Founded in 1976, Southern Queens Park Association is one of the leading human services agencies in Queens. SQPA was the first public-private partnership in NYC history. The community activists and organizers who helped secure the park land formed the agency, which remains the steward of the 54 acre Roy Wilkins Park, located in the heart of Jamaica, Queens. SQPA’s mission is to coordinate and provide comprehensive programs for children, youth, adults, families and seniors residing in Southern Queens. Program offerings include basic and continuing education, workforce development, health and wellness, and social, cultural, and recreational outlets. SQPA has strategically located service sites throughout Southern Queens, and was constituted to actively combat the social issues that challenge or impact the quality of life in this community. Through its four program sites, Roy Wilkins Park and Family Center, Cornerstone at NYCHA South Jamaica Houses, The Beacon Program at Middle School 8 and the TASC Program at The Lorraine Hansberry School (P.S. 118), SQPA provides a variety of essential services to youth, senior citizens and families living in Southern Queens. These services include Youth Development, Basic & Continuing Education, Workforce Development, Family & Individual Supportive Services (Preventive & Intervention Services), senior activities, structured recreational outlets and team sports, cultural events, environmental programs, and technological literacy. Residents of all ethnic backgrounds access Roy Wilkins Park for its cultural events and to use its various facilities and amenities: gymnasium, natatorium, athletic track, Life Trail, serene walkways, handball, tennis, and basketball courts, football, baseball, cricket and soccer fields. In addition to providing direct services, SQPA enables more than forty (40) stakeholders, community partners, and local educational institutions access to Roy Wilkins Park. SQPA strives to enrich the quality of life for all persons in Southern Queens, while also serving residents from Brooklyn and Nassau Counties. SQPA is an anchor institution, which serves as an intermediary, facilitator, organizer, advocate, provider, and sanctuary; positively impacting the lives of more than 400,000 persons annually.
