In 1951 Evelyn and Vernon Atwater moved to Ridgewood, N.J. with their two young daughters.  Evelyn soon became actively involved in the community, devoting herself to volunteer leadership positions with the American Red Cross, the New Jersey Historical Society, the Friends of the Hermitage, the Ridgewood Library, the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, the United Way of Bergen County and West Side Presbyterian Church.

When her younger daughter was two-years-old, Mrs. Atwater joined the Ridgewood YWCA, beginning a tradition of service to that organization that would last for decades and reaches countless women and girls in Bergen County.  In 1974, while a board member of the Ridgewood YWCA, Mrs. Atwater founded Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN), which honors outstanding women executives and their employers. TWIN is now stronger than ever and the program launched in Bergen County has become adopted in YMCA chapters across the country.

An offshoot of TWIN is the TWIN Alumnae Association (TAA), which is made up of every woman who has received the TWIN award.  TAA provides a valuable link between key female executives in Bergen County, offering personal and professional development programs, as well as community service opportunities. One of the TAA’s annual programs is a scholarship for Ramapo College women, named in honor of Mrs. Atwater.  The Atwater Scholarship benefits an outstanding female student who plans to pursue a career in business or industry.

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