‘As we focused on the obstacle course neighborhood women -welfare poor, working poor, and working-class women who live side-by-side – negotiated each day just to survive, we decided that the obstacle course itself had to change. Continue reading
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1977 – First Battered Women Shelter in NY
In January 1977, the National Congress of Neighborhood Women and the Brooklyn YWCA opened the first battered women shelter in NY, The Center for Elimination of Violence in the Family. The problem of battered women had just started to gain attention. Evidence showed it was a widespread issue in the borough of Brooklyn. In 1974-75, out of 700 hundred women filing for divorce in Kings County represented by Brooklyn Legal Services, Corporation B, 41.5% complained of physical assaults by their husbands. In Park Slope, the 72nd Police Precinct informally reported in 1976 that 50% of their night calls were from battered women.
Continue reading1986 – You Can Community School
Content forthcoming…
1975 – Neighborhood College Program
‘The women made it clear that they did not want to be viewed simply as recipients of services and subsidies. They felt they had valuable experience and skills to offer from having provided services informally
Continue reading1975 – Project Open Doors
Text forthcoming…
1974 – The Beginning – Washington DC Conference
‘The National Congress of Neighborhood Women began partly as a defense of the values of neighborhood women, particularly white, working-class, ethnic women, who in the 1970’s were feeling misunderstood and unheard. Continue reading
Elizabeth “Betty” Marrero
Betty was an active community volunteer for many years. From her first floor apartment and porch in the NWR houses, accompanies by her faithful dog, Rocky, she functioned as a neighborhood. ambassador, talking and listening to everyone, offering wisdom and friendship. a member of Neighborhood Women Housing Board (NWR) for ten years, Continue reading
Mildred Tudy-Johnston
In June 1953 Mildred Tudy-Johnston moved into Cooper Park Houses with her three young children. She helped to form the Cooper Park Houses Tenant Association and served as President for many years advocating for issues including fiar treatment and racial equality, housing maintenance and better services in the property, better jobs for teens, modern and clean recreational facilities at Cooper Park Continue reading
Mary Alice Richardson
President of Neighborhood Women Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Mary Alice pioneered work on economic development as the first director of a Community Action Program in the 60s. She created the frist women’s political party, Neighborhood Women’s Political Action Alliance. Continue reading
Geraldine Miller
A past president of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women, Miller ran a workshop for NCNW’s Project Open Doors that brought to light similarities and shared concerns of homemakers and household workers, braking down the barriers of class and race. Up to the time she passed a the age of 85, Miller was dedicated Continue reading
Sandy Schilen
Content forthcoming…
Caroline Pezullo
Content forthcoming…
Juanita Orengo-Rodriguez
Juantia Orengo-Rodriguez has been a community activist in Brooklyn for 28 years. She is a member of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women (NCNW), the Neighborhood Women of Williamsburg-Greenpoint (NWWG), GROOTS International, and the Huairou Commission. As a community organizer, she has worked to better the school systems Continue reading
850 Grand Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211
Jan Peterson
Jan is founder and director of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women (NCNW), and a founder and representative to GREC. The women credit Jan as a source of their empowerment. They had done fundraising for their organizations, but were left out of decision-making. “She brought us together and helped us find our power.” Continue reading
NW Houses
Tish and Guido Ciancotta
Mr. and Mrs. Gianciotta, Tish and Guido. President and Vice President of the Withers Street Block Association, are partners in the life as well as advocacy. Lifetime Brooklyn residents, they were leaders of the Concerned Citizens of the Withers Street Block Association Continue reading
Mildred Johnson
Image from Metropolitan Avenue directed by Christine Noschese
A native of North Carolina, Mildred served as president of the Cooper Park Residential Association for many years. A devout worshiper in the Free Gift Baptist Church, Mildred manifested her faith in the community by establishing youth and headstart programs, getting sidewalks and play areas built, and revitalizing the community center. She represented Copper Park on GREC Community Coalition. Continue reading
Margaret Carnegie
Image from Metropolitan Avenue directed by Christine Noschese
This playground honors Margaret Carnegie (1910-1993), a public housing leader from Cooper Park Houses, for fostering the relations between grandparents and grandchildren. Carnegie was born in Lawrenceville, Virginia, on April 27, 1910. She moved to New York in 1920, where she attended the Florence Garnett Training School for Girls, Junior High School 136, Continue reading
First National Post
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First Local Post
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