Press Release

Yvonne Stennett, of Community League of West 159th Street, Wins 1999 Brooke Russell Astor Award

Ms. Stennett Wins the Award for Her Tireless Commitment to Improving Living Conditions in Her Neighborhood

October 26, 1999, New York City -- The New York Public Library has announced Yvonne Stennett, Executive Director of the Community League of West 159th Street, as the recipient of the Library's 1999 Brooke Russell Astor Award. Ms. Stennett has devoted extraordinary energy and commitment to improving living conditions for the people in the Southern Washington Heights area.

Given annually to an "unsung hero," the Astor Award recognizes individuals who are dedicated to the City and who have contributed substantially to the enrichment of their community. Barbara Hohlt, Founding Member and Chairman of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence; and Marie St. Cyr, Executive Director, Iris House, an organization dedicated to providing services to those with HIV/AIDS, received Honorable Mentions.

The award was presented at a reception in the Trustees Room of The New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Brooke Astor and President Paul LeClerc, as well as several previous Astor Award winners, attended.

About the Astor Award Winner
Yvonne Stennett has worked with the Community League since 1979. Her complete dedication, creativity, and tenacity have been key in the implementation of numerous programs, including Project Next Step, in which residents develop and carry out neighborhood improvement plans. Ms. Stennett often brings politicians and business leaders into the community so that they may see firsthand the difference good housing can make. She actively seeks to improve the community's relationship with the local police department, and among her many successes is the development of conflict resolution workshops for young people who live in the area. Ms. Stennett is known as a caring and devoted leader in her neighborhood, who brings hope and pride to the people of West 159th Street.

Born in Jamaica, Yvonne Stennett earned her Bachelor's Degree from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1976. During her 20 years with the Community League of West 159th Street, she has served as an adult advisor for the youth program, director of the substance abuse hotline, and, beginning in 1994, as its Executive Director. She also currently serves as Chair of the Unidos Coalition, a federal drug initiative, as a member of the advisory board for the Enterprise Foundation, and as a partner of the Audubon Economic Development Partnership.

1999 Astor Award Honorable Mentions
Barbara Hohlt is Founding Member and Chairman of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, a grass roots advocacy group working to reduce gun related violence through public awareness. Since 1993, when the group was founded by the friends and families of gun victims, she has lobbied, coordinated, and rallied thousands of New Yorkers around this issue.

Marie St. Cyr is the Executive Director of Iris House and has become a national voice for those living with HIV/AIDS by developing what is now the only permanent, comprehensive, one-stop program for women and their children living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. She is committed to providing a multitude of services including social support, case management, child care, education, and health counseling.

The Brooke Russell Astor Award
The Brooke Russell Astor Award was established in 1987 as part of a generous endowment gift to The New York Public Library from David Rockefeller. Mr. Rockefeller's gift is a tribute to Mrs. Astor's continued commitment to supporting the role of individuals who improve the quality of life in New York City.

Nominations for the 1999 Brooke Russell Astor Award were solicited from over 200 individuals and organizations, including cultural groups, universities, foundations, elected officials, community groups, and social service agencies. A selection committee, chaired by Dr. Paul LeClerc, included representatives from the cultural, academic, government, and social service communities of New York. The committee reviewed this year's 15 nominations and selected the winner.

Serving on the selection committee were Alan Bond, President, Albriond Capital Management, LLC; Dorothy Cullman, Trustee, The New York Public Library; The Honorable David N. Dinkins, Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; The Honorable Fernando Ferrer, Borough President, The Bronx; Dr. Paul LeClerc, President of The New York Public Library; Susana Torruella Leval, Director, Museo del Barrio; Elihu Rose, Partner, Rose Associates; and
Sue Ann Weinberg, Trustee, The New York Public Library.

Previous Winners
Yvonne Stennett is the thirteenth recipient of the Brooke Russell Astor Award. Previous winners are:

1998 - James Gilmore, a New York City police detective and co-founder of One Hundred Blacks in Law Enforcement. Mr. Gilmore dedicates his off-duty hours to improve the quality of life in the Washington Heights community.

1997 - Cordell Cleare, Co-Chair of the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning. Her work on lead poisoning prevention includes reaching out to parents and legislators through workshops, home visits, and health fairs.

1996 - Kathy Goldman, Founder and Executive Director of the Community Food Resource Center, who has been working on city, state, and federal levels to address food, hunger, nutrition, and low-income issues in New York City.

1995 - Henry J. Carter, Founder of Wheelchair Charities, Inc., an organization that, through the efforts of volunteers, raises funds for people with disabilities.

1994 - Frank Carucci, Coordinator of Cultural Arts for the Career Education Center of the Board of Education. Mr. Carucci engages homeless and educationally disadvantaged "at-risk" adolescents in hands-on performing arts production.

1993 - Sister Elizabeth Hasselt, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Encore Community Services, an agency dedicated to improving the quality of life of poor and homeless elderly people in the Times Square and Clinton communities.

1992 - Dr. Joyce Wallace, M.D., F.A.C.P., Executive Director of the Foundation for Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and a pioneer in the field of AIDS care and research.

1991 - Guy Polhemus, Founder and Executive Director of WE CAN, a bottle and can redemption program that provided jobs for the homeless.

1990 - Marie Christopher, Co-Founder of Alliance for a Drug-Free City, who waged a successful battle against a drug dealer operating in her apartment building.

1989 - Genevieve Brooks, President and Executive Director of MBD Community Housing Corporation, a coalition of churches, tenant associations, and service groups created in 1974 to stop the deterioration of a Bronx neighborhood.

1988 - Rita Zimmer, Founder of "Women in Need," an organization on the West Side of Manhattan serving homeless women and their children.

1987 - Emma Blake, a retired practical nurse who devoted her personal resources to the hungry and homeless in Central Harlem.
 

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pro: thoerenz: 10-28-99