NYWF HONORS SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON
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The New York Women’s Foundation
25th Anniversary Celebrating Women Breakfast
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Jean Shafiroff
Hillary Clinton With Marty Markowitz
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (Honoree)
And Abigail Disney (NYWF Honorary Chair)
Merble Reagon (Honoree) With Ai-jen Poo (Honoree)
Merble Reagon (Honoree)
Christine Quinn (New York City Council Speaker)
Jean Shafiroff With Diana L. Taylor (NYWF Board Chair,
And Abigail E. Disney (NYWF Honorary Chair)
Louise Wachtmeister
The New York Women’s Foundation® (NYWF) Celebrating Women® Breakfast honored Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Domestic Workers Alliance Ai-jen Poo, and Executive Director of the Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement Merble Reagon, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Secretary Clinton was awarded with The Century Award, while Ms. Poo and Ms. Reagon were awarded the Celebrating Women® Awards. Others in attendance included Ana L. Oliveira (President & CEO NYWF), Diana L. Taylor (NYWF Board Chair), Taina Bien-Aimé (NYWF Secretary), Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez (NYWF Treasurer), Abigail E. Disney (Honorary Chair), Helen LaKelly Hunt (NYWF Founding Mother & Chair Emerita), Betty Terrell-Cruz (NYWF Founding Mother), Christine Quinn (New York City Council Speaker), Elizabeth Krueger (New York State Senator, District of Manhattan), Charles J. Hynes (NY County District Attorney), Scott Stringer (Manhattan Borough President), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn Borough President), John C. Liu (New York City Comptroller), Tina Brown (Editor in Chief Newsweek Daily Beast), Jean Shafiroff (Philanthropist), Louise Wachtmeister (Founder, Best of All Worlds), Tamsen Fadal (Anchor, WPIX 11), Phillip Bloch (Celebrity Stylist), Betty Terrell-Cruz (NYWF Founding Mother), Anita Channapati (Celebrating Women® Breakfast Co-Chair), Anne E. Delaney (NYWF Vice-Chair & Celebrating Women® Breakfast Co-Chair), and Robyn Brady Ince (Celebrating Women® Breakfast Co-Chair).
In twenty-five years, the NYWF will reach $33 million in funding to over 280 women-lead, nonprofit organizations, improving the lives of 5.4 million women and girls in New York City; 81% of those nonprofits succeed in thriving today. This year, the NYWF Celebrating Women® Breakfast had over 2,300 guests in attendance.
NYWF Board Chair, Diana Taylor welcomed all attendees and introduced the 69 Grantee Partners for the NYWF, seated on stage on the dias, to the Breakfast. Speaker of the New York City Council, Christine Quinn then spoke regarding her work with the gay and lesbian community, applauded President Obama on his support for marriage equality and praised the NYWF for “making [New York City] and the world, a better place for every girl.” Afterward, NYWF Founding Mothers Helen LaKelly Hunt and Betty Terrell-Cruz, were brought to the stage, and spoke about the advancement of the NYWF since its inception in 1987.
Merble Reagon, honoree, was introduced and spoke regarding the self-sufficiency calculator she helped to create and her desire to sustain the work that NYWF supports for the future, “I started doing this work for my generation, I continue for my daughter’s and granddaughter’s generations.” Honoree, Ai-jen Poo, also spoke regarding the work, “care, love and support,” that NYWF does which spans multiple generations. Ms. Poo noted that, “when women on the front lines of inequality come together to affect change, everyone wins.”
Following the two honorees, four women were introduced and spoke regarding their experience with grantee partners of the NYWF. According to Sheena, “failing is not a sign of weakness, it’s the steps you take after that.” Another young woman, Ebony, then spoke about being arrested at a young age, while pregnant, and having her daughter while in jail. After her release from jail, she lived in a grantee partner run home where she built herself up and changed her life, she said, “change takes time, love makes the difference.”
Ana Oliveira, President & CEO of the NYWF took the stage and spoke about the ‘game changing time of 2012’ for the foundation. She then introduced Robyn Brady Ince, Anita Channapati, and Anne Delaney, Co-Chairs of the 2012 Celebrating Women® Breakfast.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton accepted the Century Award from Abigail E. Disney, her longtime friend. Secretary Clinton honored the grantees that comprise the New York Women’s Foundation and spoke about overcoming difficult circumstances as women, movingly referencing her mother as an example. Secretary Clinton noted that her mother overcame financial difficulties but remained resilient and committed to her family not only by helping herself, but with the assistance and kindness of others. She mentioned that we now take this kindness for granted, “but in the 1920’s there weren’t a lot of formal organizations doing this kind of work.” Secretary Clinton also “expressed on behalf of [her] mother great gratitude for reaching out that hand, for providing that support, that safe place, and for giving hope and love to so many who need it.”
ABOUT THE HONOREES: On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States. Secretary Clinton has an unparalleled commitment of nearly four decades of service and history of leadership –– as Secretary of State, ground–breaking Presidential Candidate, United States Senator from New York, First Lady of the Nation, child advocate and activist, she will receive the 2012 Century Award. Secretary Clinton and the Obama-Biden Administration are committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.
Ai-jen Poo has been organizing immigrant women workers in New York since 1996, where she started as the Women Workers Project organizer at CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities. In 2000 she helped start Domestic Workers United, an organization of nannies, housekeepers and elderly caregivers in New York organizing for power, respect, fair labor standards and to help build the social justice movement. DWU led the way to the passage of the first Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010, historic legislation to extend basic labor protections to over 200,000 domestic workers in New York State. DWU helped to organize the first national meeting of domestic workers organizations at the US Social Forum in 2007, which resulted in the formation of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. In April 2010, she became Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Ai-jen also serves on the Board of Social Justice Leadership, the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation, the Labor Advisory Board at Cornell ILR School, Momsrising.org, National Jobs with Justice, the New Labor Forum Editorial Board, Working America and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
Merble Reagon is Executive Director of the Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement in New York City. The Women’s Center was established as a program of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) in 1970 to meet the workforce development needs of women who had a marginal relationship to the paid work force and continues to serve low-income women and their families through a variety of programs and services designed to help them achieve economic security. She has worked for more than 35 years to create greater opportunities for low-wage workers in the business and public sectors. She has conducted management, diversity and workforce development training for non-profit, legal and women’s organizations, government agencies and others. Her early work in the Civil Rights Movement included community organizing in Harlem and Newark, NJ; it was followed by community development work in several states across the country. Her current work includes introduction and promotion of the groundbreaking Self-Sufficiency Standard for the City of New York and the enthusiastically welcomed web-based New York City Self-Sufficiency Calculator.
ABOUT NYWF: The New York Women’s Foundation® is a cross-cultural alliance of women, serving as a voice for women and a force for change. The Foundation identifies innovative organizations that are effecting change in the communities they serve for women. NYWF strategically funds organizations and programs that move women, girls and families toward long-term economic security through individual transformation and systemic change, mobilizing leaders and community partners as philanthropists and change agents. NYWF funds programs that promote economic security and justice, anti-violence and safety; and health, sexual rights and reproductive justice for women and girls in New York City.
For further information about The New York Women’s Foundation®, please visit www.nywf.org.
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