Congratulations to the NY, Ithaca-1 chapter on 10 years of friendship and support for Dining for Women!

The chapter was founded by Miriam Bisk and Gail Sakai. It is currently led by Karin Suskin, Karen Baum, Judith Ashton, and Sue Rakow.  The four co-leaders fill different roles: DFW liaison, bookkeeper, manager of host and presenter schedule, and manager of emails. They believe that having structure and sharing responsibilities are key parts of the group’s longevity, along with warmth – and, of course, great food.

“We gather at 6 p.m. and for half an hour we socialize with one another,” Karin Suskin said. “Promptly at 6:30, we begin the program, which is presented by a volunteer separate from the host. Presentations and discussions are approximately 30 minutes and then we enjoy a fabulous dish-to-pass dinner.”

The chapter has almost 150 members on its roster, with about 20 attending each month. Members take turns hosting, and the group does a full year of sign-ups in advance.

“Our secret is flexibility and warmth,” said Karin. “Members are welcome whenever it works for them. Even if we haven’t seen someone in years, we are delighted when they return.”