OUR STORY

**Queens Together**, a 501(c)(3) restaurant-driven food relief organization, was founded in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC, when jobs were lost, food insecurity soared, and local restaurants struggled to stay open. In response, **Queens Together** sprang into action—raising funds to support local restaurants in preparing meals for frontline workers and neighbors facing hardship.
Today, our work continues to nourish neighbors in need with culturally preferred meals and groceries while promoting local business success and job stability. Through innovative community programs rooted in local partnerships, we collaborate closely with community-based organizations, businesses, and civic partners to identify opportunities and co-create tailored solutions that address what matters most to each community. Every dollar invested not only helps fight food insecurity, but also strengthens local economies and drives meaningful, lasting impact across Queens.

OUR TEAM

JOnathan forgash

Founder, Executive Director

Jonathan is a longtime Queens resident and the founder of Queens Together. Under his leadership, Queens Together has launched innovative, scalable initiatives that blend community partnership and economic development with food relief efforts.

Jonathan brings 25 years of experience as a chef, activist, and business owner, combining operational know-how with innovative program design to build lasting solutions that support the health and wealth of Queens residents and restaurants.

Jessie Bouchot

Operations & Marketing

Jessie brings over 20 years of experience in brand management, advertising, and technology startups, with a background supporting Fortune 500 clients and leading operational initiatives.
Since joining Queens Together as a volunteer in 2023, she has helped drive high-impact fundraising initiatives. As Operations Liaison, she strengthens partnerships that expand sustainable food relief across Queens.

laura Siciliano- rosen

Editor

Laura Siciliano-Rosen is a Queens-based food and travel writer, editor, and co-founder of the global food-travel site Eat Your World. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, New York, The Washington Post, Budget Travel, Zagat, and Men’s Journal. She now focuses on Eat Your World and Queens Together’s Eats in Queens newsletter, leads long-running food tours in Jackson Heights, and founded the Eat Something New in Queens Facebook group.

JOe distefano

Communications

Joe is a Queens-based food writer and restaurant publicist known as CNN’s “Culinary King of Queens.” A longtime expert on the borough’s diverse global cuisines, he has spent over 20 years crafting stories that celebrate food, culture, and community. As Queens Together’s communications director, Joe leverages his deep media relationships and passion for Queens to elevate local restaurants and advance food relief efforts.

Devin klos

Video & Storytelling

Devin Klos is a writer and filmmaker based in NYC. He has spent over a decade working on a wide variety of subjects from politics with CBS news to sports, culture, narrative and documentary storytelling. His work has won numerous awards and been seen worldwide in various film festivals and screenings.

OUR BOARD

jonathan forgash

peter rose

Peter Rose is Senior Director for stakeholder relations at Hydro-Quebec Energy Services in the United States and a member of the Champlain Hudson Power Express project team in New York.

Mr. Rose has 20 years of professional experience in communications and public relations. He has previously held positions at UNICEF, Quebec Government Offices in Washington, DC, and New York, as well as for the organizing committee of the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech (COP22).In addition to his native English, he speaks French and German.

loycent gordon

Loycent Gordon is the Owner & CEO of Historic Neir’s Tavern, one of America's oldest operating taverns, and a retired FDNY Lieutenant with 20 years of service. A nationally recognized advocate for small businesses as vital community anchors, Loycent has been honored by Goldman Sachs, American Express, and the NYSE for his leadership. He brings a deep commitment to Queens’ economic and cultural resilience, driven by his guiding philosophy that “Community Conquers All.”

joe distefano

Joe is a Queens-based food writer and restaurant publicist known as CNN’s “Culinary King of
Queens.” A longtime expert on the borough’s diverse global cuisines, he has spent over 20 years crafting stories that celebrate food, culture, and community. As Queens Together’s communications director, Joe leverages his deep media relationships and passion for Queens to elevate local restaurants and advance food relief efforts.