Queens to be spotlighted at New York Women’s Foundation Neighborhood Dinner

The New York Women’s Foundation will hold its 2026 Neighborhood Dinner in Astoria on Nov. 10, honoring five leaders and organizations advancing community well-being across Queens and New York City. The event underscores Queens’ growing role in work spanning child welfare, immigrant health, trans justice, public service and women’s sports.

Why it matters: - The 2026 Neighborhood Dinner spotlights Queens-based leadership and the local work shaping health, safety, access and opportunity across New York City. - The honorees reflect a broad view of community power, from immigrant and trans advocacy to child welfare and women’s professional sports. - The event also highlights Queens as a borough where civic, nonprofit and cultural institutions intersect.

What happened: - The New York Women’s Foundation will host its 2026 Neighborhood Dinner at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria on Tuesday, Nov. 10. - The dinner will honor leaders and organizations whose work has strengthened communities across Queens and New York City. - This year’s honorees are Sharon Myrie, Lorraine Stephens, Tiffany Jade Munroe, Nathaly Rubio-Torio and Gotham FC.

The details: - Sharon Myrie will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. - Myrie is a former vice president of programs and services at Queens Public Library and a board alumna of The New York Women’s Foundation. - Myrie has also held senior leadership roles at Family Legal Care, the New York City Housing Authority, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and New York City’s Office on Homelessness and SRO Housing. - Lorraine Stephens will receive the Neighborhood Leadership Award. - Stephens is executive director of Forestdale and a native of Southeast Queens. - Stephens has more than 30 years of experience in child welfare, nonprofit leadership and public administration. - Stephens previously served as vice president of strategic planning, government relations and special initiatives at The New York Women’s Foundation. - Tiffany Jade Munroe will receive the Neighborhood Leadership Award. - Munroe is a Black trans woman from Guyana and serves as trans justice manager for the Caribbean Equality Project. - Munroe leads trans-centered advocacy, workforce development and Know Your Rights training for trans and gender-expansive immigrant New Yorkers. - Munroe has also played a role in legislative and funding victories for transgender New Yorkers. - Nathaly Rubio-Torio will receive the Queens Champion Award. - Rubio-Torio is founder and CEO of Voces Latinas, a culturally responsive HIV/STI and violence prevention agency based in Jackson Heights. - Rubio-Torio’s work has focused on improving health and access to services for immigrant and newly arrived Latine communities. - Gotham FC will receive the Queens Champion Award. - Gotham FC is a two-time National Women’s Soccer League champion, with titles in 2023 and 2025. - Gotham FC is moving to Queens and will begin playing at Etihad Park in 2028. - The club’s work centers on youth access to soccer, LGBTQIA+ rights and inclusion, women’s advancement and sustainability. - Yael Averbuch West, president of soccer operations and a former U.S. Women’s National Team member, will accept the award for Gotham FC. - The event runs from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, NY 11106. - More information is available in the event announcement.

Between the lines: - The Foundation is framing the dinner as both a celebration and a statement about where community leadership is emerging in New York. - The honorees show an emphasis on practical systems change, especially in services for women, immigrants, trans New Yorkers and families. - Gotham FC’s award connects women’s sports to broader community investment, not just athletics.

What's next: - The Neighborhood Dinner will take place on Nov. 10, with Queens set to serve as the focal point for the evening’s honors and messaging. - Gotham FC’s move to Queens is slated to begin in 2028, adding another high-profile institution to the borough’s profile. - The New York Women’s Foundation will continue its work as a grantmaker focused on gender, racial and economic justice.

The bottom line: - The 2026 Neighborhood Dinner turns Queens into the centerpiece of a wider story about leadership, belonging and community-rooted change in New York City.