taking care of those who took care of us
WHO WE ARE
Anesa Abdullah is a first generation Guyanese-American. She was born in Queens, raised in Georgia and eventually moved back to NYC. A full circle some would say! Anesa has a background in psychology, education and social enterprise administration. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Georgia with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and served two years with AmeriCorps in Boston. It was there that her passion for education and community organizing grew. She worked closely to build relationships with local organizations to provide quality enrichment opportunities for the students and families she served. Later, Anesa attended Columbia University School of Social Work to pursue an MSW focused on nonprofit management. Anesa currently works in fundraising and development at a global nonprofit focused on helping establish self-sufficiency for low-income individuals. In her downtime, Anesa enjoys trying new recipes in her tiny apartment kitchen and watching awful reality tv shows.
Patrycja Golak is a first generation Polish-American, born, raised and stayed in Brooklyn, NY. Patrycja has a background in psychology and neuroscience and graduated with her MSW in 2018 from Columbia University specializing in clinical social work. Patrycja is a licensed NYS social worker and currently works as an inpatient social worker in one of the largest hospital systems in the country as well as conducts individual psychotherapy in a private practice setting. Patrycja has experience working in non-profit organizations, psychiatric treatment and research, and is trained as a sexual assault and interpersonal violence crisis responder. Patrycja has certifications in psychoanalysis, DBT, CBT, and has completed the New York State Office of Mental Health's Evidence Based Practice in Mental Health program. In her downtime, Patrycja enjoys working out and spending time with her beloved goldendoodle.
Patrycja and Anesa met in graduate school at Columbia University School of Social Work and have remained close friends since. Together, they hope to combine their experience and expertise from their fields into this initiative aiming to give back to women who have been working tirelessly on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.