OUT EAST END
North Fork Women — 30 Years Strong
Not-for-profi t organization works to build community for lesbians
BY MATT TRACY
If the North Fork is on fi re, then North
Fork Women (NFW), a not-for-profi t organization
committed to “building a safe,
healthy and active community for lesbians
on the North Fork,” is a constant fl ame.
Established in 1992, the group (formerly
known as North Fork Women for Women) may
now have a shorter, easier-to-pronounce name,
but it has a long history of providing fi nancial
assistance, healthcare support, and personal
support to those who need it.
Chris P’Simer, the current president of NFW,
put the group’s history and mission in perspective:
“Thirty years ago, a couple of women were
sitting in someone’s living room or kitchen and
one said to the other, ‘What would you do if you
wanted to help lesbians on the North Fork?’ and
she said, ‘I would start an organization where
we can give grants to women who are underinsured
or uninsured and need a procedure or
whatever it is.’ … And so it began.”
Citing “a large lesbian community in Orient
and Greenport,” P’Simer says, “That’s where everything
started and it just stayed up here.”
Today, North Fork Women is “better than
ever,” says P’Simer, who lives in Cutchogue. She
proudly shares, “In our 30 years of existence,
we’ve given out over $340,000 in grants.” This
year, P’Simer estimates NFW has given about
$8,000 in grants, and she expects the group
will give out more by the end of the year when
her two-year term ends.
That means giving assistance for medical
needs and out-of-pocket costs (mammograms,
annual physicals, co-payments, dental, eye exams
and other expenses), as well as grants for
non-medical needs (car repairs and unexpected
home expenses, for example).
You don’t have to be a lesbian or a North
Forker to appreciate all that NFW offers, but
you do have to be a self-identifying lesbian who
lives either full-time, part-time or seasonally on
the North Fork — from Riverhead to Orient and
Shelter Island — to sign up for free membership
and apply for one of its grants. The events and
programs are open to the public, and the weekly
newsletter, which blasts to over 900 people,
is free and open to all who want to know about
what’s happening with NFW.
“We are very careful about who we give grants
to, and we have a limit on how much we give
anyone,” says P’Simer. “The goal is to continue
to help lesbians on the North Fork, and when I
say help, I mean in any way we can,” she emphasizes.
If a member needs assistance running errands,
picking up medication, walking the dog
The North Fork Women at their Oyster Extravaganza.
or someone to do the grocery shopping or deliver
a hot meal, NFW has a network of volunteers
who can help with that.
There is LifeLine emergency assistance,
wellness check-ins, a program called HelpHer
and a host of year-round in-person and
virtual programs to educate and invigorate,
including free exercise and yoga classes for
members.
And then, there are the social events — which
have returned in person after a COVID pause
as ”cautiously and as safely as possible.” The
popular First Friday Friends (FFF) gatherings
came back in August at the Greenport Harbor
Brewing Company in Peconic and in October at
the American Beech Restaurant in Greenport.
The next FFF is November 5 at the Stonewalls
Restaurant in Riverhead.
Two of NFW’s major fundraising events were
hugely successful this year, the recent allyou
can-eat Oyster Extravaganza held at Little
Creek Oyster Farm in Greenport — which
P’Simer says drew 81 registrants, “the largest
number we ever had” — and the sold-out Labor
Day event at Founders Landing in Southold,
which she says raised over $18,000 for NFW
with the auction.
The events drew not only good turnouts, but
a bit of South Fork envy. “We had some South
Fork people at the auction event, and they were
just going really wild about it and saying how
NFW
lucky the North Fork folks are to have that,”
says P’Simer, with a soft laugh.
She describes the people involved in the organization
as “extremely dedicated” and says
many of them have been with NFW for 30 years,
“giving their time and still coming to events, still
participating and still donating. It’s amazing!”
The organization is run by a volunteer board
of seven to 10 women, who meet once a month,
and Administrative Director Barbara Pfanz.
P’Simer just drafted her end-of-year appeal
letter asking for donations to help support the
grants and programs.
In terms of the age range of its members,
P’Simer says, “The majority of people are older
women, (but we) have started to see more young
people coming to our events — not a lot, but
more than we’ve had in the past.” P’Simer also
points out that two women the board is considering
as new board members are “both in their
40s.”
As NFW continues to grow and develop, one
thing is for certain: It’s a pretty unique group,
by any standards.
“I don’t know of anything that’s like what we
do,” says P’Simer. “We support our folks and
that’s really important to us.”
For more information about North Fork
Women, membership, newsletter sign-up, grant
applications and info about events, visit northforkwomen.
org.
NOVEMBER 4 - NOVEMBER 17, 2 28 021 | GayCityNews.com
/GayCityNews.com
