The New Century Trust 2010 “Willing Hands Awards”

Target Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children

Philadelphia—The New Century Trust (NCT) will present its annual “Willing Hands Award” to three nonprofit organizations that work to prevent violence against women and children and to help them recover from its impact.

The award luncheon will be held March 25 in honor of Women’s History Month, at the NCT’s historic landmark building headquarters, 1307 Locust Street.

This year’s awardees are:

Support Center for Child Advocates

Child Advocates serves abused children from Philadelphia County. Currently, the organization represents 106 girls who are victims of crimes by defendants being prosecuted or recently concluded.  These girls range in age from 4 through 20.

Nationalities Service Center (NSC)

NSC provides a wide range of services to immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area. Currently NSC is serving more than 200 domestic violence cases, 40 survivors of torture, most of whom are women, and two victims of sex and employment trafficking.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)

PSR, a public health non-profit organization, mobilizes individuals, health professionals and community organizations to promote non-violence; to safeguard the environment and to ensure universal access to healthcare

 “Violence against women and children is devastating to the victims and destructive to the whole fabric of our society,” said NCT Board President Mimi Collins, M.D.. “We want to honor and empower these organizations that are doing such important work, with far-reaching consequences. In fact, the moral imperative of the 21^st century is the fight against gender inequality and its resultant violence against women and children.”

The Willing Hands Award is given in honor of Lillie Dupuy Vanculin Harper whose legacy to the Trust inspired its grant program. This is the first time that three organizations have been honored in one year.

The New Century Trust, founded in 1893, was one of the earliest, largest, and most successful of many organizations created to provide assistance to the increasing numbers of women who were entering the labor force. Today, the New Century Trust continues its founders' philanthropic mission, by making grants to non-profit organizations which enhance the economic and social development of women and girls. It celebrates and honors its unique history through preservation and interpretation of the historical significance of its landmark building and of its place in the women's movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.