A perfect partnership

L.I. women's group aids Hofstra's medical school

Posted

Merokean Linda Susman stood next to the magazine rack near the entrance of North Merrick Public Library with a book tucked under her arm, flipping through a magazine. A retired editor of a soap opera magazine and now a member of the Meadowbrook Women’s Initiative, Susman enjoys reading as much as writing.

“I actually had this book on hold,” she said, placing Talia Carner’s “Hotel Moscow” on top of a table secluded from library goers. “I got a call from her publicist, and she said she wanted to come back and do another book discussion with us because she really enjoyed it the first time.” 

MWI hosts several fundraisers each year, including the popular Book and Author Luncheon  each May, where Carner was a guest speaker two years ago.

MWI fundraises for several causes through its philanthropy and community-service branches. The organization comprises retired women who are passionate about helping others by organizing fun and educational activities. The group, which has 600-plus members scattered throughout Long Island, formed in 1958 under the Brandeis University National Committee as the Meadowbrook Chapter. However, after being a part of the committee for so many years, Susman said, the women wanted to branch out on their own.

“About six years ago in 2009, we started to feel a little constricted by our association with Brandeis because they were taking all of the money that we fund-raised; it was all going to them, which was part of the arrangement we had made,” Susman said. “And they started to give us some rules about how many members we’re allowed to have, and we started to feel a little uncomfortable.” 

 

Page 1 / 3