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Momentum
Sets Aside a Well-deserved Day for Women
After a three-year hiatus, the Momentum
Project revived its Women’s Day event on May 17th,
celebrating women in the hope of raising awareness and
lowering the continued stigma of HIV/AIDS in women of
color. Momentum’s Women’s Day in the past have focused on
celebrating motherhood, recognizing the special needs of HIV
positive women and the challenges they face in getting their
needs met in the community.
This year, women who participated in the
Momentum programs enjoyed an afternoon that nurtured,
beautified and inspired. The celebration, held at the St.
Paul the Apostle Church site began with a rousing welcome
from Dawn Bryan, Momentum’s President and CEO, followed by the
featured speaker, Leatrice Wactor, Director of the Central
Harlem HIV Care Network. Ms. Wactor urged the women to take
charge of their lives even in the midst of major challenges.
Ms. Lorraine Mayer, Client Advisory Group Member of the
Momentum Project gave a touching account of her personal
experience with HIV, and Victoria Martinez, Community Health
Advocate and Momentum Project Program Member spoke from the
heart in Spanish about the need for women to become
empowered and help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Momentum’s own Executive Chef, Shawn Thorne,
and his staff treated the women, guests, and staff to a
delicious lunch, which included assorted appetizers, roasted
eggplant with Pimento soup, curried shrimp salad, glazed
honey mustard chicken, arrozz con gandules and strawberry
shortcake for dessert. Following lunch the women enjoyed a
Reiki class, taught by Julie Novas, and went shopping in our
women’s boutique where each person took away two to three
pieces of brand new clothing. Clothing for the one-day
boutique was provided by Lynn Cohen, owner of the Runway
clothing stores in Chelsea and Soho. Dorothy Hicks, the
site nurse was available to give a breast examination class.
To top off the afternoon, each of the women received a red
rose from the Momentum staff.
Momentum would like to thank all those who
helped to make our Women’s Day 2006 a success!
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