THE BEAR FACTS February 2026 |
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Dear {Contact_First_Name},
February with AWC Berlin is full of excitement, purpose, and opportunities to connect.
Back for the 5th time, under the new creative direction of AWC member Sarah Burgess, we are staging our charity production of The Vagina Monologues by V Ensler on Thursday February 12 and Friday February 13.
The beneficiary is our 2025-26 charity Donya, a residence with 24/7 support for girls and young women (age 12-21) who are survivors of sexualized violence. The title and the V-word may make you squirm, as it did me when I lived in NYC and the show was running there, but rest assured OUR evening will not. I promise you - you will laugh, feel empowered, and be moved by the monologues, read by your fellow AWCs and a few friends - ALL are committed to putting on a show that will stay with you and that will change the way you think about violence.
So even if you are not sure, consider buying a ticket to support the cause! You may end up attending and enjoying it. BUY TICKETS HERE. Thank you!
Whether you’re joining us for The Vagina Monologues benefit performances, lending your voice in our Women Who Gather in support of democracy and human rights, or simply enjoying time with fellow members, February promises to be vibrant, inspiring, and full of heart. xo |
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My-Linh Kunst
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin The AWC Berlin is 100% member-run - we always welcome and appreciate your contribution, feedback and suggestions. Please email president@awcberlin.org. **Please note that, depending on your email program, you may need to click “View entire message” to see the Newsletter in its entirety.** |
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
Isabelle Mudge
Petra Harich
Maria Eliseeva |
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If you know of anyone in our club who is going through a difficult time—whether it's due to illness, loss, or another challenge—please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Member Care team at membership@awcberlin.org. We’re here to offer support and encouragement when it’s needed most.
Thank you for helping us care for one another! |
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ACTIVITY AND VOLUNTEERS CORNER |
We’re happy to welcome these new volunteers and are grateful for the fresh energy and ideas they bring to our community:
* Sarah Burgess - Membership Co-Chair
* Maria Brezinsky - RMDH Cooking Coordinator
* Monique Luegger - Newsletter Co-Editor
* Melissa Fowler - Editor of the Members Recommendations Document
Do you want to be more engaged and give back to your AWC community? We are looking for help in several areas:
* Couples Dining Out Co-Coordinator(s) - If you like going out to restaurants, consider volunteering to co-coordinate this activity. It's one of the few club activities where partners are invited to socialize with the group. We pick a restaurant, make a reservation and that’s it! We show up and have a nice meal together (all at our own cost).
* Marketing Manager - The Marketing Manager organizes advertising, sponsorships, and mission-aligned partnerships that amplify our work empowering women and providing benefits to our members.
* Organize an Art & Culture outing - I’m looking for a few helping hands and fresh ideas to organize Art & Culture outings and explore our wonderful city: museums, galleries, landmarks, buildings, neighborhoods, architecture, artists talks, etc.
If you are interested in playing pickleball on a regular basis in/near Charlottenburg, please contact me at president.awcberlin@gmail.com - we’re trying to get a group together. |
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SPECIAL EVENT THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES |
Join us for a moving, powerful, and at times humorous show honoring women’s strength and sexuality while boldly confronting violence and abuse.
Come out and support our charity and your fellow AWC performers. It is a fundraiser with limited capacity - please confirm your spot early. Buy your ticket on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3LBQmo6
This powerful performance promises heartfelt stories, laughs, and inspiration all wrapped into one unforgettable performance. Support a great cause while enjoying some seriously moving theater. Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of a night honoring women's strength, humor, and empowerment while confronting the realities of violence and abuse.
100% of ticket sales will benefit our charity Donya/Wildwasser, a residence for girls and young women (age 12-21) who are survivors of sexualized violence. |
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SAVE THE DATE - 2ND ANNUAL QUIZ NIGHT Saturday June 6, 2026
Back by popular demand, our 2nd Annual Quiz Night returns for an evening of FUN trivia and friendly competition, all in support of our charity.
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Wildwasser e.V. and DonyA continue to have NEW REQUESTS for household essentials as they've had to replace many items recently. This cozy season is the perfect time to practice generosity, you might be surprised what's already in your home that could make a real difference!
What's Needed (see full list via link below):
✓ Kitchen essentials (pots, pans, appliances, cutlery, storage containers)
✓ Bedding and linens (sheets, towels, pillows, blankets, hot water bottles)
✓ Home basics (lamps, curtains, small furniture, bookshelves)
✓ Tech items (smartphones, charging cables, monitors, laptops)
✓ Personal care (hair dryers, running shoes sizes 36-42, new underwear)
✓ Games and activities (board games, sports equipment, art supplies)
How to Donate:
✓ New or like-new items only (good condition household items accepted)
✓ Drop off at Nelly H.'s (Zehlendorf) or Kirsten O'R.'s (Prenzlauer Berg for smaller items)
- Send directly to Wildwasser e.V.
- Donation receipts available for new purchases
See full LIST | Donation INSTRUCTIONS
Know someone who can help with larger items or vouchers? Questions? Contact Kendra: philanthropy.awcberlin@gmail.com
Wildwasser e.V. is deeply grateful for every thoughtful donation.
Many thanks,
Kendra Valentine
philanthropy.awcberlin@gmail.com |
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Have you requested your 2026 ballot yet? You must request a new ballot every year in order to be compliant with United States voting regulations.
Registering to vote is easy from your laptop or smartphone -- go to any of the non-partisan websites above. It only took me only 3 minutes to register on www.votefromabroad.org.
Alternatively, contact AWC member Stacy Hyer, Veronica Riffle or Kathy Lyon for more assistance.
On January 29 join us for Vino & Votes (evening) to register to vote & request our ballots together. Ballot “Profis” will be on hand to answer your questions. And we’ll also have fun coloring postcards to send to overseas Americans to invite them to request their ballots, too. |
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GOTV: FAWCO is also leading efforts to get out the vote from abroad. Many thanks to those of you who have already been helping efforts to contact Berlin schools and institutions that have contacts with eligible American voters. Many hands make light work so if you would like to help in any way, please contact Veronica at fawco.awcberlin@gmail.com.
Target Project Update: AWC Berlin's nominee for FAWCO's Target Project is one of three finalists! Power Her Path: Empowering Trafficking Survivors & Vulnerable Migrants to Thrive, a project of Pacific Links Foundation, aims to strengthen the resilience, dignity and long-term independence of disadvantaged women and girls in Vietnam, especially trafficking survivors, to break cycles of exploitation, and was submitted to FAWCO by My-Linh Kunst.
Voting takes place between Feb. 1 and Feb. 15. Each club has one vote which will be submitted by the FAWCO rep.
Malta: AWC Berlin members are invited to attend the FAWCO annual general meeting- this year in Malta on March 20-22, 2026. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with FAWCO clubs from around the world and feel inspired by the FAWCO energy in the room. Registration is open until Feb. 22. All conference information can be found on the FAWCO website.
Sister Club Naples: We met via Zoom on Jan. 21 with 6 members of the Naples club and 4 from AWC. The discussion centered around two topics: how each city celebrates the Christmas holidays and what as a tourist should we see when visiting. There is serious talk from our group on planning a trip to Naples in the fall. Interested? Join the WhatsApp Travel Group in the AWC WhatsApp Community and help plan the experience. We will schedule another chat soon!
FAWCO’s Strategy & Sustainability Task Force Survey: Please fill the survey out now, or at the latest by Jan. 31. Patricia Lawrence, Task Force Chair, and her team are working hard to put together a report with objectives and strategies for FAWCO’s future. Your input is valuable and will help support FAWCO’s future. Thank you. |
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Upcoming FAWCO Events
Thursday, Feb. 5, 7:00 pm: The Brand Called You – Personal Branding Workshop — virtual meeting. Please register. Maximum: 25 attendees. First come, first served.
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 5:00 pm: Open Human Rights Team meeting: Local Initiatives — virtual meeting. Please register.
Thursday, Feb. 12, 1:00 pm: The Brand Called You – Personal Branding Workshop — virtual meeting. Please register. Maximum: 25 attendees. First come, first served.
Thursday, Feb. 19, 7:00 pm: Global Issues Book Discussion hosted by the Human Rights Team — virtual meeting. Please register.
March 20–22 FAWCO Interim Meeting, Malta |
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Happy New Year! We hope you've enjoyed reading the latest issue of Inspiring Women, Art Works, with another impressive group of FAWCO's visual artists, including AWC Berlin's Elizabeth Kang on page 96.
Coming soon: our next issue, Women Behind the Scenes, out January 29th! You can subscribe for free here and it will be delivered straight to your inbox!
Please also follow us on Facebook to stay updated with everything we're doing. |
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AWC Berlin is a founding member of FAWCO, a network of American and international women's clubs around the world. As a member of AWC Berlin, you are automatically also a member of FAWCO, connecting you to philanthropy and advocacy on a global scale. Learn more at FAWCO.org. Go to www.fawco.org to register and subscribe to receive FAWCO newsletters, and for additional information, contact our FAWCO Rep, Veronica Riffle, at fawco.awcberlin@gmail.com
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Dear Members of the American Women’s Club of Berlin,
For Summer 2026, CIEE is seeking welcoming and engaged host families in Berlin (zones AB; zone C by arrangement) to host international students and secondary school pupils from the United States. |
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Let's go together to support our performer - Miss S (we know her as Shlomit Lasky, our favorite tourguide).
Playful, revealing, and empowering stories of female desire— four saucy performance pieces, from cheeky flirts to hot flushes, told with honesty, humor, and heart.
Information here. |
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AWC BERLIN FEBRUARY EVENTS |
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WEEKLY - NEW PLAYERS WELCOME
Tennis Winter Season 13.09.2025-10.04.2026
Tuesday int/Adv., 10am-12pm
Wednesday int/ beginner 10am-12pm
Thursday beginner 10am-12pm
Contact Ferah at ferahlaue@gmail.com for more info.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 1 German Conversation Monday, Feb. 2, 9:30-10:30 Regular Book Club Tuesday, Feb. 3, 7-9pm Women & Finance: Season 5 - Artificial Intelligence Thursday, Feb. 5, 7-8:30pm
Monthly Coffee Morning aka Coffee Klatsch
Friday, Feb. 6, 10:30-12pm WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9
German Conversation
Monday, Feb. 9, 9:30-10:30am
Potluck with a Difference - Women Who Gather
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7-10pm
Keep Your Teens Close
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7-8pm
AWC Visit to Exhibition: "Let's Talk About Sex"
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2pm
Benefit Performance of The Vagina Monologues by V Ensler
Thursday, Feb. 12, 7-8:30pm
Benefit Performance of The Vagina Monologues by V Ensler
Friday, Feb. 13, 7-8:30pm WEEK OF FEBRUARY 16
German Conversation
Monday, Feb. 16, 9:30-10:30am
Resilience Workshop
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 10:30-12pm
WWG Doku Watch
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7-9pm
Women & Finance: Season 5- Artificial Intelligence
Thursday, Feb. 19, 7-8:30pm
Women on the Move In Berlin-Schlachtensee
Friday, Feb. 20, 10:30am
Speed- Network for Professional Women
Friday, Feb. 20, 5:30pm
Southwest Stammtisch
Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30-12pm WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23
German Conversation
Monday, Feb. 23, 9:30-10:30am
Regular Book Club
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7-9pm
Keep Your Teens Close
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7-8pm
Couples Dining Out
Saturday, Feb. 28, 7-9:30pm |
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AWC BERLIN ONLINE AWC members can manage their account, access the membership directory and sign up for events by logging into their AWC member account. You can access your account from your smartphone via the Wild Apricot Mobile app, or simply by going on any computer with internet and visiting the "Members Login" area of the AWC Berlin website. Calendar and Event Registration As a reminder, AWC Berlin members must log in with a user name and password to access events on our calendar and register for them. So that we know to expect you, please remember to register for events you wish to attend.
IN THE MEMBERS ONLY AREA, you can:
- Register for and cancel events
- See your event registration
- Add events to personal calendar
- See who else is going
- Much more...
Step 1: Go to the AWC website and click "Members Login" (request new password from the website if needed). Manage your events from the calendar.
Step 2: You could also download the Wild Apricot Member app to your smartphone or tablet and use your website login on the app.
Step 3: Poke around and get familiar with the tools. See the Instruction Guide for detailed steps and pictures of set up and navigation. Currently, the event registration feature of the app is not available to Android users, but otherwise the app is fine for Android users. Questions? email membership@awcberlin.org |
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ARE YOU USING OUR MOBILE APP ?
AWC’s events calendar and membership directory live on a platform called Wild Apricot. Download the Wild Apricot App for Members to view and register for events, and access the membership directory. You can also add events to your personal calendar with just a click. |
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Logging In: You will have to log in the first time, using the same email and password you use for the AWC website member login (see AWC website section of this document).
Navigating: When first logging in, update your profile before registering for events. Select the Members tab to access the Members Directory. You can view and register for Events From the Events tab (iPhone only). To cancel your registration, go to “My Tickets”, click on the event, and click “Cancel”. If you have any questions, please write to: membership@awcberlin.org |
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AWC BERLIN FACEBOOK POLICY The AWC Berlin Private Members Only Facebook group is open to current members only and is a casual, respectful and friendly forum for member announcements (for example, babies! weddings!, etc.), discussion, information and questions regarding AWC-related topics and/or life in Berlin. Thank you for your cooperation! AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website |
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AWC BERLIN WHATSAPP COMMUNITY
AWC Berlin has a WhatsApp Community where all of our WhatsApp groups reside. If you are the administrator on a WhatsApp group that is not already in our "AWC Berlin" Community, please email membership@awcberlin.org. The benefits of a Community include:
- Visibility into all AWC Berlin-related WhatsApp groups.
- Group chats are restricted to group members, but as a Community member, you can see the title and description of all the groups. If you are eligible to join based on the group's description, you are welcome to "ask to join" any of the groups.
- Administrators can make announcements to the whole community (e.g., for last-minute event info)
Currently, we have the following WhatsApp groups which are run by an array of amazing coordinators:
Neighborhoods: Charlottenburg, Westend, Schöneberg/Wilmersdorf, Mitte, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer-Berg/Friedrichshain, Reinickendorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Brandenburg
Interests: Advocacy and Human Rights, Afternoon Concerts, Berlinale, Book Club Charlottenburg, Book Club Southwest, Citizenship, Classical Music, Community Volunteering, FAWCO, German learners, JFKS Families, Movie-Goers, Philanthropy, Professional Networking, Spanish, Travel Group, U30, U40, Vegan, Women on the Move, 30 Day Fitness Challenge.
If you use WhatsApp and are not yet in the Community, write Nelly at membership@awcberlin.org - she will add you.
Our WHATSAPP policies are similar to our FACEBOOK policies
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Please do not post charity donation requests or political items not related to the AWC Berlin.
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No self-promotion. You are invited to let us know about your business on MARKETING MONDAY - in our private FACEBOOK group. Be sure to preface your post with MARKETING MONDAY. No more than one post per member each Monday.
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When in doubt, please send your questions to membership@awcberlin.org.
Thank you for your cooperation!
AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website |
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