of teen moms.”
Although the organization is based
in Brooklyn, they’ve seen teen mothers
from Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx,
according to Goss.
Dont4GetMe is currently assisting 25
girls with various workshops such as
dress for success, breastfeeding, and dealing
with post-partum depression, said
Goss.
Th eir new program, which sends four
to fi ve girls to get certifi cation in the medical
fi eld as a certifi ed nursing assistant,
helps the girls gain employment.
“Ninety-nine percent of our girls are
Photo via Facebook
homeless and living in shelters, and that’s
something that they can have a career in
which will open up more doors for them,”
said Goss.
As a teen mother, Goss experienced her
own trials and tribulations while pursuing
an education and a career. She encourages
young teen mothers to set and achieve
their goals, no matter the circumstances.
“Just because you are in this particular
situation that’s not the end will be
all,” said Goss. “Th ere’s so much more
that you have going for yourself, and so
much you can accomplish even with a
small child.”
Queens women’s bar honors scholarship winners
Photos courtesy of Fay Parris/Queens County Women’s Bar Association
The Queens County Women’s Bar Association honored several winners of the Faith O’Neal scholarship during their Judiciary Night ceremony on Nov. 27 at the Queens Theatre. The program also included
a keynote address from Judge Paul Fineman, associate judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. LEFT: Shown from left to right: Judge Bernice Siegal, Patricia Powis, Nicole McGregor Mundy,
Heidi Henle, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens County Women’s Bar Association President Adrienne D. Williams, Louise Derevlany, Christina Marino, Melonie Holder, Joanne Lopresto
and Soma Syed. RIGHT: Shown from left to right: Lisa Mevorach, Soma Syed, Louise Derevlany, Christina Das, Judge Siegal, QCWBA President Williams, Liran Messinger and Judge Marguerite Grays.
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