A recent block association breakfast meeting I attended on May 11th was unexpectedly rewarding on

 several levels. Rewarding on one level; the Queens Borough President Helen Marshall is the real

deal when it comes to an earnest non-political approach to just doing the right thing because it is the

 right thing to do.  She demonstrated this once again by hosting a Block Association Breakfast under

the sponsorship of NHS and the South Jamaica Anti Predatory Lending Task Force (The Task Force).

We all were invited for breakfast into the Borough Hall’s second floor conference facility; “our

house” Helen stated, with a genuineness that belied no hint of irony, only a frank indication of her

belief that our taxes paid for it thus “our house”. 

 

The meeting was most rewarding in a way that I was pleasantly unprepared for.  Those of us,

the “Task Force", assembled for the purpose of community outreach, were treated to one of the most

compelling scenes I have witnessed in a government facility. The Block Association community lead-

ers were in attendance, presumably our target for out-reach that morning.   They sat attentively and

patiently through our  agenda of anti-predatory educational fare; the dos and don’ts  required to pro-

tect homeownership and home equity from financial scam artist, masked as mortgage services pro-

viders, who greedily terrorize entire zip codes in South East Queens. 

 

We showed them color coded maps illustrating foreclosure patterns that were devastating their com-

munities, we provided them the legal analysis of how these con artist use pen and paper to take from

the community leaving chaos in their wake.  We unmasked the predators invading their community

by describing their behaviors as one stop shops… “All your mortgage solutions, from legal, appraisal,

funding, locating a property, under one roof!”  We spoke of repair contractors combing their

neighborhoods, looking for the cracked door spaces in which to slide into their living rooms, shilling

 ridiculously burdensome financing schemes, hidden behind the smile of a helpful repairman.

 

Then it happened, a reward I could never have anticipated.  The agenda turned to The Block Association members.  They spoke of their leadership as block captains, alley cleaners, weed pullers, garden tenders, crime stoppers,  anti-drug enforcers; one-by-one they stood assuredly ready for this battle with these predators  too. “Come to my block, I’ll lead the way” was spoken in each of their purposeful and braced risings from their seats. They spoke of their days on watch numbered in decades; they humbled us, these grizzled minders of the ramparts, a war savvy homeland force, ready for the next battle, and the call to arms.  Still there, Helen surveyed her autumn warriors, our comrades, and holding back time to soldier once again, while we the “Task Force” stood at ready to join. 

 

Empowering People •Building Communities •Strengthening Southeast Queens Since 1974

Breakfast with Queens Borough President  Helen Marshall

NHSJ Block Associations Activities

Dwayne Jones- The Parodneck Foundation 5-24-07