nited Way Women United to honor Ronnie Weyl with Women in Philanthropy Award

United Way Holds Networking Breakfast for Women Leaders

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Area women business and community leaders can network and hear inspirational speaker and “Working Mother of the Year” Denice Torres talk about the power of women at the United Way Women United annual fundraiser on Friday, April 13 at the Bridgewater Marriott.

Held from 8 to 10:15 a.m., the event will also honor Ronnie Weyl, executive director at Raritan Valley Community College Foundation, for her philanthropic work.

Women United is holding this premier networking breakfast for influential women in northern New Jersey to raise money for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) women and families who are working hard but struggling to afford the basics. Event proceeds will help local ALICE residents access quality child care for their children and pursue education programs that advance their earning potential.

A long-time ALICE advocate, Weyl will receive this year’s Women in Philanthropy Award for her work with United Way in establishing scholarships at RVCC that help ALICE students focus on their education not on their struggle to pay basic bills.

The annual breakfast also will feature keynote speaker Torres, a former senior executive at Johnson & Johnson who was named Woman of the Year by the Healthcare Business Woman’s Association. Throughout her career, Torres has led the transformation of companies and cultures using her expertise in change management.

Allison Williams, founder and owner of the Williams Law Group, will serve as moderator. NJBIZ recently named Williams to its Best 50 Women in Business list.

Attendees will learn about Women United, a global organization of 70,000 women in 160 countries. Here in northern New Jersey, members are engaged throughout the year in volunteer, fundraising and advocacy efforts to help the region’s ALICE population attain financial stability.

Across the northern New Jersey region, spanning Morris, Somerset, Suburban Essex, Sussex and Warren counties, a total of 26 percent of households qualify as ALICE or in poverty, according to United Way research.

The breakfast is supported by Platinum Sponsors Eli Lilly and Company, Ethicon, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the KRE Group and PwC.

Proceeds from the breakfast will go toward three United Way scholarship programs that seek to remove the barriers that keep ALICE and those in poverty from achieving their potential. Through these scholarships, child care educators can access professional development opportunities, families can afford quality child care, and adults can pursue post-secondary education.

Tickets for the event are $90. For more information about the event or Women United visit www.UnitedWayNNJ.org/WUBreakfast2018, email Michele.Dreiblatt@UnitedWayNNJ.org or call 973.993.1160, x128.