‘My chance to make a difference’
Greenwich hosts journalist Jane Pauley for Fund for Women & Girls dinner to empower her ‘community’
GREENWICH — Award-winning journalist Jane Pauley said she likes the word community.
Pauley, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 50, said that her “mind became differently acquainted with the word community” when she was presenting at the American Association of People with Disabilities Leadership Awards Gala in 2022. She said that someone, when introducing her said, “she’s a member of our community.”
“After 20 years, I’d never thought of it that way — that I was a member of a community of people with disabilities . ... I’ve been using the word ever since,” Pauley, 73, said. “I liked being a part of a community. I particularly liked being able to identify to people with disabilities that I’m one of you. We are a we. That was quite a good feeling.”
Pauley said she hopes that the attendees of the 26th annual Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls Celebration will leave the event “excited about the word community” and will think about the word in a different way after she gives her keynote address at the April 11 event.
“It’s a bigger place; it’s the people you don’t know as well as the people you know ... All part of the same community and beyond,” Pauley said.
Pauley has been the CBS Sunday Morning anchor since September 2016, interviewing people including the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, rock star John Mellencamp and former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Prior to the CBS Sunday Morning role, Pauley spent 13 years as the co-host of the Today show, a decade as the anchor of Dateline NBC and in 2004, hosted “The Jane Pauley Show.”
For her work, Pauley has won many awards including the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Gracie Allen Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television, according to a statement. “As a trailblazing journalist and advocate, Jane Pauley is the ideal choice for keynote speaker as we enter a transformative phase for the Fund for Women & Girls, which embraces the mission of advancing gender and racial equity with a focus on women’s health initiatives,” said Mendi Blue Paca, president and chief executive officer of FCCF, in a statement.
Pauley said one way she likes to contribute to making a difference is by speaking at events such as the FCCF’s Fund for Women & Girls Celebration.
“I can’t do anything about some global issues,” Pauley said. “We can feel helpless. But it’s uplifting and I think a very positive feeling to recognize that ... here in my community is my chance to make a difference. You know, outreach to women and girls I don’t know, but who live here with us in our community and I can make a difference in their lives and that makes a difference in the world.”
Pauley, who is also a New York Times best-selling author, is an advocate for mental health and a champion for children’s health and education, according to a statement. Pauley has supported Federally Qualified Health Centers in Indiana, her home state.
“Lending her name to the Jane Pauley Community Health Center in Indianapolis underscores her dedication to providing medical and behavioral health services to underserved communities, and we are honored to have Jane elevate our most important cause and bring attention to the critical issues facing women and girls today,” said Mary Grace Pagaduan, director of the Fund for Women & Girls, in a statement.
When Pauley was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she said she was not afraid about her diagnosis going public. She said she wanted to talk about it because at that time she didn’t know many people who had her same diagnosis.
“I thought I might be able to do some good when I got better,” Pauley said. “I’ve never had any reservations and any talk that I have ever given I’ve been greeted with a standing ovation before I said a word. When I left, I typically get another one . ... It’s been anything but scary. It’s been meaningful.”
The Fund for Women & Girls is the largest women’s fund in New England and “has improved the lives of tens of thousands of women and girls in the region with more than $10 million in grants,” according to a statement. The Fund aims to advance gender equity and invest in sustainable solutions to strengthen safety, economic and health security for women and girls who are Black, indigenous and people of color.
The annual event has featured other well-known speakers including Misty Copeland, Maya Angelou, Billie Jean King and more. This year, for the first time, the celebration, set for 5:30 to 7:30 April 11 and including a cocktail reception, will be taking place at the Greenwich Country Club, 19 Doubling Road.
Proceeds will support the fund and its initiative, the EMME coalition, which “works at the intersection of physical wellness, behavioral health and case management to connect women and girls with lifelong tools for wellbeing that can be passed along to future generations,” according to a statement.
The theme of this year’s program is Illuminate.
“Jane has spent a lifetime illuminating important stories and shining light on education and mental health advocacy for women, children and families,” Blue Paca said.
Pauley said that a way to illuminate the importance of mental health is by talking about it. She said she has noticed that celebrities, athletes, scientists and other people being interviewed by the news media are more comfortable about talking about their mental health issues than in the past.
“That’s been my goal for 20 years. Anything that is safe to talk about is safe to do something about and there is a conversation going,” Pauley said. “I’m not taking credit for lighting the spark, but I am so gratified that there is a lively conversation.”
Tickets are going fast “with only half the number of tickets available in comparison to previous years,” according to organizers. To attend the event in person, tickets are $400. There are $50 tickets available for a virtual experience. To purchase tickets, go to: https:// givebutter.com/FWGCelebration2024