Altruism, Causes, Design, Exploits, Fashion »

Christina Vescovo, Engie Hassan, Wendy Levene-Goldberg, Iman Hussein, Marcy Clark

By Christina Vescovo
NYRP Junior Board Member, Real Estate Professional and Women’s Mafia member

“It is wonderful to see a person contributing to society as an individual human being, regardless of social position or importance.” Raisa Gorbachev, fundraiser and philosopher, (1932-1999)
I was so inspired by the new friendships and the beautiful EngieStyle looks that sprouted in “Once Upon a Time.” It is amazing to work around women who value each other’s skills and talents more than each other’s clothes. However, there’s no better way to celebrate life and success than getting decked out for a fashion fundraiser!
From our first meeting, I intuitively knew that Marcy, Engie, Wendy, and everyone involved in planning this event shared the ability to forge an incredible result…because we each find mediocrity intolerable, our talents must not be wasted.
I was very excited to see a fashion show with an improvisation representing Engie’s early career. I imagine it seemed totally ridiculous that I was actually crying alongside the catwalk, but when I identified with meaning of the story that the models recounted, it was heartfelt. I believe that when you make sense of and find value in your experiences (good and bad), you move forward in life. I know we’ve all had moments that justified throwing in the towel, and I reflected on how much easier it is to attain happiness when you don’t let go of your goals.
I was also reminded that after all is said and done, my happiest moments are when I am able to bring people together for philanthropy. The significance of “Once Upon a Time” to me was that we all came together for a cause to make the city a more beautiful place. I loved seeing Wendy Levene Goldberg encourage several young models to contribute their time to charity; she inspired them to see how amazing it feels to give. I loved hearing my other philanthropist friend Emily Conner’s reaction to Engie’s first look: “I’m wearing THAT to my Christmas party!” And I think we all loved the audience’s applause.
Once upon a time, we each decided that New York City was the place to dream and to make life different. Thanks to Women’s Mafia, on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010, it all came together! Read the full story »