Harlem was the hot-ticket and destination on October 29th when the NYWF held its annual Neighborhood Dinner and Awards at the celebrity hotspot, Jimmy's Uptown. A sold-out crowd of nearly 200 people joined in celebrating The Helen La Kelly Hunt Neighborhood Leadership Awardees Iris Raiford and Digna Sanchez. Everyone devoured the luscious buffet of soul food prepared by Jimmy's Executive Chef, Fiona Ruane.
The featured speaker for the evening was Deborah C. Wright, President and CEO of Carver Federal Savings Bank.

This was the first time that the Foundation presented the Neighborhood Leadership Awards at the Dinner. If you are a Celebrating Women® Breakfast regular, you know that these awards have previously recognized 28 impressive women of strength and courage from across the City. By combining the Dinner and Awards, we are able to focus greater attention on the many successful solutions women leaders have given to their communities, and also to celebrate these accomplishments in a community setting. Each awardee received a $5,000 cash award, generously underwritten by an anonymous donor to honor one of the Foundation's founding mothers, Helen La Kelly Hunt.

Iris Raiford was in the news this fall as the founding mother of the Harlem Little League, in addition to her work on behalf of women as the Director of the Northern Manhattan Office of the NY County District Attorney's Office.

Digna Sanchez was honored for her founding vision of three important groups, the Latino Roundtable on Health and Reproductive Rights, MADRE, and the Violence Intervention Project. She currently works for United Way of New York City.

Look for news about the 2003 Dinner and Awards. They will be held next fall in Queens.