In 2014, we utilized funds raised in honor of Michael Levine to memorialize a music room at the Door;
a program of University Settlement (US). We have been donating both cash and holiday toys to US for
over 10 years. After our dedication, the Door was honored when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
visited them during their tour of New York. The Royal couple spent several hours and later made a
major donation to the Door. Please visit our University Settlement grant page for more information.
For over 10 years, we have been supporting ASCNYC's poetry program. In late 2014 the long term
facilitator, Gerry Pearlberg, moved to upstate New York. In recent years, she had been training
several of the long-term poets to lead the group. By year-end, they began to do so. Over the years
the "poets" have published 17 magazines, which are full of marvelous, heart-warming and gut wrenching
works of poetry. During poetry month every April, the group presents at Barnes & Noble to a
packed house. We have captured some of these presentations on our ASCNYC grant page. We urge you
to visit it. If you would like a copy of the latest magazine, Situation 17, just let me know.
It's incredible...
Tess Geer, our first environmental grant winner, published a paper in a peer reviewed journal on the
work that we began supporting in late 2010. Also, New York University acquired and intends to
digitize the last 15 years of GAY-USA telecasts, which were produced and co-anchored by Andy Humm.
Andy and Phil were buddies. On our web site is an interview with Andy that I did during our 20th
anniversary celebration. As Andy said then "I miss Phil, he was an old fashion activist, he never
took no for an answer and was full of integrity and dry humor." I miss him too. By the
way, Phil would have turned 60 in 2014.
In late 2014, we visited Village Care, a long-time grant recipient. After speaking to Emma Devito,
their top notch CEO, we decided to help them establish the "Community Gatherings" program. It is
scheduled to begin in mid-2015. The program will enable homebound HIV/AIDS patients to meet every
three months at Village Care 20th street location. These events will give the patients a chance
for socialization, and an opportunity to meet the care coordinators who help them over the phones.
There will be educational material provided, as well as food, drink, activities and prizes.
These events will serve as a respite from the many challenges of their lives.
We continue looking for new ideas, so send us some organizations that are worthwhile and we will
take a look.
Until next year...
Allen Zwickler
Trustee
Phil Zwickler Charitable & Memorial Foundation Trust
