A non-profit in Forest Hills has received a boost in funding to help immigrants from the community find a path to citizenship. NY1's Jared Smith filed the following report.

The road to citizenship has been long and discouraging for Tamara Paz.

Her family immigrated to the United States from Columbia in 2004 when she was just seven years old.

Now at age 22, Tamara has been eligible to apply for the last four years, but was hesitant after watching her mother struggle through years of a complicated process.

"My mom unfortunately like I said hasn't been able to get through, so that... just seeing that postponed me. Like oh well maybe it's just best that I don't try it, or it's not gonna happen for me either," said Tamara Paz, a client of Queens Community House.

However, she says President Trump's push for immigration reform has forced her to get back on the path to citizenship.

"Everything that could possibly happen in the future just kind of made me take that extra step even. And to just be like okay I gotta get this done because I don't know what the future holds for me at that point,” said Paz. 

To do that, Paz turned to the Queens Community House for help.

The non-profit has helped hundreds by providing free legal services for those trying to become a citizen.

And because of their work in the community, an anonymous donor just gave $7,500 to the organization to help support those immigrant services.

"It's personal to me because my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles were immigrants themselves and were offered opportunities,” said Mary Abbate, the Associate Executive Director for Queens Community House

"I do this from my heart, for my community," said Carmen Gutierrez, a Paralegal for Queens Community House.

The organization also helps children apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA.

Tyrone Ponce came into the country from Ecuador when he was six years old and has been part of the program since he was 18.

"DACA is the only thing available to me at the moment, so it’s the only thing that will allow me to have like, a license or like be able to work. And like I need all that I'm trying to start and school as well," said Tyrone Ponce, a client of Queens Community House. 

"It's great to not only get help for yourself, but just kinda be the voice like hey I got help over here, like I did it, you can do it too,” said Paz. 

For more information about Queens Community House, go to www.qchnyc.org.