Dear {Contact_First_Name},
I’ve recently been reflecting on the commonly asked question, “how are you?” It has been over a year since the pandemic began and so it is not surprising that for so many, this question may be increasingly hard to answer. In these times, we might lose sight of the need for self-care. And although the (slowly) improving vaccination campaign gives us some signs of hope when it comes to the pandemic, it is important now more than ever to be intentional in caring for ourselves. I hope that you are able to carve out time for yourself, and that you remain healthy, happy and well.
In the US, the month of May is recognized as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month to celebrate the achievements and contributions to American society by those of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. It first began to be observed as a week-long event in 1978, and then expanded to its current month-long observation in 1990. The month of May was deliberately chosen for this recognition because of two significant historical events: the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the US (May 7, 1843), and the completion of the transcontinental railroad which was built largely by Chinese immigrants (May 10, 1869). Though events and activities around this observation primarily take place in the US, it is nevertheless worthwhile to reflect and celebrate the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants in the US and throughout the world. The Library of Congress has a large collection of material pertaining to Asian/Pacific Islander heritage where you can learn much more. We have another wonderful calendar of events this month thanks to Kathy Lyon and our dedicated team of volunteer event coordinators. It’s been wonderful to see new members finding us and joining our community. To this end, we have a pair of New Member Welcome events on May 4 and May 11. I hope you will consider joining us at one or both of these casual social events to meet other members. Also, even as we celebrate Asian/Pacific Islander heritage this month, unfortunately, anti-Asian violence is on the rise. The quarterly Reflect and Connect current events discussion group will meet on May 16, to discuss the very topic of Anti-Asian Violence. Please also mark your calendars for May 20, for our Monthly Membership Meeting when our guest speaker will be Kimberly Marteau Emerson, and also May 27 for Women's Salon with Clare Celeste. We are thrilled to welcome these two amazing women to speak with us this month. Please be sure to check out the details for all of these events and so much more by taking a look at our May calendar, and plan to join us as your schedule allows.
I also want to draw your attention again to our Volunteering Initiative, which is being spearheaded by Annie Loupy. Annie has been doing an amazing job connecting our members with volunteering opportunities with non-profit organizations in our Berlin community. If you have not had a chance to do so already, I encourage you to explore all of the volunteering opportunities available to you by visiting the Community Volunteering page on our website, and reach out to Annie to learn more. Thank you, Annie, for your continued hard work with this very important initiative!
Last, but definitely not least, this month, we celebrate, appreciate, and remember our mothers. I wish all of the moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day later this month! Stay safe and be well!
Cheers,
Shweta
**Please note that, depending on your email program, you may need to click “View entire message” to see the Newsletter in its entirety.**
Shweta Gupta
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin
president@awcberlin.org |
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Antoninette Cauley Nicole Henzler Elisabeth Wilkie
We invite you to join us this month for our new member welcome events:
*New Member Welcome Wine & Social, Tuesday, May 4, 7:00pm - 8:00pm, via Zoom *New Member Welcome Coffee & Social, Tuesday, May 11, 10:30am - 11:30am, via Zoom
All members are invited to come to meet new members and reconnect with ones you already know.
We look forward to seeing you soon! |
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Thank you, Gwen Calisch
Gwen Calisch joined the Club in 2019, and like so many of our volunteers, did not wait long to get involved. With her editorial background, she stepped up to volunteer to help produce this lovely Newsletter and has been the Club's Newsletter Editor since the start of 2020. Gwen quickly learned to navigate a new-to-her platform for the Newsletter, so that she could immediately jump into it. Her background and technical knowledge has been a tremendous asset along the way. Her monthly undertaking of pulling together the content and news into a readable, user-friendly format is essential to keeping our members connected, and she does it all with a great attitude and smile. Gwen’s patience, collaborative spirit, and quiet commitment to the Newsletter is truly invaluable.
In addition to her role as Newsletter Editor, Gwen also has volunteered her time as an activity leader. She was one of the first to launch a brand new virtual activity in the early days of the pandemic. Recognizing how much cooking she was doing during the pandemic for herself and her family, she thought it would be fun to bring members together around food. This led to her launching and leading the Cooking Club. The activity allowed members to get together at first to exchange notes about cooking and then later, to cook together with a guest chef. It was a wonderful initiative, and yet another superb way to bring the community together.
We are so grateful for Gwen’s ongoing support for and involvement in the Club. Thank you, Gwen!
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Without dedicated volunteers, there would be no AWC Berlin. From every activity to administrative function, there are members stepping up to make this club a rich social, cultural and philanthropic outlet for our 250+ members. If you'd like to nominate a member, please email newsletter@awcberlin.org. |
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WELCOME NEW BLOG EDITOR: ROSE FINLAY
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Meet Rose Finlay, the new Editor of our Blog, Berlin Americana. We look forward to Rose’s creativity, energy and passion for the written word. In addition to her role as Blog Editor, Rose also coordinates the Stitch 'n' Bitch activity and co-coordinates the Book Club.
Thank you to Kathy Lyon for her initiative, dedication and incredible professionalism as Blog Editor over the last year. |
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Born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Rose has always loved writing and reading. After getting into trouble for her scathing review of her high school's drama production of Romeo and Juliet, Rose stepped away from writing to explore other areas of interest, but the written word was never far from her mind. She graduated Summa cum Laude from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire with degrees in Psychology and Music. Her undergraduate thesis was on the psychological impact of romance novels on relationships. The following year, she graduated with an M.Phil. in European Studies from Trinity College, Dublin. After moving to Hamburg in 2011, Rose began her work as a film critic, website content writer, and an editor of scientific articles. In 2020, she became the Editor-in-Chief of Kinocritics.com. Rose is the coordinator of the American Women's Club of Hamburg's Film Group and Film Lounge. |
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PAPATYA Update Following AWC Berlin's recent fundraising efforts for PAPATYA, we received the following update regarding the timeline for renovations:
"We're planning on doing the renovation bit by bit. First we start with the kitchen, and the common areas downstairs. We have a team of trusted hard workers to keep the number of people from outside as small as possible." PAPATYA is hoping to be able to engage with the contractor of its choice but it's unclear when that will transpire, and will keep us updated as soon as more information is available. |
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The Philanthropy team will soon start brainstorming for future fundraising initiatives for both PAPATYA and the FAWCO Target Project, S.A.F.E. (Safe Alternatives for Female Genital Mutilation Elimination) in Tanzania. If you have any great fundraising ideas, or wish to join the team, please email Lissa at philanthropy@awcberlin.org. |
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MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Thursday, May 20, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
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Join our May Monthly Membership Meeting to get updates on the Club's latest news, socialize with members and hear from our guest speaker.
This month, we are honored to welcome Kimberly Marteau Emerson, Principal, KME Consulting. Among her many roles, Kimberly serves on the Board of Directors Human Rights Watch. Kimberly will talk about HRW's work on women's right sand issues, including some notable recent landmark impacts.
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EVENT SPOTLIGHT Women's Salon with Clare Celeste:
The Climate Feminist Renaissance
Thursday, May 27, 2021, 12:00pm - 1:30pm |
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Join us for a terrific lunchtime event with Clare Celeste, an artist and environmentalist. Women, particularly BIPOC women, are most directly impacted by the effects of climate change. In her talk, Clare will help us explore the rich tapestry of female planet protectors, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities and their traditions. Come learn how the "climate feminist renaissance" can co-create a more just, equitable, and regenerative world - and how you can be a part of it.
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WHAT'S NEW IN PROGRAMMING
We have several new and unique events happening in May. Check them out and our complete list of May Events section below.
*Join soprano Diipti Firmstone for Finding Your Voice on Thursday, May 6, at 12:00pm, as she introduces the principles of singing and how connecting to your body can teach you how to play our own instrument – the voice – by specifically focusing on core work and vibration.
*On Sunday, May 16, at 3:00 p.m., the quarterly current events discussion group, Reflect and Connect, will meet to talk about the rise in anti-Asian violence in the US and worldwide.
*Explore the romance genre on Wednesday, May 19, at noon, in a Lunch & Learn session with lifetime romance reader Rose Finlay, who will introduce the genre to newcomers and discuss the history, politics, and current status of novels once known as “bodice rippers.”
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Community Volunteering Opportunities
Are you interested in volunteering in Berlin? Here are three REMOTE opportunities to give back to your community:
* ReDi School is still looking for Student Mentors to guide students remotely on how to approach the working world.
* EMERGENCY Germany supports the worldwide organization through advocacy, fundraising and staff recruitment. The organization is looking for help with translation, social media posts, event organization and artistic performances.
* Girl Scout Mentorship (coming soon). The Girl Scouts in their senior years strive to receive the Gold Award, and may need advice and wisdom to help achieve it. Please contact Annie Loupy at volunteering@awcberlin.org for more information about these opportunities and to learn more about our Volunteer Initiative.
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Help Wanted!
We are looking for a volunteer Advertising/Sponsorship Manager to help recruit and manage relationships with AWC Berlin advertisers and sponsors. If you are interested or would like more details, please contact My-Linh Kunst at advertising@awcberlin.org.
To find out what our volunteers are doing, all of our current opportunities to volunteer, and how to suggest new event ideas, click here. |
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FAWCO Target Program. FAWCO continues its focus on the 2020-2022 Target Project, S.A.F.E. (Safe Alternatives for Female Genital Mutilation). FAWCO’s Target Team is hosting a couple of virtual events designed to raise awareness of FGM and the Target Project, including the following: *Monday, May 3, 8:00pm - 9:00pm - FAWCO's Target Team, the End FGM Canada Network and Dr. Angela Deane in a discussion on the medical aspects associated with FGM
*Monday, May 24, 7:00pm - 9:00pm - "In the Name of Your Daughter" Target Documentary Screening for End Obstetric Fistula Day
For more details and to sign up for these and other FAWCO events, check out FAWCO’s Event Calendar.
FAWCO Publications. To stay current on all of the latest FAWCO news and happenings, subscribe to FAWCO publications. For a list of all available publications and to subscribe, click here.
Our FAWCO Representative is Frances Durocher, who can be contacted at fawcorep@awcberlin.org. |
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AWC BERLIN & SOCIAL MEDIA |
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Week of May 3
* German Conversation (West)
Monday, May 3, 10:00am - 10:40am
* Tennis: Summer Season
Tuesday, May 4, 10:00am - 12:00pm
* New Member Welcome Wine & Social
Tuesday, May 4, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
* Finding Your Voice: Body/Mind & Voice with Diipti Firmstone
Thursday, May 6, 12pm - 1pm
* German Conversation (Ost)
Friday, May 7, 10:00am - 11:30am |
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Week of May 10
* German Conversation (West)
Monday, May 10, 10:00am - 10:40am
* Tennis: Summer Season
Tuesday, May 11, 10:00am - 12:00pm
* New Member Welcome Coffee & Social
Tuesday, May 11, 10:30am - 11:30am
* Evening Book Club
Butterly by Yusra Mardini
Tuesday, May 11, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
* Women's Writes
Wednesday, May 12, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
* Midday Mahjong
Thursday, May 13, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
* German Conversation (Ost)
Friday, May 14, 10:00am - 11:30am
* Women & Finance: Conversations into Actions
Friday, May 14, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
* Reflect and Connect: Anti-Asian Violence
Sunday, May 16, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
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Week of May 17
* German Conversation (West)
Monday, May 17, 10:00am - 10:40am
* Tennis: Summer Season
Tuesday, May 18, 10:00am - 12:00pm
* Drink-Think-Drink
Tuesday, May 18, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
* Lunch & Learn: The Romance Genre for Newcomers
Wednesday, May 19, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
* Game Night Online
Wednesday, May 19, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
* Monthly Membership Meeting
Thursday, May 20, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
* German Conversation (Ost)
Friday, May 21, 10:00am - 11:30am |
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Week of May 24
* Tennis: Summer Season
Tuesday, May 25, 10:00am - 12:00pm
* Stitch 'n' Bitch
Tuesday, May 25, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
* Genre Book Club (Romance)
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
Wednesday, May 26, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
*Women's Salon with Clare Celeste: The Climate Feminist Renaissance
Thursday, May 27, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
* Midday Mahjong
Thursday, May 27, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
* German Conversation (Ost)
Friday, May 28, 10:00am - 11:30am
* Artist Studio Tour & Talk: Miriam Lenk
Friday, May 28, 1:00pm - 2:00pm |
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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? WA-Admin@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. Only authorized AWC Berlin events that are already listed on the AWC Calendar can be created as an event in our Facebook group. Please do not post charity donation requests or political items not related to the AWC Berlin. You are invited to let us know about your business, but please limit commercial, self-promotional posts to Mondays and be sure to preface your post with MARKETING MONDAY. No comments are allowed on these posts. When in doubt, please send your question to facebookpolicy@awcberlin.org.
Thank you for your cooperation!
AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website |
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