St. Albans has done a lot for Tammy Reed.

When Reed was taking care of her elderly mother a decade ago, the pantries fed her.

What You Need To Know

  • Tammy Reed is a volunteer at the Queens Public Library

  • She helps with the St. Albans branch's summer reading program and lunch service

  • Reed knows how important pantry service is. She used them herself while she was caring for her mother

When she was going through treatment for breast cancer, the library gave her a sense of normalcy.

She’s been in St. Albans nearly all her life.

Reed has given back to her community, too. She’s been a volunteer with the local Queens Public Library since 2018.

“I believe, you know, somebody does for you, you do for somebody else,” Reed said. “Keep that chain going.”

Reed volunteers as a summer reading assistant for children’s programming. She helps to instill a love of books and keep kids busy at a time when some are drawn to fun in the sun.

She also helps serve lunch twice a week at the library.  

She assembled gift baskets for new moms and activity packs for new immigrants.

“I feel that I’m actually contributing something to the community even when I do other library activities,” Reed said. “I feel like I’m giving back.”

Reed is passionate about the organization that has done so much for her. When the library was facing severe budget cuts, she made her thoughts clear to city leaders.

“We need the services and I want people to know about the services,” she said.

Advocacy and action.

“It keeps me active,” Reed said. “And it fills me up with joy.”

For helping to nourish her community’s bodies and minds, Tammy Reed is our New Yorker of the Week.