About Us
| From our first meeting in April of 1971, with thirty members present, our Club currently includes over 300 amazing women from more than 35 countries. The American International Women’s Club (AIWC) is a registered non-profit, non-political and non-denominational English-speaking organization. We support the international community in Frankfurt and the surrounding Rhein Main region, roughly from Bad Homburg to Darmstadt, Wiesbaden to Hanau and everywhere in between. We are a dynamic group providing friendship and support among women and their families who are living in the region, whether short term expats new to Germany, or long term residents looking for an international connection. We enjoy our time together and have fun with a variety of activities, services, charitable and social events, sports, and interest groups. We stayed busy and connected even during Covid, it's amazing what this group of women can achieve! |
It's important that we give back; we hold a variety of fund-raising activities to raise money for local charitable organizations in addition to volunteering in other ways. Over the years the club has had a wonderful impact on so many different organizations. We're proud to be members of FAWCO, the Federation of American (and International) Women Overseas. Your AIWC membership opens up opportunities to access FAWCO conferences, workshops, and scholarships. You can get involved in human rights causes, and even participate in United Nations meetings in New York. We support our members going through a rough patch with our confidential CARES (Crisis Assistance Resources Emergency Services) program. CARES also focuses on lifting us up with wellness workshops, support and recognition, it's more important than ever with the challenges of today. What we're about Our Mission Statement
To help maintain and grow our non-profit, English-speaking women’s club to continue to provide support, friendship, networking, and social and charitable opportunities for both those new to the Rhein-Main area and women who have made it a long-term home.
New Friends Support Settling In Activities Events Networking Volunteer Opportunities The AIWC is committed to both helping our members enjoy their stay in Germany, as well as contributing to the host country that has welcomed us! Come join us and help us live our motto:
When Women Support Each Other, Incredible Things Happen! |
A Note From Our Former President
A Note From Our Former PresidentI first came to Germany for work years ago as a single woman. Someone at work suggested I join this club. I was skeptical about having time for it, but found out I could participate a little or a lot, so decided to give it a try, and found others in the Working Women’s Group “like me". I came back to Germany some years later as a working mother of a young child and re-joined to take advantage of the Mother’s Corner group, and to my relief, found others “like me", and raising a third culture child. When I left my corporate job, I found responsibilities in the club that fulfilled my project management/leadership need, and again found others “like me". Other people move here with a working spouse and are skeptical if they will ever find a place here in a foreign land. The language, the culture, the system structure - all seemingly different from what you are used to can be quite overwhelming at first. But with a little courage and mindfulness, and as the Beatles song goes, “a little help from our friends” (albeit new ones), the experience can be so rewarding.
For myself, and many alike, the AIWC has provided just that. In the time I have been a member I have seen the positive impact it has on my local community, and also for myself. With the many groups under the umbrella of the AIWC opportunities are there for everyone: from taking a sabbatical from the usual responsibilities back home, feeding that desire to travel, giving time, talents and treasures for a charity, taking on a board position, tapping into your inner Picasso to create a masterpiece, or even sweating it out on the tennis courts, the opportunities are endless - and it’s only a matter of finding what fits you.
This community is a physical representation of so many possibilities and opportunities. Because at the end of the day, the club is only as great as the people who make it up. Each of us come together with our own experiences, knowledge and ideas, bringing something new each and every day to the community. So to both our current members and those yet to be, I hope the AIWC will help you discover how to make your time here in Frankfurt simply unforgettable, and so importantly, to know what a positive impact you make.
I wish you all the best in finding your place here and helping others find theirs too!
Danita Waterfall-Brizzi |
Current Executive Board
Current Executive Board
Heidi Jung | President aiwcfrankfurt.president@gmail.com Originally from New Jersey I’ve lived the last nearly 20 years in Europe. For the first 6 years I worked in London for Deutsche Bank. I met my German husband there and in 2010 we married and settled here in Hünstetten near his family. We have 9-year-old twin boys in 3rd grade who are my joy, and I love traveling, card games and jigsaw puzzles, photography and reading. I enjoy being a co-NC of the Wiesbaden/Mainz neighborhood; it’s a small neighborhood full of truly lovely ladies. I’ve served as the Treasurer for 3 years and it’s been a pleasure supporting our club and our wonderful volunteers. The level of commitment, creativity, and support in this club is amazing and so rewarding to be a part of. |
Elisa (Lisa) Paganini | First Vice President aiwcfrankfurt.1vicepresident@gmail.com
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 Dana Cognetta Fritchie | Second Vice President aiwcfrankfurt.2vp@gmail.com |
Beth Frasunkiewicz | Secretary aiwcfrankfurt.secretary@gmail.com
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Sabine Uhle | Treasurer aiwcfrankfurt.treasurer@gmail.com I was born in Germany and moved to Bad Soden with my family in 1996. My husband and I have two kids (son born in 1995 and daughter born in 1999). Now as the kids have more (our son) or less (our daughter) left home/starting their careers we are slowly becoming empty nesters. It leaves me with time on my hands to dedicate to the club which I do enjoy. I lived in England for a year in the 90’s and enjoy traveling a lot. Joining the club in 2016 brought many interesting ladies into my life which opens up many new perspectives, learning about many different cultures and characters from all over the world. I filled the position of Charity Coordinator within the club, then for the past year I continued to help to support a number of charitable organizations as 2nd Vice President of the club. Being part of a team and working for a good cause is a wonderful experience and gives me joy. |
Rose Finlay | Membership aiwcfrankfurt.membership@gmail.com A born and raised Cape Codder, I knew at a young age I wanted to experience more than tourists, beaches, and the sea, and have since spent most of my adult life living overseas. After four years studying in rural New Hampshire, I moved to Dublin, Ireland to complete a postgraduate degree. I moved to Germany in 2011, and spent three years in Hamburg and eight in Berlin before moving to Wiesbaden in 2022. Over the years I’ve been a member of several American Women’s Clubs, helping them in various volunteer positions. I have experienced first-hand the support and power these organizations give to women which is why I am excited to help the club in the role of Membership Chair. In my free time I am a choral singer, an avid reader of (and advocate for) fantasy and romance novels, and a history buff. |
