Jomal Alcober, a long-time social justice activist, has listed Astraea as a beneficiary of her retirement accounts. A friend to Astraea for over a decade, Ms. Alcober attributes her decision to become a member of Astraea's Women Will Program because of her belief that Astraea's mission and values are similar to her own. "Women's leadership is so important in the current local and global political climate," she says, "and Astraea is willing to address issues and support those people willing to take risks and leads on important issues around the world. I want to see that work continue."
Ms. Alcober was also moved to join Women Will when she reached a particular stage in her life. She stated, "There comes a point in time when you begin to look at your own mortality and, given the fact that I don't have offspring, I wanted to become part of Astraea's longevity."
Extremely active in numerous social justice movements since the early 1970s, Ms. Alcober moved to New York in 1988 from Washington D.C., her home town. She is a former Human Rights Specialist/Civil Rights Investigator of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and is currently employed by a midtown Manhattan law firm. A former student of Political Science and Public Policy at City College of New York, Ms. Alcober received several scholarships in Political Science, Public Policy and History, including four Congressional scholarships. She is also a jazz vocalist and published poet.
"I have seen many organizations come and go in the AIDS/HIV pandemic and through environmental and social justice movements," she said, "and I am impressed with Astraea's consistency and willingness to dare to take a stand against oppression of women on the global scale." Having been a witness to and a contributing agent of various movements of social change over the last thirty-five years, Ms. Alcober remains inspired by Astraea's ideals: a commitment to justice in all its forms and a willingness to address issues at their core.