Saturday, November 12, 2022

Peconic Bay Zonta Wins District Awards!


For the 2021-2022 Zonta year, Peconic Bay Zonta took home the following Zonta District 3 awards for clubs with 15 and under members.

  • Governor's Award
  • Advocacy Achievement
  • United Nations Achievement

Zonta District 3 covers much of the area from New York to Virginia. These awards recognize the success of our programs to empower women and girls through service and advocacy. Club President Annika Shapiro (in photo) shows off the Governor's Award trophy in a local paper, which carried the news.

This fall, our members raised over $2,000 for our projects — $1,200 from an Asian fusion cooking class at Shapiro’s home, and $875 from a multi-family yard sale at club member Liala Strotman’s home, both in Wading River. This revenue, along with other fundraisers and dues, will help the club to continue many of its programs, as well as fund new ones that might be initiated in the coming year.

In the past year, we offered scholarships to women studying English as a second language at the Riverhead campus of Suffolk County Community College, as well as a scholarship for a high school girl studying violin at East End Arts in Riverhead. The club also purchased school supplies and holiday gifts for a community group, The Butterfly Effect Project, which offers girls programs to help them socially and academically.

In addition, Peconic Bay Zonta was actively involved in research for a project called 1st Amendment - 1st Vote, a series of films and discussion modules that encourage high school girls to get involved in civic affairs. The program was developed by Melina Carnicelli, founding member of the Skaneateles Zonta Club, and aims to get young women interested in running for office, or seek government-related positions to achieve gender parity in U.S. elected offices.

We also contribute to programs that help women and children, such as Blessings in a Backpack, which provides food on weekends for school-age children who might otherwise go hungry. Plus, we conduct advocacy programs to help achieve Zonta’s goals, such as ending violence against women and pay parity for women.

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