Dec. 13-19, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
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Queens-based women’s organization celebrates opening of new facility in Fort Totten
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Following a $3 million renovation,
a New York-based women’s
organization has a new and
permanent home in Bayside‘s
Fort Totten.
On Sunday, Dec. 8, the Center
for the Women of New York
(CWNY) celebrated the grand
opening of its new facility at 207
Totten Ave. According to CWNY
founder Ann Juliano Jawin, the
multipurpose facility will serve
as a holistic resource for women
looking for legal and career
advice as well as for victims of
domestic violence.
In 1987, Jawin established
CWNY along with other professionals
and businesswomen in
the community. Since its inception,
the nonprofit has worked
to provide “full equity for women,
advocating for their rights
and focusing on their unmet
needs.”
Prior to opening the new facility,
the Center had a building
at 401 Weaver St. in Fort Totten
in addition to operating out of
space in Borough Hall that Melinda
Katz donated. After five
years, the city evicted CWNY,
resulting in a legal battle between
the two parties.
As a compromise, the city
gave the Center an opportunity
to restore the historic landmark
Ann Jawin cuts the ribbon to mark the grand opening of the new CWNY facility in Fort Totten.
building at 207 Totten
Ave., which had not been used
or maintained for 35 years. The
Center signed a lease with the
Parks Department and began
raising funds for the expensive
project.
“The new building will allow
the Center to expand its
function with corresponding opportunities
to reach many more
women,” said Jawin. “The renovation
of this beautiful historic
building will allow not only a
‘home’ for the Center but also
permit space for a wider variety
of programs. One-third of the
building will be used for a women’s
history and culture museum,
another third for career
exploration and training, and
the third as a Conference Center
where organizations with
similar missions can come together
and act as a ‘think tank’
to work on the long-standing issues
of reproductive rights, domestic
violence, pay equity and
related women’s issues.”
Project funding came
Photo by Dean Moses
from Borough President Melinda
Katz, Assemblymen Edward
Braunstein and David Weprin,
Councilman Paul Vallone,
former Assemblywoman Ann-
Margaret Carrozza and private
donors.
The Center will occupy the
building’s first floor while they
raise funds to renovate the additional
floors and install an
elevator.
“Congratulations to the Center
for the Women of New
York for its new building in
Fort Totten and to its tenacious
founder Ann Jawin for her unwavering
dedication to improving
the lives of women throughout
New York City,” said
Braunstein. “As a result of Ms.
Jawin’s remarkable perseverance
during a 16-year battle, we
have a beautiful facility in our
community that will include a
research, conference, and career
education center, as well as
a living museum dedicated to
women’s rights.”
Jawin was a vocal part of
the “second-wave” of women’s
liberation in the 1970s. During
that time, she joined the National
Organization for Women
(NOW) and became chair of the
Task Force for Education and
Employment.
Under her leadership, the
Center has tackled issues including
the elimination of sex
trafficking, pay equity, reproductive
rights as well as the history
of the women’s movement.
“I applaud Ann Jawin for her
strategic vision and Herculean
efforts to make this a reality,”
said Carrozza. “With its beautiful
new permanent home,
CWNY can expand programs
and help many more women to
achieve their full potential.”
To learn more, visit www.
cwny.org or find the Center on
Facebook.
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