Queens Teens Find Summer Jobs Cooking For Seniors In Need

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — On the first day of July, several teenagers headed from their homes in southeast Queens to a state-of-the-art kitchen in Forest Hills, where they spent their day cooking more than a hundred meals for seniors in their neighborhoods.

They will continue refining their culinary skills all summer long as the first participants of the "Senior Deliveries and Culinary Program," a new summer youth employment initiative spearheaded by the nonprofit 100 Suits for 100 Men.

Every Wednesday through the first week of September, the teens will work together to prepare 140 healthy meals in the social services organization Forestdale's teaching kitchen, which opened last year, then deliver them to seniors living in Rochdale Village and throughout southeast Queens.

Kommissary LIC, a Long Island City-based commercial kitchen, is donating 40 pounds of chicken, 25 pounds of rice and 15 pounds of fresh vegetables each week for the meals.

The program is intended to help seniors in need and build community while teaching the participating teenagers about financial literacy, team building, time management.

The young chefs and their parents will meet remotely each week to discuss their work and hear from guest speakers.

“We are very excited to have this great partnership, but most of all provide opportunities for our young people in our community,” 100 Suits Founder Kevin Livingston said. “This is a clear example of the community creating its own opportunities, and that’s what we’ve done here with our partners. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Program funding comes from the Office of the Queens Borough President, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates and Feel Beauty Supply in Jamaica, and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp is providing financial support and personal protective equipment.

“This cross-borough partnership to provide employment opportunities and life lessons for our youth, while helping feed seniors in need, represents the best of Queens,” Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee said.