By Donald Gilpin

Younity (formerly Womanspace) will be honoring two individuals and a local organization whose work manifests “a commitment to justice, healing, and systemic change” at its 29th Annual Awards Dinner on May 15 at The Boathouse at Mercer Lake in Mercer County Park.

Bringing together civic leaders and other supporters to highlight contributions to the safety and empowerment of victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence, the event will recognize Moms Demand Action Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala, who will receive the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award; Kieran John, who will receive the Edwin W. Schmierer Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service; and the Princeton Area Community Foundation (PACF), which will receive the Younity Award for Outstanding Community Partner.

Proceeds from this Younity fundraiser will support several of the organization’s programs, including crisis intervention, emergency safe housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and prevention education.

Ferrell-Zabala, leader for the past two years of Moms Demand Action, an organization focused on ending gun violence, has been a strong advocate for closing legal loopholes that enable abusers to obtain firearms.

“When gun violence is so deeply connected to domestic violence, we cannot afford to stay silent,” she said, as quoted in a Younity press release. The release points out that firearms are involved in more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the U.S., and the risk of homicide increases fivefold when an abuser has access to a firearm.

Ferrell-Zabala continued, “This recognition isn’t just a personal honor — it’s a tribute to the collective work of so many who are fighting every day for a safer country. I’m accepting this on behalf of every survivor, student, advocate, and community leader who is fighting for a world where no one has to live in fear of gun violence. Thank you to Younity for this recognition of our movement and for sharing our commitment to empower communities — not just to survive, but to thrive.”

The Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award honors “a national figure who has used their platform to raise public awareness about domestic and sexual violence and inspire greater community engagement,” according to Younity. Sigmund, who died in 1990, served as a Mercer County freeholder and a Princeton Borough Councilwoman before becoming the mayor of Princeton Borough from 1983 to 1990. In 1977 her vision helped to launch Womanspace, which later became Younity.

Kieran John, founder and CEO of Firstlight Pharmaceuticals, has been the leader of Younity’s Communities of Light campaign for several years, helping to raise thousands of dollars, engage local volunteers, and increase awareness about domestic and sexual violence.

Communities of Light features a countywide display of candle-like “luminaries” each December.

“Making the world better for my family, my community, and others worldwide is just as important as any scientific or business goal I pursue,” said John, a longtime resident of Pennington.

The Volunteer Service Award is named in honor of Ed Schmierer, an attorney and longtime volunteer who served Womanspace for more than 35 years.

PACF, honoree for Outstanding Community Partner, has “strengthened Younity’s ability to serve individuals and families in crisis, including children’s services and prevention programs,” the Younity press release states.

“We are thrilled to be honored by Younity, which has been providing critical supportive services and protecting families in our region for almost 50 years,” said PACF President and CEO Mathieu Nelessen. “In recent years, Younity has been a recipient of grants from our donor advised fund holders, as well as from our Community Impact Grants Fund, the Fund for Women and Girls, the NextGen Giving Circle, and the Bunbury Fund, and we could not be more honored to receive this recognition.”

Younity President and CEO Nathalie S. Nelson commented on this year’s award winners. “Each honoree reflects the power of individuals and institutions to drive real change,” she said. “Angela Ferrell-Zabala’s leadership reminds us that the fight to end violence doesn’t stop at awareness — it requires action, courage, and policy change. Kieran John’s leadership unites entire communities in solidarity, and the Princeton Area Community Foundation invests in services that change lives.”

She continued, “They all remind us that change happens when we show up, speak out, and support one another. When we come together, we are stronger than abuse.”

To learn more about Younity, purchase event tickets for the May 15 “evening of impact and action,” and access sponsorship information, visit younitynj.org “News and Events.”