Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland Celebrates 15 Outstanding Community Members

The recent Hearts of Gold Gala hosted by Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland (CCCSR) was an enormous success acknowledging the hard work of 15 members of Rockland County Parishes for their “hearts of gold.” The honorees were nominated by their respective Pastors for their dedication and commitment to their own parish ministry.

“It was our honor and pleasure to celebrate so many individuals who give back to their communities on a regular basis. This was the first time we identified Parish members as our honorees and we look forward to making it an annual tradition” stated Dan Eudene, Executive Director of Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland which assists with food insecurity and housing issues for those facing eviction. It also operates Rockland County’s Warming Center to help house individuals without shelter during the colder months.

The 15 Parish members honored were:

• Beatrice Civil, Director, CYO Basketball Program, St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s Church, Haverstraw
• Andy Farrelly, Food Drive Chairperson, St. Augustine, New City
• Lucero Dominguez Ruiz, President of the Hispanic Community, Sacred Heart, Suffern
• Patricia Marino, Food Pantry Manager, Immaculate Conception, Stony Point
• Lissette Diaz, Assistant to the Pastor, The Parish of St. Paul and St. Ann (St. Paul’s Church), Congers
• Ed Tangredi, Parish Council Member, The Parish of St. Paul and St. Ann (St. Ann’s Church), Congers
• Kerry Beckmann, Parish Council President, St. Catharine of Alexandria, Blauvelt
• Raymond Rioux, Volunteer, St. Joan of Arc Church, Sloatsburg
• Patrick Bourke, Volunteer Usher & Lector, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Tuxedo
• Bernadette “Bonnie” Koop, Community Liaison, St. Gregory Barbarigo, Garnerville
• Terese (Rae Ann) Heim, Volunteer, St. Francis of Assisi, West Nyack
• James F. Maher, Parish Deacon, Church of Saint Aedan, Pearl River
• Sister Cecilia LaPietra, Executive Director, One-to-One Learning Inc., St. John the Baptist Church, Piermont/The Parish of St. John Henry Newman
• Joan Deltoro and the Choir, Volunteers, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Tappan/The Parish of St. John Henry Newman
• Ray Blanco, Volunteer, Church of St. Joseph and St. Boniface, Spring Valley

The money raised for the gala goes directly to help individuals and families in need across Rockland. During the evening CCCSR also recognized their annual sponsors including Madeline Wiebicke of Keller Williams, Rand Commercial, Club Pilates and Mercedes-Benz of Nanuet.

Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland is an affiliate of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and is a not-for-profit 501c3 social service agency established in 1996 by the eighteen Catholic parishes of Rockland County. Through compassionate and professional case management, Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland assists individuals and families of all ages, from every race, and ethnic group from throughout Rockland County regardless of their religious affiliation. The organization’s focus is to provide the necessities of life, such as food, shelter and emergency assistance for those in need. Programs include information and referral, general case management, homelessness and eviction prevention, emergency financial assistance, nutritional outreach and education, street outreach, the warming center, a food pantry, and immigration legal services.

In 2022 CCCSR:

• Provided 150,000+ meals through the Food Pantry to over 4,900 households, including 6,826 adults, 1,221, elderly, and 8,724 children

• Distributed 10,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to Food Pantry participants from the Community Garden of Love located on the property along with donated produce from Stoke’s Farms

• Received support from 40+ dedicated volunteers help to prepare, bag, and distribute food

• Served over 200 individuals in the Warming Center

• Kept over 100 households from losing their shelter

About Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland

CCCSR envisions a Rockland County where all individuals have the basic necessities – food, shelter and help in time of crisis in order to reach their full potential and lead a life of dignity. More information can be found at www.ccrockland.org or by calling (845) 942-5791.