15 years of women helping women and we are still going strong! That was the message at The New York Women's Foundation' s 15th anniversary Celebrating Women® Breakfast. 2002 is the first year the Women's Foundation gave away $1 million in grants — and the first year we raised over $1 million in donations at the Breakfast, two incredible milestones.

The Breakfast, chaired by Anne Delaney and Hali Lee, got off to a rousing start with wakeup cheers by "Wanted: X-Cheerleaders," a collaborative performance work of women accompanied by girls from The Girls Project of PS 19.

Liz Smith, the morning's emcee, was introduced as the most powerful woman in New York, and kept the Breakfast guests laughing as she moved the program along with wit and gossip tidbits. Liz's support for the Foundation since September 2001 has been tremendous. Her mention of the Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund in her column garnered new support for us and created a new group of loyal fans for Liz.

Helen LaKelly Hunt and Betty Terrel-Cruz presented the Foundation's second Century Award to NYWF Founder Gloria Milliken. The award was given in recognition of Gloria's decades of social activism and philanthropy on behalf of low-income women and children in New York City. Betty and Helen related stories of how Gloria's unwavering commitment to her community resulted in the idea of a Foundation dedicated to women helping women that would work to break the cycle of poverty in New York City.

Philanthropists are "made and not born," said Foundation President Sandra Lamb when she told the audience about her own introduction to philanthropy. The first time she attended an NYWF Breakfast as a table buyer, she showed up to an empty table. Only then did she realize that one filled the table with friends and colleagues to introduce them to the work of the NYWF. Enthusiastic audience members joined Sandy in making contributions at the Breakfast totaling more then $90,000.

Joan Weill received the Foundation's Vision Award in recognition of her strategic philanthropy on behalf of women and children. The Foundation was the first organization to honor Joan for her courageous philanthropic work.

Grantee speaker Brenda Stewart, community organizer from Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FURY), spoke of her humiliation after she lost her job in 1995 and went on welfare as part of the Work Experience Program (WEP). After struggling in a bureaucratic system that did not offer a living wage for her work, Brenda turned to community organizing to advocate to change the system.

Beverly Dunn and Chrystal Makendi, mentor and mentee from New York Youth at Risk, talked intimately about the way their relationship helped both of them build better lives. Chrystal, a teenage mom, is starting her first year of college and feels that Beverly's love, support and guidance over the past few years got her through very tough and challenging times. Beverly, a business owner, took New York Youth at Risk's mentor training to heart, exemplifying that teens "do what you do, not what you say." To help Chyrstal she had to help herself by working on personal issues as well. Even though Chrystal is out of state for college the two still speak every Sunday night to stay connected.

Aida Leon, Executive Director of Amethyst Project, a referral service and HIV/AIDS education center for drug addicts in Coney Island, spoke about her own drug addiction, recovery and ultimate return to her neighborhood to build a place for other addicts to find support, self respect and love.

The Celebrating Women® Awardee and guest speaker was Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, a social commentary and undercover exploration of low-wage work in America. Barbara told the audience that her book "grew out of a concern that I share with The New York Women's Foundation; welfare reform, and in particular, the fate of women who have been forced to leave welfare since the law was passed in 1996." Barbara posed as a low-wage worker in several states and worked in unskilled jobs to see if she could get by. Barbara found that her goal was impossible. "No matter how hard I tried," she related, "I could barely make ends meet, and sometimes not at all." After working as a waitress, nursing home aid, and Wal-Mart ladies' wear sales assistant, she found that "no job is unskilled." She explained, "every job takes intelligence and experience and a lot of concentration." Barbara emphasized that without a living wage, women will never find a way out of poverty in the United States.

The New York Women's Foundation Breakfast celebrated the founders' desire to create a place where women learn to help others and to fund change. We thank all of our supporters and friends for your belief in the work we do. Women can and do make a difference in other women's lives. We see that every day in the communities we serve.