On Thursday, May 19, Two Bridges Neighborhood Council hosted its annual Spring Benefit Celebrating Progressive Women in the Lower East Side, Then and Now, at the Manny Cantor Center. Joined by supporters, community partners, program participants and volunteers, Two Bridges recognized six women for their visionary leadership:
‘Then’ Honorees presented by Nancy Yao, President of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) to:
Helen Harris, social worker, and previous Executive Director of the United Neighborhood Houses – accepted by Susan Stamler, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses
Lillian Wald, founder of Henry Street Settlement – accepted by David Garza, President and CEO of Henry Street Settlement.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Catholic nun who served the Italian immigrants – accepted by Sister Pietrina Raccuglia, Cabrini Mission Foundation
‘Now’ Honorees presented by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez to:
Damaris Reyes, Executive Director for Good Old Lower East Side,
Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, District 2, and
Jenny Low, long-time community advocate of Chinatown and Special Advisor to NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
The presentations to these visionary women were inspiring. As we recounted the history of the Lower East Side and the Settlement House Movement, we remembered what it meant to be a strong, unwavering advocate for human rights. Among the presentations, a young woman from the TBNC Basketball team, shared her experience as a young Chinese-American woman living in the Lower East Side-Chinatown neighborhood of Two Bridges, and what this night meant to her. She praised not only the women honorees for creating a better place for her to live, but also the woman who inspires her the most, her mom who was in attendance.
“Women hold up the world. I’m just a girl from public housing in the Lower East Side. An immigrant like me”… statements shared by our ‘Now’ honorees captivated the attention of guests and moved the room to tears. They shared their stories and gratitude to not only the community that raised them, but to the women that continue to hold them up as leaders. As a special honor, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez’s office presented Damaris, Carlina, Jenny, and our very own Victor Papa, with an official framed Congressional Record, recognizing their leadership and individual contributions to the Lower East Side.
Thank you to all who supported the event and attended. It was truly a night to remember!
Special thank you to all of our vendors, staff and volunteers who helped make this event possible: Yura Catering (Food), Sean Britt Trio (Music), William Moy (Photographer), Dana Randall (Event Planner). Thank you to Caffe Palmero, Ferrara’s, DiPalo, and DaNico for your generous food donations!
All photos for the event were taken by William Moy. To purchase or view more photos from our event click here: 2022 TBNC Spring Benefit.
Special thank you to all of our event sponsors and supporters for your contributions!
