Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action, to Receive Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award
Younity (formerly Womanspace) will host its Annual Awards Dinner on May 15, 2025, at The Boathouse at Mercer Lake. Now in its 29th year, the Annual Awards Dinner is Younity’s largest fundraiser and a cornerstone community event. It brings together civic leaders, advocates, volunteers, and supporters to recognize those whose work has contributed meaningfully to the safety and empowerment of victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Proceeds help fund a wide range of programs, including crisis intervention, emergency safe housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and prevention education.
Each year, the dinner honors individuals and partners whose efforts reflect a commitment to justice, healing, and systemic change. This year’s honorees include Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action, who will receive The Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award; Kieran John, recipient of The Edwin W. Schmierer Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service; and the Princeton Area Community Foundation, recipient of The Younity Award for Outstanding Community Partner.
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. This award will be presented to Angela Ferrell-Zabala. Angela Ferrell-Zabala leads one of the largest grassroots networks in the country focused on ending gun violence and has been a strong advocate for closing legal loopholes that enable abusers to obtain firearms. The connection between domestic violence and guns remains a critical public safety issue. Studies show that when an abuser has access to a firearm, the risk of homicide increases fivefold. Firearms are involved in more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the United States. Ferrell-Zabala states: “When gun violence is so deeply connected to domestic violence, we cannot afford to stay silent.”
Ferrell-Zabala’s advocacy reflects the legacy of Barbara Boggs Sigmund, a former Mayor of Princeton and Mercer County Freeholder whose vision helped launch Younity in 1977. In response to receiving the award, Ferrell-Zabala said: “I am deeply honored to receive this year’s Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award. 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,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action. “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 Edwin W. Schmierer Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service will be awarded to Kieran John, founder and CEO of Firstlight Pharmaceuticals. A longtime resident of Pennington, John has led the coordination and fundraising efforts for Younity’s Communities of Light campaign for several years. His efforts have helped raise thousands of dollars, engage local volunteers, and increase awareness about domestic and sexual violence. Thanks to his leadership and commitment, Pennington experienced a remarkable showing of community spirit once again in 2024. The Communities of Light event raises awareness of domestic and sexual violence through a countywide display of 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,” John says.
The Edwin W. Schmierer Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service is named in honor of Ed Schmierer, a dedicated attorney and longtime volunteer who served Womanspace for over 35 years. A respected municipal law expert and pro bono supporter, Schmierer helped guide the organization’s legal, governance, and community-building efforts for decades.
The Younity Award for Outstanding Community Partner will be presented to the Princeton Area Community Foundation, whose support has strengthened Younity’s ability to serve individuals and families in crisis, including children’s services and prevention programs. The foundation has provided both general operating support and funding for pivotal initiatives, including Younity’s first centralized client database, expanded outreach efforts in Trenton, and the organization’s 2024 rebrand.
“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 Mathieu Nelessen, President & CEO of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. “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, including a Bunbury Fund transformational sunset grant, and we could not be more honored to receive this recognition.”
Younity’s President & CEO, Nathalie S. Nelson, says of this year’s honorees, “Each honoree reflects the power of individuals and institutions to drive real change. 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. 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.”
Past honorees have included Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (2024), Troy Vincent Sr. (2023), and Elizabeth Smart (2022), as well as Faith Ringgold, Joe Torre, Anna Quindlen, Diane Sawyer, and Cokie Roberts.
The dinner will take place from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at The Boathouse at Mercer Lake, 334 South Post Road, West Windsor, NJ. In keeping with Younity’s vision, the evening will emphasize the power of collective action. Together, we are stronger than abuse.
To learn more about our honorees or to place a congratulatory ad in honor of one of this year’s award recipients, visit:
Younity gratefully acknowledges the NFL as the event’s Presenting Sponsor, and early support from this year’s Award Dinner sponsors: First Bank Charitable Foundation New Horizon Communications (NHC), Alliant, Capital Health, Church & Dwight, Holman, and NJM Insurance Group. Sponsorship opportunities remain available.
To learn more about our honorees or to place a congratulatory ad in honor of one of this year’s award recipients, visit:
https://younitynj.org/2025-annual-awards-dinner-honorees/
Sponsorship information and event tickets are available at:
https://younitynj.org/event/annual-awards-dinner/
About Younity (formerly Womanspace)
Founded in 1977, Younity (formerly Womanspace) is a nonprofit organization serving Mercer County and the state of New Jersey by providing emergency and long-term support to individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence. Services include 24/7 crisis intervention, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and crisis hotlines. Younity operates the 24/7 Mercer County domestic violence hotline (609-394-9000), the New Jersey Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline (800-572-SAFE), and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Texting Hotline (609-619-1888). More information is available at www.younitynj.org.