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<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 On Friday evening, in the Grand Ballroom of LiGreci\u2019s Staaten, nearly 250 guests joined together to celebrate the Seamen\u2019s Society for Children and Families\u2019 Hope Gala.<\/p>\n
Attendees were at the West Brighton catering hall with a shared mission to support the time-honored organization and enable it to carry out its goal to provide the highest quality services in the community and strengthen and preserve families.<\/p>\n
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1\/93<\/p>\n
Seamen’s Society Hope Gala<\/p>\n
Proceeds from the evening\u2019s fare are earmarked for the organization\u2019s programs that comfort and protect Staten Island\u2019s most vulnerable residents \u2014 children and families facing challenges like domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental illness.<\/p>\n
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Members of the Executive Team at the Seamen’s Society For Children and Families Hope Gala at LiGreci’s Staaten on Friday, Oct.17, 2025. (Steve White for the Advance\/SILive.com)Steve White<\/p>\n
Gala chairs were Caroline Ferreri and Danielle Raleigh.<\/p>\n
Jeanne Raleigh served as journal chair.<\/p>\n
For their outstanding contributions to the community of Staten Island, Seamen\u2019s Society recognized several outstanding local leaders with names like, Joseph Manzo of Staten Island Technical High School and Lynne Persing, who were presented with the Safe Harbor Award, and Debbie and Julio Vale who received the 2025 Joan Arnold Award.<\/p>\n
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Members of the Board of Directors at the\u00a0Seamen’s Society for Children and Families at their Hope Gala at LiGreci’s Staaten on Oct.17, 2025.(Steve White for the Advance\/SILive.com)Steve White<\/p>\n
THE CEREMONIAL PROGRAM<\/p>\n
Tatiana Mroczek, Miss Staten Island 2022, led the program with her heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem, while Matthew Tesoriero gestured in sign language.<\/p>\n
Maureen Higgins, senior development coordinator offered the welcoming remarks:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is truly an honor to be part of an organization that has served New York City\u2019s most vulnerable for nearly 180 years,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom foster care to counseling and youth support, Seamen\u2019s Society works tirelessly to ensure that children and families not only survive, but thrive. With your support here tonight, Seamen\u2019s Society can continue to help children and families build safe, stable, and successful futures.\u201d<\/p>\n
David W. Gaskin, president and CEO of Seamen\u2019s Society, spoke poignant words:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we stand behind children in crisis for nearly 180 years, Seamen\u2019s Society has been a trusted presence in our community,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe help to shape futures, one life at a time. We have a family support program. We have a domestic violence proram for nearly 30 years, a newly expanded mental health program and an education center on the North Shore. This \u2018Hope Gala\u2019 plays a vital role in making all this possible. Together we are meeting the needs and opening doors. Thank you for your support and belielving in what we do at Seamen\u2019s Society.\u201d<\/p>\n
After acknowledging all present, Teresa Cirelli, chief development officer, commented:<\/p>\n
\u201cI would also like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible gala chairs, Danielle Raleigh and Caroline Ferreri, and our journal chair, Jeanne Raleigh. Your tireless dedication, hard work, and passion have made tonight possible, and we truly could not have done this without you! Together, you have made this night a celebration of support for Seamen\u2019s Society and we are so grateful for each of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
In echoing Cirelli\u2019s remarks, Ferreri expressed her thanks to her co-chairs and committee members who contributed to the success of the evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are deeply grateful for your support this evening,\u201d Cirelli added, before going on to acknowledge Public Administrator, Edwina Frances Martin, and State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who were both present.<\/p>\n
In introducing honoree, Joseph Manzo, Cirelli said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my absolute pleasure and honor to present this year\u2019s Safe Harbor Award to someone whose dedication, compassion, and quiet leadership has made a lasting impact – not only on Seamen\u2019s Society, but on generations of students and families across Staten Island. Your continued support of Seamen\u2019s Society, your leadership in education, and your commitment to community make you more than deserving of this recognition. You are the embodiment of what the Safe Harbor Award represents: a steady presence, a source of support, and a guiding light for others, especially young people, navigating life\u2019s challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
In accepting the award Manzo remarked: \u201cOur world is obsessed with influence and influencers. In politics, in business, and definitely on social media, influence is powerful. But in a culture that worships influence, I believe encouragement is even more powerful. Influence might get you likes and followers. Encouragement changes lives. A kind word, a gesture, a small act of lifting someone up \u2014 those moments can change everything and everyone. That\u2019s what Seamen\u2019s Society has done for more than 175 years. They do what great parents, foster parents, leaders, and teachers do \u2014 they encourage. They lift families when life gets heavy, guide children through rough waters, and remind all of us what compassion looks like in action. Tonight isn\u2019t only a gala or fundraiser \u2014 it\u2019s a celebration of encouragement itself.”<\/p>\n
Manzo went on to explain that his greatest encouragers have been his parents, his mentors, his wife, family, friends, and students.<\/p>\n
At Wagner College Manzo was encouraged by Dr. Joseph \u201cJoedy\u201d Smith<\/a> \u2014 a longtime leader at Seamen\u2019s Society \u2014 who introduced him to Seamen\u2019s mission and to the annual toy drives that became part of both his life\u2019s work and mine… <\/p>\n \u201cOur life\u2019s work is rooted in a conviction that service, leadership, scholarship, and character are not abstract ideals. I accept this honor on behalf of my family, Dr. Jody Smith, my colleagues, and the generations of students who\u2019ve done the heavy lifting \u2014 literally \u2014 to keep this tradition alive.\u201d<\/p>\n In introducing Persing, Gaskin described her kind deeds that benefited residents of Staten Island.<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, Lynne has been a steadfast supporter of our mission, especially when it comes to one of the most meaningful investments we can make: continuing education for young adults in our foster care program. Through her unwavering support of our scholarship program, Lynne has helped open doors and build futures for so many young people in our community. Thanks to her, students who once faced unimaginable challenges have been able to pursue their dreams, reach their goals, and create new opportunities for themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n Persing congratulated her fellow honorees for supporting Seamen\u2019s Society.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter I was retired for two days, I realized the need to get involved. I gave it serious thinking and thought about The Seamen\u2019s Society for Children and Families and Geller House. Later when I attended a dinner at Seamen\u2019s Society, where a youngster told her life\u2019s story \u2014 it was a miracle that she survived and attended college. With the help of Seamen\u2019s Society she was placed with a loving family. This is truly a remarkable organization and I feel truly blessed to e received this award.”<\/p>\n Carrie Knight, of the Seamen\u2019s Society program staff, presented the Joan Arnold Award to Debbie and Julio Vale.<\/p>\n \u201cTogether, Julio and I have built a big, beautiful family. We are proud parents of eight, grandparents of 10, and great-grandparents of five. We also have the privilege of being kinship foster parents. It was something we never expected and honestly, something we didn\u2019t even know existed until the day ACS came to our door with two little girls. We want to sincerely thank everyone at Seamen\u2019s Society for his honor. From our hearts to your, thank you again for this meaningful recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n As the evening progressed, guests enjoyed a casino room filled with gaming tables and raffle baskets.<\/p>\n ABOUT THE SEAMEN\u2019S SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES<\/p>\n Founded in 1846 and based in St. George, Seamen\u2019s Society serves more than 1,250 children and 500 families on Staten Island and in Brooklyn through foster care, adoption, family support services, health services, domestic violence services, tutoring and scholarships.<\/p>\n Throughout the years its unique legacy has been a safe haven for New York families in crisis.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 On Friday evening, in the Grand Ballroom of LiGreci\u2019s Staaten, nearly 250 guests joined…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8645,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-8644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","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\/8644","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=8644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}