WRITTEN BY BELINDA JACKSON
Hello to all our members,
I hope everyone has had a great start to 2017. Just as Spring marks new beginnings in this city, it also coincides with the election of our volunteer-led Australian Women in New York (AWNY) steering committee.
Now is your opportunity to get involved. Alongside a dynamic group of women, you will give back, guide the programs and direction of our community, make fabulous friends and most importantly, have fun. We’d love for you to join us.
All positions are available for re-election including: President, Vice President, Secretary, Co-chair (leadership) positions available for Communications, Events, Mums & Dads, Charity and New Members. Plus there are numerous positions available for volunteer coordinators for Events, Communications, Charity, and Mums & Dads.
If you are interested in joining us, submit your nomination by Thursday, April 13 online here, and attend our upcoming Annual General Meeting (April 17).
If you are wondering what our committee does, then read on!
What does the AWNY Committee get up to?
AWNY is a platform for Australian and Kiwi women to support each other through the craziness that is New York – whether it’s getting settled, or stretching for growth – we are here to help you understand more about yourself and how to thrive in this city.
As a non-profit social and cultural group and a program of the American Australian Association, all of our events raise money for our chosen charities, this year our main charity has been supporting The Dwelling Place of NY; a privately funded transitional residence for homeless women run by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY. Located in Midtown, The Dwelling Place has provided shelter, sustenance and support to thousands of women since 1977. The other charity that we will be donating to this year is the Dame Joan Sutherland Fund which is one of the programs of the American Australian Association. The Dame Joan Sutherland Fund provides grants to Australians and Americans who show great talent in the fields of theater, dance, film & television music, literary arts, visual arts, crafts and design.
Our team of volunteers have been working hard to produce a variety of events designed to bring Aussie and Kiwi women together. Whether it’s a social mixer to meet new people, to hear an inspiring speaker like Anna Akbari, something different like the upcoming Act Like a New Yorker workshop (April 4), or more educational like the Working in the USA seminar (save the date for June 14). Our goal is to produce at least one event per month, and although sometimes manage more, they are all designed to bring you gals together.
AWNY members at our Charity Event in 2016.
When we all can’t be together in person, we definitely can be together online. Our digital community is steadily growing and is now over 8,000. Many of our new members find us via Facebook and much of this is driven by the content curated by our Communications team where we are focused on providing the antipodean perspective on this fabulous city. We have a library of valuable information if you are an Australian or New Zealander woman living in or moving to NYC. From neighborhood guides and tips on how to secure a job here, to how to get your child into kindy and stories from Aussie female entrepreneurs on how they have, and you can start your business in New York City. It’s all written for you by women just like you. If you have an idea for a guide or series that would help you or would like to pen a story for our blog, please let us know.
Our Mums and Dads sub-group is a fantastic resource for parents in the New York area with active members in across the 5 boroughs and New Jersey. Connect with other parents here on Facebook.
Keep growing with us
If you have any feedback about our programs, events or blog, please email me directly at awny@aaanyc.org.
Register for our e-newsletter, or find us on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Best regards,
Belinda Jackson
President
Australian Women in New York (AWNY) – a program of the American Australian Association
Featured image – Some of our committee at a recent event in Gramercy Park. Photo credit: Natalie Austin
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 