Each year, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Women Against Abuse helps more than 10,000 people navigate the challenges of domestic violence.
Their shelters provide a home for people escaping intimate partner violence and their children; their legal centers help people seeking protection and child custody orders navigate the court system; and their hotline, operated in partnership with Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Lutheran Settlement House and Women in Transition, provides free, confidential crisis support.
They do all this while lobbying policymakers to increase protections and support for survivors of domestic violence and hosting educational sessions to teach people the signs of intimate partner violence. Last year, they trained 3,749 people in effective responses to intimate partner violence and teen dating dynamics, including 565 young people, who learned about how to build healthy relationships.
The work they do is critical and it requires financial support to pay staff members, support the legal center, and in general keep the lights on.
“Unfortunately, we all know someone who has been impacted by domestic violence,” says Joanna Otero-Cruz, executive director and president of Women Against Abuse. “Everyone has a personal story and no one’s story of rebuilding their life is the same.”
That’s why on June 11 Women Against Abuse is hosting its 18th annual Dish It Up fundraiser, for which The Citizen and Philadelphia magazine are sponsors. The culinary event honors the accomplishments of Philadelphia’s women chefs — who can face discrimination in a male-dominated profession — while raising funds to support Women Against Abuse’s operations. Their goal is to raise $250,000 this year.
The event, held in the Wannamaker Building’s Crystal Tea Room, will kick off with a VIP reception at 5pm, before the doors open to general admission guests at 6pm. It will feature interactive food stations, a lively chef competition and plenty of opportunities for guests to network with one another. Guests will also be able to print their own t-shirts and tote bags at a screenprinting station.
This year, in honor of the organization’s 50th anniversary, the event will have a 70s theme. Think: disco balls, flower power decor, and a dose of history. There will be a timeline set up, so guests can see how Women Against Abuse grew from a single shelter, operating out of a row home in 1976, to two 100-bed safe haven houses, a legal aid center and more. The exhibit will include black-and-white photos from the organization’s early days, artifacts from the original shelter and more.
“Fifty years is a lot to celebrate,” Otero-Cruz says. “It’s the affirmation that we need to keep charting our way forward.”
The main event is the chef competitions. Fourteen women chefs in Philadelphia, including James Beard Award-winner Cristina Martínez, James Beard Award Nominee and 2025 Best of Philly winner Justine MacNeil of Fiore and Kate Hughes, the pastry chef behind Fork and High Street, will be serving up sweet and savory dishes for attendees and a panel of judges.
Otero-Cruz says they try to have “a little bit for everyone,” when picking the chefs. They have some who specialize in vegan and gluten free options, to help make the event inclusive and they try to represent an array of different cuisines, including Italian, Peruvian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Japanese this year.
“If you’re a foodie, if you like to network, have a good time, and meet like-minded people while supporting a great cause, you need to be there,” Otero-Cruz says.
The 2026 judges are Kiki Aranita, creator of Poi Dog Sauces and food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer; Bridget Foy, co-owner of the restaurant Bridget Foy’s in Society Hill and co-founder of Cry Baby Pasta; food influencers Christina Mitchell and Josh Moore; and Kae Lani Palmisano, Philadelphia magazine’s food editor and host of WHYY’s Check, Please! Philly and PBS Food’s Delishtory.
In keeping with the 70s theme, the event will conclude with an after party, celebrating the organization’s 50th Anniversary, from 9 to 10pm. It’ll bring attendees together to dance under a disco ball.
“These events are really powerful too, because we can’t do this work alone,” Otero-Cruz says.
Women Against Abuse’s Dish It Up will take place on Thursday, June 11 from 6 to 9pm at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building, 100 E .Penn Square, 9th Floor. General admission tickets are $150 and young professional tickets (for guests 35 years and younger) are $75.
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