Annual Sponsor Spotlight – Hudson Valley Credit Union
Support Connection is excited to announce that Hudson Valley Credit Union has become a 2024 Annual Sponsor. Hudson Valley Credit Union has been a proud supporter of Support Connection since 2022. HVCU’s staff participates in all of Support Connection’s annual events, including our Spirit Awards Brunch, Golf Outing and Annual Support-A-Walk. Hudson Valley Credit Union’s continued support enables Support Connection to maintain and enhance the free programs and services that we offer to anyone impacted by breast, ovarian, or other gynecological cancers.
Hudson Valley Credit Union is known for providing a wide variety of financial products and services throughout our region, but much like Support Connection, community is at the heart of the work they do. HVCU is proud to be one of New York’s leading not-for-profit financial cooperatives. This community centered mindset starts with having passionate, dedicated staff.
Many of the leaders throughout HVCU are active in the community: volunteering for events, serving on a nonprofit boards or committees, and meeting with local, state, and federal legislators to make sure that their members’ and employees’ concerns are always heard. Employees are also encouraged to participate in leadership development programs and events, as well as attend conferences related to their field so they can continue expanding their knowledge and expertise.
Hudson Valley Credit Union’s impact is over 60 years in the making, and they aren’t stopping any time soon. They continue to provide critical funding to local nonprofits like Support Connection, teach financial education to our community, and offer the products and services that you can use to create a strong financial future.
All of this is why we are proud to partner with Hudson Valley Credit Union and we are grateful that they have given us funding that we need to maintain and enhance the free counseling and programs that Support Connection provides to anyone impacted by breast, ovarian, or other gynecological cancers. You can learn more about Hudson Valley Credit Union by visiting hvcu.org and by following their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Support Connection’s Annual Sponsorship Program gives businesses and individuals the opportunity to help fund our programs and services throughout the year. This program offers levels of giving to fit many budgets.
As a way of showing appreciation, Support Connection recognizes Annual Sponsors through recognition at events, on our website and through social media.
We are deeply grateful for our Supporters and Community Partners. Many lives have been impacted and made better thanks to this generosity.
2023 Supporters and Community Partners
Beth C. Tortolani Foundation
Danbury Mission Technologies Helping Hands Fund
Eisai
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation
Hudson Valley Credit Union
Jack DeVito Foundation
Marilyn Lichtman Foundation
M&T Bank
Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation
New York Presbyterian Hospital
NYS DOH Cancer Services Program
PCSB
Peckham Family Foundation
Pink Aid
Proterial America Ltd.
Shrub Oak Athletic Club and Lakeland Central School District
SOUL RYEDERS
Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation
Wegmans
Introducing Our 2023 Support-A-Walk Ambassadors
Support Connection is proud to introduce the Walk Ambassadors for our 2023 Support-A-Walk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Carrie & Bella Tropea, Volunteers & Donors, and Nancy Stingone, Board Member, Volunteer, & Donor.
Walk Ambassadors are supporters who share their personal stories to illustrate the spirit and purpose of this uplifting annual event.
I reached out to Support Connection in 1997, during my senior year of High School. My mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 46. She had felt a lump behind her left breast and had gone to see her gynecologist. The doctor kept sending her away and saying that it was just fat tissue from the beginning stages of menopause. My father was persistent, however, and they finally found a doctor who took them seriously and performed an MRI. The MRI showed a lump the size of a grapefruit behind her left breast.
I discussed our family with Kathy and how each one of us was dealing with the news. After our discussion, I decided to create a team in honor of my mother’s fight against this horrible disease. Team “Friends of Caroline” has been walking since 1997. In 2007, my brave mother lost her battle with breast cancer. We now walk in loving memory of my mother. The Support Connection staff and counselors were a true blessing during our family’s difficult time. They continued to offer their support to our family even after our loss. This is why I continue to help with the Support-A-Walk each year. I want to be able to give back to them the same way they were able to give to our family.
My daughter, Isabella (“Bella”) was born in 2009. She has always been told about my mother, her grandmother, and what an amazing woman she was. Bella has been part of our team, in some capacity, since birth. Since the age of nine, she has been able to be more hands-on in helping get the word out regarding the Support-A-Walk. She has been helping provide outreach as well as helping hang flyers around the community. Bella also creates and updates our team banner each year.
The support that Support Connection has provided our family is indescribable. They not only helped my mom, but they also welcomed us with open arms. “Cancer is a family affair,” and it affects every member in different ways. The service they provide is a valuable asset to the community. The staff and counselors are angels sent from above.
Being a Walk Ambassador
I am grateful and honored that Bella and I have been chosen as Walk Ambassadors for the 2023 Support-A-Walk. It is humbling to be able to help this amazing organization after all the help they have provided our family. I hope that by sharing my story with others that are going through what I have gone through, they will realize just how important we are to our diagnosed family member. It is important for them to know that they are not alone, and we will help them navigate their journey together. I love being able to reach out to our community and help raise money so that this organization can continue to help others. This is why I formed our team and why I will continue to walk for as long as I am able to. To walk as a team, surrounded by our community and loved ones while keeping my mom’s memory alive, is a great feeling. I am so glad that I am able to share this experience with my daughter.
I am so grateful and honored to be chosen as an Ambassador for Support Connection’s Support-A-Walk this year! I have a personal connection to their mission, as my sister, Louise Zayas, passed away in 2015 of ovarian cancer. She was the strongest woman I know and fought the good fight till the end. She is now our Angel. The emotional support, resources, and educated guidance Support Connection offers to women navigating the journey my sister traveled is valuable beyond words.
I encourage and hope to inspire others to give to Support Connection. We all know someone who is affected by breast, ovarian, or other gynecological cancers. This organization offers cancer support programs and services that are unlimited for as long as you need them. When you need them, they will be there. Tell your friends and family to reach out when they feel all hope is lost and they don’t know where to turn. No one fighting these cancers needs to feel alone.
Being a Walk Ambassador
I am so grateful to be able to “gift” back to this amazing, supportive organization.
Click here to hear Nancy’s dedication in her own words.
We are excited to present our Annual Spirit Awards to very special honorees:
The Andrea Karl Amazing Grace Award
2023 Honoree: Audra Paganelli
This award is presented in honor and memory of Andrea Karl, a Peer Counselor at Support Connection for 16 years. This award is presented to the person dealing with cancer who has faced challenges and through support, uncovered strength and hope along their cancer journey.
The Maria Rubino Jennings Spirit of Caring Award
2023 Honoree: David Tartaglia
This award is presented in honor and memory of Maria who helped create Support Connection’s Peer Counseling program and other services. Like Maria, the recipients have made a positive difference in many lives through the power of caring.
The Dolly and Mike Acocella Spirit of Giving Award
2023 Honoree: Christine Rowley
This award is presented to those who are an inspiration to others and clearly demonstrate what it means to give of oneself. They are people who help Support Connection help others by giving wholeheartedly through volunteering and promoting our mission, as Dolly and Mike always did.
The Julie Haney Spirit of Hope Awards
2023 Honorees: Joann DeGregorio and Christina Rae
This award is presented in honor and memory of Julie, who found the support she needed from our Peer Counselors. Julie exuded hope and was a bright light to all who knew her. This award is given to individuals who appreciate that, with support, they can face their challenges and move forward with hope in their heart. Their positive and caring attitude encourages and inspires others.
Learn more about our 2023 honorees:
Audra Paganelli
I was involved with Support Connection years before my ovarian cancer diagnosis. I participated in the walks, secured grants from my company, and I donated personally each year. From the date I was diagnosed, May 16, 2022, my mind went into the mode of not allowing myself to consider any other outcome than a positive one. Through my past knowledge and experience with Support Connection, specifically Andrea Karl’s explanation of their Peer Counseling program, I knew I could reach out to someone who understood exactly what I was feeling. From that first phone call, Support Connection enabled me to find my inner strength. Just knowing Support Connection was there really helped me to stay positive, look ahead and believe I was going to come out of this okay. Having a resource like Support Connection has been a critical asset to my overall well-being. It is my privilege to be associated with Andrea Karl and the critical role she played in so many women’s lives by receiving the Amazing Grace Award in her honor.
David Tartaglia
Volunteering and helping others have always come naturally to me. As a facilitator for Support Connection’s Men’s Support Group, I am not only supporting other men whose wives are affected by breast and gynecological cancers, but I am also utilizing the group as a source of support and learning for myself. Coming together as a group helps us all, including myself, feel a little less alone and helpless as caregivers for our wives.
Christine Rowley
Christine was born and raised in New York City. After a 20+ year career in the legal field, during which time she obtained a master’s degree from Fordham University and her Associate Broker’s license, she chose to focus full-time on creating what is now an exceptionally successful real estate business. We are blessed to have received incredible support from Christine for many years now. Christine explains, “my entire mission is to help others and that doesn’t just mean to buy and sell real estate. It’s not about transactions but about building relationships that last a lifetime. God has blessed me with certain gifts, and it’s important to me to use them to the best of my abilities. I’ve seen so many people go through health battles, including my own children, and it can be extremely lonely and scary. Having the support that Support Connection brings to the lives of others is immeasurable. I’m honored to be a part of this beautiful cause.”
Joann DeGregorio
In December 2009 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Family and friends were very supportive, but what they couldn’t tell me was how it felt to hear those words, “you have cancer.” It took all my strength to pick up the phone to call Support Connection, but when I spoke to a counselor, a weight lifted off my shoulders. That was the beginning of many conversations, and there was always a word or phrase that clicked with the situation I was going through. The good Lord has put wonderful people in my life. Without the Lord, faith, and God in my life, I cannot imagine where I would be. When Support Connection called me and asked if I’d accept this award, I was stunned. Me, what did I do to be considered for this award. I leaned on SC for years. Support Connection saw something in me I didn’t. I’m truly blessed, knowing I added something to this community.
Christina Rae
Christina Rae is a busy mother of three active kids, ages 7-17, a wife of almost 20 years, and an entrepreneur/small business owner of the PR & Marketing firm, Buzz Creators, Inc. Christina first met the Support Connection team through her PR work. In July 2021, Christina was diagnosed with breast cancer and knew just who to call for support, noting that “the fact that [the Peer Counselors] have all ‘been there themselves’ is so important. No one should fight cancer alone and I am so grateful an organization like Support Connection exists. It truly helped me, and it helps so many other people get through one of the toughest times of their life.”
The Andrea Karl Amazing Grace Award
Support Connection is delighted to introduce the Andrea Karl Amazing Grace Award at our 2023 Spring Benefit loving memory of a Peer Counselor who left behind a legacy of amazing grace.
To have had the pleasure of knowing Andrea Karl was a gift. Her amazing laugh, caring and understanding heart shone through in all she did, instantly creating a bond with the Support Connection staff, volunteers and the people with breast, ovarian or gynecological cancer who turned to her for support. Andrea was passionate about giving women and their families a safe place to turn to as they navigated a cancer journey.
In March of 2003, Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer. In her own words, “…no family history of breast cancer, no clue where it came from, why I had it or what to do about it. I was thrown into a world I knew nothing about.”
Six months earlier, she had learned about Support Connection’s services when she participated in our annual Support-A-Walk. Shortly after she heard the words “you have breast cancer,” Andrea called Support Connection and spoke to Maria, a Peer Counselor. Andrea clearly remembers, “Maria listened and understood. She had heard the same words. She had been just as scared.” Andrea found the support she received gave her what she needed: someone to listen and understand, a resource and a number to call when she needed someone to talk to. Andrea didn’t forget how valuable the support was and so, she became a volunteer.
It soon became evident that Andrea would make a great Peer Counselor. Andrea was passionate about her work and helped thousands of women in her 16 years as a Peer Counselor for Support Connection. She dedicated herself to helping women understand that there is no one way to travel through a cancer diagnosis and that they have choices.
Andrea described her work saying, “Every day we speak with women who have just had the rug pulled out from under them … women who have just been placed in a totally uncontrollable situation, feeling powerless and uninformed. They call our office looking for answers. These women who are already juggling many things and have just been thrown an extra ball to keep in the air. We guide them to find their own answers and encourage them to see the strength they truly have.”
Andrea also shared, “We allow women to openly discuss their cancer, and we listen without judgment, knowing we all bring who we are to the table. No two journeys are the same, and we realize that at this point, these women can’t see their own strength. It is each woman’s strength that helps the next person find theirs. The amazing ripple effect of support and hope that one phone call begins is a little miracle I am blessed to be part of every day.”
Andrea’s superpower was helping people find strength they did not know they had, what Andrea referred to as their amazing grace. She was selfless in her compassion, understanding and guidance. She never gave herself credit for helping someone find their amazing grace. Asked one day what made her support so impactful, Andrea shared, “What I do has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the women I speak with. It is their strength, their courage, their tears, their smiles and laughter, kindness and compassion that are with me every time I answer the phone. Together we help each other find the hero in us all.”
Andrea was the epitome of amazing grace. She will always be a Support Connection hero and our inspiration to help every woman and person who turns to us to find their amazing grace. This speaks to why we are thrilled to introduce The Andrea Karl Amazing Grace Award at our 2023 Spring Benefit, which will take place on Friday, April 28, 2023.
Our 2022 Accomplishments
About Our Programs and Services
Our Professional Peer Counselors, cancer survivors themselves, provide personalized support and guidance, free of charge, to hundreds of women and their families every year. Peer Counselors are on duty Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, offering help and information by phone, email, and (when permissible) in person. They are a lifeline to those facing the many challenges that come with navigating a breast, ovarian or other gynecological cancer journey. They are there for support from diagnosis, through treatment, and beyond.
In addition to providing one-on-one support, our Peer Counselors also plan and implement all of our other free support services, such as support groups, educational and wellness programs, social activities for cancer survivors, and educational programs. Our peer-to-peer approach to service provision is the key to meeting the needs of the people we serve. At Support Connection, We’ve Been There ~ We Care.
What You Helped Us Accomplish in 2022
2022 was a year filled with the challenge of adjusting to a “new normal.” No obstacle was too great, however, to distract us from our commitment to our mission and to those who need our support.
Here are HIGHLIGHTS of what our Peer Counselors accomplished in 2022:
Offered critically needed help, information, and assistance to 470 different individuals affected by breast, ovarian or any other gynecological cancer. 216 of these were new clients.
71% of these individuals contacted our Peer Counselors on multiple occasions.
Served individuals from 30 different states.
Had 2,872individual contacts with cancer survivors, family members, friends, to provide in-depth, personalized support and information.
Held 82 Monthly Support Group sessions in 2022, all held virtually. Each was facilitated by our professional Peer Counselors and/or trained volunteers, all of whom are cancer survivors themselves. These support group sessions had a total attendance of 199.
Brought relaxation and healing to women living with cancer by hosting 4weekly virtual wellness classes: Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi, Rosen Movement. We offered 100 total sessions of these classes, for a total attendance of 604.
Enhanced the well-being of people living with cancer by offering a variety of programs, including: therapeutic activities such as virtual art classes; social activities such as book club; 15 sessions of topic-focused discussion groups. These programs had a total attendance of 161.
Offered Open Discussions specifically for menwhose spouse/partner has breast, ovarian or any gynecological cancer and Open Discussions for men living with the loss of a spouse or partner to these cancers.
Provided vital educational information to women with breast, ovarian or any other gynecological cancer across the country by offering 3 nationalwebinars. Speakers were doctors with expertise in their fields or other health-care professionals.
Through community outreach, our professional Peer Counselors connected with 82 individuals or organizations to develop relationships with other professionals and organizations that may offer additional resources and services to our clients.
