Atty. Lara Gregory receives Claire Shulman Award for her support for individuals with disabilities
On February 27, hundreds of people will come together to dine, dish, and discover the menu of options at the Queens Centers for Progress’ 28th annual “Evening of Fine Food” at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens.
The event supports QCP’s programs and services, assisting more than 1,200 individuals with developmental disabilities to lead more independent lives. It is presented from 6:30p.m. to 9:00 p.m., an evening of food and drink from the finest restaurants and networking opportunities. Tickets are $150 per person.
At the event, QCP will honor two “Chefs of the Year,” people who have made an impact and a difference in the community: Frank J. Quatela, owner and principal architect at Frank J. Quatela Architect, P.C., and Hersh K. Parekh, Esq., deputy chief of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. In addition to being honored, the “Chefs” will serve their community in a different way — by cooking a family specialty!
QCP will also present the Claire Shulman “Spirit of Community” Award to Lara Gregory, Esq., Queens community leader, QCP board member, and principal attorney at Lara Gregory and Associates.
“It’s energizing to witness the combination of the diversity of Queens cuisine with service to the community,” Lara Gregory said. “Service to the Queens community is what Queens Centers for Progress has been doing for the past 75 years.”
The Claire Shulman Award was established in 2022 to honor the legacy of the late Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, a past “Chef of the Year” and supporter of the QCP. When the award was established, QCP Executive Director Terri Ross said: “There is no one who embodies the spirit of the Queens community more than Claire Schulman did. We could not imagine this event without her, and selfishly, this is our way of making sure she is here with us every year going forward.”
The second Claire Shulman community award will be awarded to Lara Gregory for her work in supporting individuals living with developmental disabilities.
Gregory has been serving the Queens community since 2017. A lawyer by profession, she is admitted in the State of New York and practices in the Supreme, Surrogate and Immigration courts. She has presented numerous “Know Your Rights” immigration seminars online and has helped educate and best advise new immigrants.
During the pandemic, and before the availability of vaccines, Gregory launched “Swab and Save Lives” through Legal Good, an initiative which offered free COVID-19 testing directed toward the most vulnerable in the AAPI community regardless of immigration status.
She, together with the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA), launched the nationwide vaccination campaign, “Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate!”. For her community work during the pandemic, Gregory received the “Bayani” or Hero Award in 2021 from the eminent Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-NY Metro). In 2022, she was also awarded a citation of honor by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for her outstanding community work.
As part of the Hate Crimes Task Force of NaFFAA and of the Filipino Americans for Racial Action (FARA), Gregory has been at the forefront of the AAPI efforts to combat hate. She organized AAPI women-led self-defense classes participated by an intergenerational and diverse group of women.
She serves on and was the immediate past Chair of the Public Safety Committee of Queens Community Board 4, is a member of AAPI Advisory Board of the Queens District Attorney, a member of the Queens Borough President’s Civic Engagement Committee and a committed and valued Board Member of Queens Centers for Progress.
“It’s an honor to receive the Claire Shulman Spirit of Community Award,” she said. “Indeed, service to one another and our community is the universal love language that unites us all, regardless of food preference, mother language, religion, or ethnicity. I applaud QCP for their lifechanging work and for this honor.”
