{"id":380000,"date":"2026-10-22T19:48:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T19:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/380000\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T19:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T19:48:28","slug":"the-real-housewives-of-atlantas-cynthia-bailey-headlines-honors-at-cabs-health-network-2026-circle-of-care-awards-gala-caribbean-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/380000\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Housewives of Atlanta\u2019s Cynthia Bailey headlines honors at CABS Health Network 2026 Circle of Care Awards Gala \u2013 Caribbean Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

CABS Health Network \u2013 a community-based healthcare organization dedicated to expanding access to care, closing gaps in health and social services, and strengthening care coordination across Brooklyn and New York City \u2013 on Wednesday, Oct. 14, honored The Real Housewives of Atlanta\u2019s Cynthia Bailey during its annual Circle of Care Awards (COCA) 2026 Fundraising Gala at Park Lane Hotel in midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n

CABS bestowed its Caregiver of the Year Award on Bailey during the annual gala that serves as a \u201ccelebration of community leadership, a call to partnership, and an opportunity to invest in healthier, more connected communities across Brooklyn and the greater New York City area.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

CABS said Bailey, an international supermodel, actress, entrepreneur, and television personality known for her longtime role on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, was recognized for her dedication to uplifting others and her deeply personal journey as a primary caregiver to her mother, Barbara Ford Morris, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CABS pointed to a 2025 report from Johns Hopkins University that says that \u201capproximately 63 million people in this country serve as caregivers, of whom only about 5 million do so in a paid capacity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, the Haitian-born representative for the 46th Council District, was also be honored with the Community Innovator Award.<\/p>\n

\"WilliamWilliam Andrew, CABS\u2019 co-founder, addresses ceremony.Photo by Nelson A. King
\n\"SherlySherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, the Haitian-born president and CEO of CABS delivers opening remarks.Photo by Nelson A. King<\/p>\n

SOMOS, Inc. Executive Director Rosa Maria Pelton Alcantara received the Community Leadership & Advocacy Award, and Jobed LaPointe received the Care Community Partner Award for their pioneering contributions across New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition, Bernadette Quick, Anselma Trinidad, Mirielle Anelson and Maribel Jones were honored as Caregivers of the Year, representing over a century of combined caregiving experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

City Council Member Chris Banks, whose mother hailed from Trinidad and Tobago and who represents the 42nd Council District in Brooklyn, presented citations to Narcisse and the other honorees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s event was held in Manhattan for the first time and centered on the theme of putting \u201cCare at the Center,\u201d bringing together healthcare professionals, civic leaders, supporters and advocates.<\/p>\n

CABS said the evening raised critical support for its Health Network\u2019s ongoing initiatives, which include home care, care coordination, disease prevention, food access, community outreach and neighborhood partnerships.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight, as I look across this room, I see more than distinguished guests. I see a community united by a shared belief: That every human being deserves to be seen. To be valued. To be respected. And above all, to be cared for,\u201d said Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, the Haitian-born president and CEO of CABS in her opening remarks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, right, with representatives for the late Inez Harvey.Photo by Nelson A. King
\n\"\"Bernadette Quick receives award flanked by CAB executives.Photo by Nelson A. King<\/p>\n

\u201cOur theme this evening is \u2018Care at the Center,\u2019\u201d she added. \u201cThree simple words. But behind those words is a profound responsibility, because care is not simply a service we provide. Care is a promise we make: A promise to the mother trying to hold her family together; to the older adult who wishes to remain independent in the home they love; to the person living with illness or disability who deserves to be treated with dignity; and to every family who places their trust in the hands of a caregiver.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt CABS Health Network, we understand the weight of that trust,\u201d Demosthenes-Atkinson continued. \u201cAnd we understand something else: Behind every person receiving care is someone making the decision, every single day, to show up; someone who rises before the sun; someone who travels across this city in the rain, the snow and the cold; someone who prepares a meal, offers a steady hand, listens to a familiar story, or simply sits beside someone who does not want to feel alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said these are the moments that rarely make headlines.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do not always come with applause,\u201d Demosthenes-Atkinson said. \u201cAnd, too often, the people responsible for them go unrecognized.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cBut tonight, we recognize them,\u201d she added. \u201cTonight, we honor the hands that care, the hearts that serve, and the quiet acts of compassion that change lives. To every caregiver in this room: We see you, we value you, and we thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Council Member Mercedes Narcisse receive award and citation from Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, right, and Council Member Chris Banks, respectively.Photo by Nelson A. King
\n\"\"Joe LaPointe and his son, Gabriel, with Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, second from right, and a CAB representative.Photo by Nelson A. King<\/p>\n

Demosthenes-Atkinson thanked the honorees for \u201creminding us that leadership is not measured solely by titles or accomplishments.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue leadership is measured by the lives we touch and the difference we leave behind,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd to our entire CABS family, thank you for your dedication, resilience and unwavering commitment to serving others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight is a celebration, but it is also a reminder that our work is not finished,\u201d she added. \u201cThere are still families struggling to access the support they need. There are still older adults facing isolation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there are still caregivers carrying extraordinary responsibilities without the recognition and resources they deserve,\u201d Demosthenes-Atkinson continued. \u201cBut I stand before you tonight with tremendous hope, because I know what is possible when compassion meets commitment; when leadership meets purpose; and when organizations, businesses, government, and communities come together\u2014not simply to talk about change, but to create it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo tonight, I ask each of you to remember this: Care is not a privilege reserved for a few; it is a responsibility we share for one another,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd a Circle of Care is only as strong as our willingness to keep widening it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams Andrew, CABS\u2019 co-founder, told the ceremony: \u201cIt is with great honor we highlight our honorees tonight that exemplify what CABS was founded on, the passion to serve, educate, and inspire your fellow man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"SOMOS, Inc. Executive Director Rosa Maria Pelton Alcantara receives the Community Leadership & Advocacy Award flanked by Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, left, and Dr. Christopher D. Hickey, CABS\u2019 director of Integrated Care Operations.Photo by Nelson A. King
\n\"\"The Real Housewives of Atlanta\u2019s Cynthia Bailey receives the Caregiver of the Year Award from Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, right, and Dr. Christopher D. Hickey. .Photo by Nelson A. King<\/p>\n

He said CABS was born more than 50 years ago in a storefront office in front of the Marcy projects in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, more than 50 years later, CABS has developed a health network under the leadership of President and CEO Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson that would exemplify what can be accomplished when people serve, educate and inspire their fellow-man,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

Bailey said she felt \u201cwonderful to be recognized, though I\u2019ll be honest\u2014it\u2019s a little hard to wrap my head around receiving an award for taking care of my mama.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my heart, I\u2019m doing what feels right as her daughter. She\u2019s always been there for me, and now I want to be there for her,\u201d she said, disclosing that her mother survived breast cancer and is \u201cliving with diabetes and other health issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard watching someone you love face things you can\u2019t fix, especially your mother, because you grew up believing she could fix just about anything,\u201d Bailey added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you again for this honor,\u201d she continued. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to accept it, and even more grateful for the opportunity to be there for my mother. May we all find ways to be there for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Narcisse, a registered nurse by training, who represents the 46th Council District in Brooklyn, expressed gratitude for the Circle of Care Award.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, I want to say thank you to all the honorees,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYour staff goes beyond because of your leadership,\u201d added Narcisse referring to Demosthenes-Atkinson. \u201cThank you for being who you are. I\u2019m grateful for being a community innovator.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Real Housewives of Atlanta\u2019s Cynthia Bailey addresses gala.Photo by Nelson A. King
\n\"\"Honorees with Councilman Chris Banks, second from left, and Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson, the Haitian-born president and CEO of CABS, fourth from left.Photo by Nelson A. King<\/p>\n

Pelton-Alcantara\u00a0\u201csincerely\u201d thanked CABS Health Network for \u201cthis incredible honor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be recognized for community leadership and advocacy is deeply meaningful to me because this work has never been just a job; it has always been about people,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI accept this award with gratitude, but also with a renewed sense of responsibility, because the real measure of leadership is not the title we hold or the recognition we receive. It is what we do with our position to make life better for someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe LaPointe and his son, Gabriel, read a statement on behalf of Jobed LaPointe.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work we do asks a lot of us, emotionally and physically,\u201d they said. \u201cYou deserve the kindness you give so freely to others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do me a favor. Say this with me: \u2018I love myself,\u2019\u201d they added, with patrons obliging. \u201cCarry that love into how you treat yourself tomorrow. Give yourself permission to rest, to receive support and to begin again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCheers to all of you doing the work,\u201d the LaPointes continued. \u201cThank you for the lives you touch, for the hope you bring, and for seeing me. Make room for joy, be well and continue to do good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demosthenes-Atkinson said that, for more than four decades, CABS has been \u201crooted in the belief that meaningful care must begin with people.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur journey began with a commitment to serve communities whose needs were too often overlooked,\u201d she said. \u201cToday, that commitment reaches beyond the walls of any single institution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Circle of Care extends into homes, neighborhoods and communities\u2014connecting healthcare with food access, housing, prevention, advocacy, and the essential support that allows people to live healthier, more independent lives,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr. Christopher D. Hickey, CABS\u2019 director of Integrated Care Operations, said: \u201cWithout collaborations such as all of you, we would not have been gifted the divine opportunity to serve the community for over 60 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor that alone, I can say we have been blessed, and we move forward in the mantra spoken by Hilary Rodham Clinton (former US Secretary of State and presidential candidate), that it truly takes a village,\u201d he added. \u201cYou, ladies and gentlemen, are the village with whom we stand united.\u201d<\/p>\n

CABS said proceeds from COCA 2026 directly fund community health programs across New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CABS Health Network \u2013 a community-based healthcare organization dedicated to expanding access to care, closing gaps in health…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[83799,139406,9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-380000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-cab","tag-cynthia-bailey","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}