For over fifteen years Ivana Lo Stimolo lives in New York, where he works in real estate and founded New York Italian Women, today a reference point for hundreds of compatriots. Between urban development, friendships to build and solidarity, its history is that of a woman who has been able to transform a personal need into a network capable of making a difference.
«New York is a city that never stops changing. In recent decades I have seen new neighborhoods rise, from the transformation of Hudson Yards to the rebirth of Brooklyn, to the impact of the Q line on Second Avenue. Every time I go, the city is different. The only painful note is security: after Covid it is no longer the time of Bloomberg,” says Ivana Lo Stimolo.
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In 2010, just arrived, he founded New York Italian Women: “At that time there was no reality that united the Italians. I wanted to create a safe space, where to share experiences without reviews. At first the distrust was so much, but slow growth allowed us to build strong and authentic bonds”.
On the differences between Italian and American: “With the Italians the relationship is direct, it opens immediately. Americans are more ‘sectoral’: business friends, gym…it takes more time to get to intimacy. Maybe that’s why I created the group.”.
Of his community Ivana is proud: “We collected nearly $30,000 in one evening for Ukrainian children, hosted Roberto Saviano and supported the JoyJ association with the donation of a van and a mobile kitchen to help homeless people. But the greatest satisfaction is to see born friendships, women who have found work or reinvented themselves thanks to the network”.
Among the most felt needs of Italians are home, school, work and health. “We are working on a project to help women move towards the American health system: too many postpone exams and controls waiting to return to Italy. And psychological support should not be forgotten: moving to a foreign country is never easy”. The future? Continue volunteering, start projects on health and well-being and, of course, cultivate moments of lightness: “Why don’t you have fun in New York, where then? ».
L’articolo Ivana Lo Stimolo: creating communities for Italians in New York proviene da IlNewyorkese.
