April 6, 2024: CWNY Wellness Day
We hosted a Wellness Day at our Fort Totten Center. We had Strength Training & a Wellness Circle, Spa-like Pampering, and a Book Club Information & Welcome Session
March 27, 2024: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Women’s Health & Wellness”
Guest Panelists:
Jacqueline Diaz, Founder, The Steven Spectrum Career Project
Carmela Frattasi, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Angelica Marie, Founder & Owner, Valiosa Wellness
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 03/27/2024 Health & Wellness”
March 5 – April 9, 2024: “Free In-Person One-On-One Tax Preparation Assistance”
CWNY has multiple sessions of free in-person one-hour tax prep assistance with Kathy Carroll, E.A. on Tuesday afternoons at our two locations in Queens Borough Hall and Fort Totten.
April 9 @ 120-55 Queens Blvd., Room 325, Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Register here
February 28, 2024: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking Awareness”
Guest Panelists:
Paige Nyer, Assistant District Attorney
Elizabeth De Jesus, The Cottontail Corner, El Centro Pedagogico
Sgt. Mona Lawrence, NYPD DV Unit
Lauren Kay, Stop Stalking Us (Video Resource)
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 02/28/2024 IPV and Stalking”
February 23, 2024: Art Workshop
CWNY polled our followers through social media about a new class to be hosted at the center. Our followers selected an Art Workshop and CWNY delivered! Within a week, CWNY organized an Art Workshop with facilitator, Kerri McKay, from Bayside High School’s Art Department. The workshop was a massive success! Participants made watercolor paintings, mini bookmarks and mini sunset paintings. Participants also made bracelets with empowering messages to uplift women and girls who are the most vulnerable.
January 24, 2024: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Caregiving Part II, Applying for Medicaid”
Guest Panelists: Representatives from
Sunnyside Community Services – scsny.org
Carino Law – carinolaw.com
Queensboro Council for Social Welfare – [email protected]
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 01/24/2024 Caregiving Part II”
November 23, 2023: Thanksgiving meals donation
Center for the Women of New York partnered with Local 1199 Union in an initiative to provide Thanksgiving meals to a local women’s shelter. CWNY is honored to contribute to a successful day.
November 15, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Caregiving, A Women’s Issue”
Guest Panelists: Representatives from
Queensboro Council for Social Welfare – [email protected]
Sunnyside Community Services – scsny.org
Carino Law – carinolaw.com
Topics included:
Legal issues affecting caregivers
Caregiving services
Self-care for caregivers
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 11/15/2023 Caregiving”
October 28, 2023: “Fort Totten Halloween Festival”
Throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we offered education and resources to the public. We thank the NYC Parks Dept. for having CWNY at their “Fort Totten Halloween Festival”. It was great speaking to our community and raising awareness on domestic violence and we made flowers with families in honor of the women in our lives. The local event was a spooky day of fun including pumpkins, haunted houses, hayrides, and more.
October 25, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Domestic Violence Awareness: A Women’s Issue Virtual Panel”
Guest Panelists: Representatives from
Queens District Attorney Domestic Violence Bureau – queensda.org
Safe Horizon – safehorizon.org
Mount Sinai Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Program – mountsinai.org
Sakhi for South Asian Women – sakhi.org
Violence Intervention Program – vipmujeres.org
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 10/25/2023 Domestic Violence Awareness”
October 19, 2023: “Bay Terrace Shopping Center Fall Festival”
Throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we offered education and resources to the public. CWNY thanks PS 169Q PTA & Cord Meyer for the invitation to participate in the “Bay Terrace Shopping Center Fall Festival.” It was great speaking to our community and raising awareness on domestic violence and we made flowers with families in honor of the women in our lives. The local event included a stage for performances, a DJ, a pumpkin patch, and more.
September 27, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Human Trafficking: A Women’s Issue Virtual Panel”
Guest Panelists: Representatives from
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women — catwinternational.org
New York County District Attorney’s Office — manhattanda.org
NOW NYC — nownyc.org
PACT — WeArePact.org
Zonta International District 3 — zontadistrictthree.org
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
To receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides for the above presentation, please email [email protected] with the subject line, “Slides from Women’s Issues Think Tank 09/27/2023 Human Trafficking Awareness”
September 19, 2023: CWNY’S 2nd Annual Food Tasting: “A Taste of the World at Fort Totten”
We held our second annual food tasting event on our scenic lawn! 18 local restaurants donated tasting-sized portions of their signature dishes of delicious international food to all our attendees who purchased event tickets. We also welcomed our new Executive Director, Racquel Chariah during the event.
Music by DJ IZZY
Live music by FOGO AZUL DRUMLINE
Dances by DOMINICAN DANCE GROUP, INC.
GOLD SPONSORS
First Central Savings Bank, Coran Ober, Schwartz Family, Leith ter Meulen
FRIEND SPONSORS
Robert Levy, QG Floral + Landscape, Malini Shah, John Tandana
RESTAURANTS
Aegea West Mediterranean Kitchen • Avo Taco • Baybridge Szechuan Restaurant • Bayside Milk Farm • Bourbon Street • Cascon Baking Company • Cupcakes by Lauren • D Roti Hut • Il Bacco • Marbella Restaurant • Maria’s Mediterranean • Martha’s Country Bakery • The Monster Crab • One Station Plaza • Picciotto NY • Riviera Ristorante • Robert’s Butcher Shop • Trattoria 35
June 28, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Gender Equity in Education and Developments in Title IX”
Guest Presenters:
Shiwali Patel, Director of Justice for Student Survivors & Senior Counsel at National Women’s Law Center
Zoey Brewer, Policy Organizer at Know Your IX
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
June 27, 2023: “Rueda” Salsa Lesson Party with Carol
Attendees danced at CWNY before the “Independence Day Celebration at Fort Totten Park” fireworks display began.
June 21, 2023: International Yoga Day Celebration
We had our celebration in-person at our Fort Totten location. We had a Yoga Class led by Robin Stuelpner, Certified Yoga Instructor and Meditation led by the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Center.
May 24, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Inequities in Women’s Health”
Guest Presenter: Giovina Lara Collura, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Medicine, Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai / NYC Health + Hospitals / Queens
Moderator: Victoria Pilotti – CWNY Vice President
Our Guest Presenter shared knowledge, did Q&A, & discussed actions to take to improve women’s healthcare & close the inequities gap.
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
April 26, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Sexual Assault Awareness”
Guest Presenters:
Lindsey Curtis – Training, Outreach & Education Supervisor, Mount Sinai Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Program (SAVI)
Assistant District Attorney Eric Rosenbaum – Chief, Special Victims Bureau, Queens County District Attorney’s Office
Our guest presenters shared their knowledge, answered questions, and led a conversation with the goal of finding actions CWNY and our community can take to protect women from sexual assault, collaborate with partner organizations, and more.
March 22, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Pay Equity”
Guest Panelists:
Beverly Cooper Neufeld– President, PowHer New York
Jessica Ramey Stender– Policy Director & Deputy Legal Director, Equal Rights Advocates
This discussion on pay equity included the pay gap for women, equal pay for equal work, wage discrimination, pay transparency, and more.
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
March 9 – April 6, 2023: “Free In-Person One-On-One Tax Preparation Assistance”
CWNY had multiple sessions of free in-person tax prep assistance with Kathy Carroll, E.A. on Thursday afternoons at our two locations in Queens Borough Hall and Fort Totten.
February 22, 2023: Women’s Issues Think Tank: “Stalking Awareness”
Guest Panelists:
Dana Fleitman – Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC)
Paige L. Nyer – Domestic Violence Bureau, Queens County District Attorney’s Office
Our Women’s Issues Think Tank Guest Panelists each month lead us in finding actions CWNY & our community can take to advance the cause, raise awareness, help find solutions, & answer questions.
December 2, 2022 – January 2, 2023: Holiday Art Exhibition & Sale – “Art for a Cause”
50+ art pieces through “Artists for a Cause” were available for purchase or bidding. One painting was also available as a raffle prize for those who bought raffle tickets. Raffle winner was randomly chosen virtually on January 3, 2023.
Those who purchased original art supported programming at the CWNY and the artists that generously donated a portion of the proceeds. All funds raised helped CWNY’s Art Program that focuses on Female Artists Representation and Gender Justice Social Transformation through Art.
Our opening reception was on Friday, December 9, 2022 and attendees had the opportunity to view and buy original artwork and meet the artists, Evening entertainment:
Light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres,
A book reading/signing by Nationally Acclaimed Long Island City Author, Dr. Bessie W. Blake. She presented and signed her third book Love Lifted Me.
Musical performance by Peruvian Vocalist and Activist, Noelia Robles.
October 22, 2022: “Fort Totten Halloween Festival”
Throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we offered education and resources to the public. We thank the NYC Parks Dept. for having CWNY at their “Fort Totten Halloween Festival”. It was great speaking to our community and raising awareness on domestic violence and we made flowers with families in honor of the women in our lives. The local event was a spooky day of fun including pumpkins, obstacle courses, haunted houses, hayrides, and more.
October 20, 2022: “Bay Terrace Shopping Center Fall Festival”
Throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we offered education and resources to the public. CWNY thanks PS 169Q PTA & Cord Meyer for the invitation to participate in the “Bay Terrace Shopping Center Fall Festival.” It was great speaking to our community and raising awareness on domestic violence and we made flowers with families in honor of the women in our lives. The local event included a stage for performances, a DJ, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo. and more.
September 20, 2022: Food Tasting Event: “A Taste of the World at Fort Totten”
CWNY held our first-ever Food Tasting Event on the very last night of Summer 2022 and were delighted to host it outdoors in beautiful weather at our Fort Totten location’s front lawn. Over a dozen local restaurants participated by each donating tasting-sized portions of their signature dishes to all our attendees who purchased event tickets. We had live music by the World/Latin-fusion band, Sangha Tierra playing throughout the evening for all to hear. The event was such a big success that we can’t wait until we get to host another Food Tasting Event!
June 4, 2022: “8th International Day of Yoga”
CWNY held a free yoga session on the lawn of our Fort Totten location in partnership with “Indo-American Arts & Cultural Forum” and Counsel General of India, NY.
May 21, 2022: Street Co-Naming Ceremony: “Ann Jawin Way”
CWNY, the Doug-Bay Manor Civic Association, and Ann Jawin’s Family all took part in a very special ceremony. We posthumously honored our dear founder, Ann Juliano Jawin, by co-naming 233rd Street (intersection of 233rd Street and 39th Ave.) as Ann Jawin Way and planted a tree in her honor.
Ann Juliano Jawin founded the Center for the Women of New York in 1987 and the Doug-Bay Manor Civic Association in 1968. In light of Ann’s unparalleled dedication to women’s rights, as well as her service to the Douglaston community, Council Member Paul Vallone introduced this co-naming which was approved by the NYC Council on December 15, 2021. CWNY thanks District Leader Dave Fisher for his assistance in scheduling and planning the Ann Jawin Way co-naming ceremony.
Click here to read more and see photos and watch the unveiling of the street sign on video.
May 7, 2022: Art Exhibit Opening: “Art for a Purpose” – A Multivenue Global Exhibition with CWNY and Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation
CWNY was pleased to participate with Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation in hosting a Multi-Venue Global Exhibition, “Art for a Purpose” at our Fort Totten Park location in-person on Saturdays, May 7, 14, 21, and June 11 & 18. This multi-venue global exhibition had shed light on social issues to inspire change. Art materials were also on hand for everyone to create their own art for a purpose. The opening reception was on May 7th from 1 – 5 PM and was sponsored by The French Workshop.
March 28, 2022: Members-Only Virtual Meet & Greet
CWNY had a Members-Only Virtual Meet & Greet in the evening on Zoom with CWNY Board of Directors, Board Members, volunteers, and members.
March 26, 2022: “2022 Women in Achievement Award posthumously awarded to Ann Jawin at St. John’s University”
On March 26, 2022 in celebration of Women’s History Month at the Garden City Hotel, St. John’s University presented the 2022 Women in Achievement Award Posthumously to Ann Juliano Jawin, PD ’77. On behalf of our founder, Ann Juliano Jawin, and the Jawin family, the Center for the Women of New York proudly accepted the St. John’s Women 2022 Women in Achievement award. Ann’s legacy of activism and advocacy for women’s equality lives on through CWNY’s current services and programs.
The PowerPoint slides for the above presentation and additional information are available here:
March 24, 2022: Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s Women’s History Month Celebration
CWNY was proud to co-sponsor with Queens County Women’s Bar Association for Queens District Attorney, Melinda Katz’s Women’s History Month in-person event at Queens College’s Rosenthal Library in the evening.
Keynote Speaker: New York State Attorney General Letitia James
Special Guest: NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams
Moderator: Investigative reporter, Mary Murphy Mystery of PIX11
March 9 – April 6, 2022: “Free In-Person One-On-One Tax Preparation Assistance”
CWNY had multiple sessions of free in-person tax prep assistance with Kathy Carroll, E.A. on Wednesday afternoons at our two locations in Queens Borough Hall and Fort Totten.
February 2022: “Black History Month is Every Month!” with Adrienne Whaley – A CWNY Interview
Guest Speaker: Adrienne Whaley, Queens Underground International Black and Brown Film Festival Founder
Hosts: Kati Fernandez and Cecilia Venosta-Wiygul, CWNY
October 23, 2021: Halloween Family Fun Evening
CWNY was honored to have co-sponsored a “Halloween Family Fun Evening” at Fort Totten Park hosted by Council Member Paul Vallone. There was a haunted house, an obstacle course, arts and crafts, sack races, puppet shows, and nature-themed games. We had a great time serving the community!
October 16, 2021: CWNY’s 13th Annual Walk/Run (In Person)
CWNY held its 13th Annual Walk/Run at our Fort Totten location at 207 Totten Avenue, Fort Totten Park, Queens in person. For those who couldn’t make it in-person or felt more comfortable supporting us from the comfort of your home, we also offered our Virtual Walk/Run from Oct. 16-24, 2021.
April 2021: Dr. John Albers interview – Sustainable Urban Gardening
CWNY interviewed Dr. John Albers, a research scientist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, to discuss urban sustainability. He is also a passionate environmentalist and the author of several books about sustainable gardening. Although recently retired from teaching, Dr. Albers continues to review scientific and medical research papers, as well as continuing to assist young investigators in their research.
Interview hosts:
- Victoria Pilotti, CWNY President
- Scotia Hille, CWNY Green Team Coordinator
Guest Speaker: Dr. John Albers
The transcript for the above interview is available here:
The interview summary article written by Scotia Hille is available here:
March 11, 2021: “First But Not the Last” – A Women’s History Month Discussion
Guest Speakers:
- Melinda Katz, Queens District Attorney
- Juanita Holmes, NYPD Chief of Patrol
CWNY had a “First But Not The Last” discussion celebrating Women’s History Month with Queens’ first female District Attorney, Melinda Katz and the NYPD’s first female Chief of Patrol, Juanita Holmes. They spoke about gender equality in the workplace – Challenges of being the only woman in the room and a female leader, and the realization of having opened a door that was previously closed to women.
March 8, 2021: International Women’s Day GPK Foundation Panel
CWNY participated in the International Women’s Day Panel Discussion Hosted by GPK Foundation.
Click here to check out the flyer.
February 22-28, 2021: “How a Mom Rescued Her Daughter from Anorexia” Interview – National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
After noticing her 12-year-old daughter had not been eating, resulting in her becoming increasingly thin, a mother realized she needed to take action for the sake of her daughter’s well being. In this interview, we will hear from a mother as she discusses how she found medical intervention for her daughter. She will also discuss her daughter’s long road to recovery from body dysmorphia and anorexia nervosa. In addition, we will learn about another 12-year-old girl’s bout with bulimia.
February 2021: “Black History Always with Dr. Blake” Video Interview
Center for the Women of New York had a chance to connect with Dr. Bessie W. Blake, a widely known and respected educator, adjunct professor of English at LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York, and a recognized expert on adult learning. Her lecture tours have carried her to every corner of the United States and abroad to countries like England, Scotland, and Senegal. Dr. Bessie W. Blake spoke to Kati Fernandez and Cecilia Venosta at CWNY about the women before her, the impact of mothers on her journey, and the “shecession” and mental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shared with us her fondest moment with Rosa Parks, her fight for equality and justice, and her life’s work.
January 2021: Interview with Dr. Rochelle Joly, M.D. on Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention
Listen to our interview with Dr. Rochelle Joly, M.D. for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month on our podcast on our Anchor.fm
Jan 8, 2021: Virtual Wine Tasting
Cheers to 2021! CWNY rang in the new year with a virtual wine tasting.
Ticket buyers were provided with:
- Eight glass bottles of California Coastal Wines (six ounces each) delivered for them to try at the event and experience a variety of new flavors.
- Snack and pairing suggestions sent prior to our event.
- A wine expert via videoconference to educate them on each wine & suggest yummy pairings.
- General high-level wine knowledge about how to taste wines.
- Fun facts & wine trivia about the grapes & their harvest regions.
- Knowledge of what to look for when buying wines at a store or local wine shop.
Nov 23-30, 2020: Food Drive
We were pleased to partner with City Harvest to help feed hungry New Yorkers. For a week we had a donation box for non-perishable food in front of our Ft. Totten building.
Nov 22-30, 2020: CWNY Virtual 5K Run/Walk/Jog/Ride
Champions who did a 5K run/walk/jog/ride had people cheer them on through donations to CWNY.
Nov 15, 2020: St. John’s Women in Philanthropy Discussion
In celebration of National Philanthropy Day on November 15, Victoria Pilotti, CWNY President, proudly joined an inspirational conversation with St. John’s alumnae pioneers on women helping women in underserved communities.
Panelists:
- Jennifer Daniel, ’07TCB, Founder/Executive Director, Princess Chambers Inc.
- Andreia Gibau, ’18CPS, Miss New York USA 2020
- Victoria Pilotti, Ed.D. ’90GEd, ’11Ed.D, President, Center for the Women of New York (CWNY)
- Patricia A. Shea, ’62Ed, Founder and Executive Director of MOMMAS House
Nov 13, 2020: Cocktails, Art, & Music
Art Sale & Auction Kick-Off Event
Musical performance by the violinist, Erica Quach
Conversation with the artist, Argie Moutafis-Agelarakis
Art auction took place Nov 13-21, 2020
Art sale ended Nov 28, 2020
‣ 2 original artworks were auctioned.
‣ 59 original artworks were for sale in a variety of media (watercolor, oil, and mixed media).
‣ A 10% discount was offered for art sold at kick-off, only.
‣ 30% of the proceeds of the artwork was graciously donated to CWNY to support services for women.
Artwork pick-up hours will be available at the CWNY for any art purchased.
Shipping and handling will be processed separately.
October 2020: Domestic Violence Awareness for Beauty Professionals
Interview on CWNY’s Youtube channel with a hairstylist who has helped women who are abused
The PDF transcript for this interview is available here:
Oct 15, 2020: Parenting School Children During a Pandemic
The PowerPoint slides from the above webinar are available here:
Sept 26, 2020: Art as Therapy
Art as Therapy
The PowerPoint slides from the above webinar are available here:
Aug 22, 2020: Global Human Trafficking Zoom Conference
The PowerPoint slides from the above conference are available here:
June 27, 2020: Global Forum on Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking During & Post COVID-19
The PowerPoint from the above presentation is available here in PDF format:
June 11, 2020: Korean Women’s Issues Roundtable
This meeting focused on issues of domestic violence, human trafficking, forced marriage, elder abuse, compulsive gambling and alcoholism.
May 7, 2020: South Asian Roundtable Discussion on Women’s Issues
This conference call touched on issues of domestic violence, human trafficking, forced marriage, and suicide.
Spring 2020 Poetry Contest
Read the winning poem from fifth grader Zoe Beharrylal.
February 2020: Poster Contest
See the winners of our women’s rights poster contest. Thanks to all the participants!
