About Us
“This is the urgency:
Live! And have your blooming in
the noise of the whirlwind.”
Gwendolyn Brooks
Our History
Harlem Wellness Center was born in 2003,
when a circle of friends in Harlem asked founder Vivian Kurutz to teach them yoga.
Over the next decade, she developed a series of popular yoga classes and pioneered an expanding array of healthy living workshops for Harlem residents.
With her leadership and passion for health equity, HWC has evolved into a dynamic, diverse, and close-knit community devoted to creating a city-wide, grassroots movement for health equity, racial healing, and healthy communities.
Our Board
The Harlem Wellness Center is a partner project of the Fund for the City of New York. The FCNY supports HWC through fiscal management and governance, allowing HWC to focus on its mission and to expand its impact through innovative programming, communications, and community fundraising. The FCNY was established by the Ford Foundation to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers.
Our Junior Board
Harlem Wellness Center debuted its first Junior Board this year, and each young leader on that board is passionate about our purpose!
Our Partners
May and Samuel Rudin
Family Foundation
