Riis Settlement: Serving and Empowering Western Queens
Riis Settlement distributes COVID-19 relief supplies
Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, founded in 1889 by the famous photojournalist and author of How the Other Half Lives, has spent more than a century working on behalf of, and guided by, the working people of New York.
“Settlement houses are place-based organizations that provide comprehensive services in a reciprocal model,” says Sophie Simon, Director of Immigrant Services. “Our programs reflect the needs of our community.”
That reciprocal relationship means that Riis Settlement does not provide the services that staff members think the community needs. Instead, they listen to the community about what they say they need and develop responsive programs. In recent years, the organization has taken that to the next level by building leadership and advocacy skills so students can organize, advocate, and ensure that institutions meet their needs.
Originally established on the Lower East Side, Riis Settlement set the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City as its headquarters in 1957 and has been there ever since, now with branches at the Ravenswood Houses and five local schools.
Serving youth, families, immigrants, and seniors in western Queens, Riis Settlement partners with CWE to provide ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and computer literacy classes.
The ten-week English classes are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and serve students seeking economic opportunities as well as those who need English to fully participate in parent-teacher conferences and doctor appointments.
The once-a-week computer classes are bilingual — in Spanish and English — and cover the basics of using a computer, including word processing software and email. The classes have proven so popular that some students return year after year and the instructor has added more advanced content to support their growth.
As COVID devastated the western Queens community, Riis Settlement responded to its students changing needs by transitioning to online classes and adjusting English and technology curriculum to help students solve the immediate problems of the pandemic, such as communicating about public health or researching public benefits online. In the computer class, the focus is now on using phones or tablets to accomplish technology goals, because those are the tools that most students have at home during quarantine. Riis Settlement has also distributed thousands of meals and PPE to residents during the crisis, in addition to raising funds for cash grants.
Over the course of a normal year, 600 students participate in the ESOL and computer classes. In the spring, 100 English and 10 computer class students joined the transition to online classes, but focused outreach has pushed enrollment for the fall semester over 200. The flexibility of online classes has brought new students in, but some longtime students are not comfortable with the format and eagerly await the return of in-person instruction.
Last year, Riis Settlement was able to take its reciprocal approach to a new level by hiring a community organizer to help residents learn to better navigate systems on their own and advocate for changes. Students from the English classes formed a community action group to talk about what is going on in their community and to drive their own campaigns for changes. They united Queensbridge residents and other community members to fight for improvements that would benefit everyone, like a campaign for more fresh food in their local grocery store.
“We listen to our students about what their needs are and how we can help them meet their needs,” says Simon. “The campaigns brought people together to build relationships and do advocacy together and they resulted in real changes.”
In the months ahead, this empowering approach readies the western Queens community and the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement to respond as the COVID crisis continues.