On Saturday March 30th Catholic Charities, Veterans Services held their 4th Annual Stakeholders Awards Breakfast at the Brownstone in Paterson. This event was held in conjunction with the SOS Vets Stakeholders Group.
Over 400 people attended this event, making it the largest Awards Breakfast to date.
"The veterans breakfast is a reflection of the beauty of a community coming together for the common goal of supporting those American Veterans who served us and our County with their sacrifice,” said David Pearson, Assistant Director of Veteran Services, Catholic Charities.
The event was kicked off with an opening prayer from Father William Naughton, Straight and Narrow; the National Anthem, beautifully performed by the Rosa Parks High School Choir; and opening remarks from Scott Milliken, Catholic Charities CEO.
The Keynote Speaker was Christopher R. Perkins, the Managing Director, Global Head of OTC Clearing and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage for Citi. An Iraq War Veteran, Mr. Perkins is the Vice Chairman of Team Rubicon; the Founder of the Citi Military Veteran’s Networks; was the co-founder of the Veterans on Wall Street; and was instrumental in the forming of Citi Salutes. Mr. Perkins gave a spirited address about his experiences with the Marine Corps and in the corporate world.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson operates the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program for Veterans with very low income who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. In addition, they operate four Veterans Clothing Closets to help Veterans in need. The SOS Veterans Stakeholders are a group of individuals and organizations from throughout New Jersey aligned to support Veterans. Funds raised at this event go into the SOS Veterans Unmet Needs Fund to offer financial support for Veterans.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to see how the NJ stakeholders has evolved over the past few years and to witness the overwhelming support from the communities we serve. It has really flourished, assisted veterans through hardships, and fiercely advocated for important issues in the veteran communities,” said AJ Luna, Director of Veteran Services for Bergen County.
Honorees included:
Passaic County
John Swank, President of the Legion Riders Post 174
Morris County
Jim Feeney, Vice President Welcome Home Vets; President Ancient Order of the Hibernias, Hudson County
Sussex County
Patty Green, Sussex Elks
Essex County
Emerson Crooks, Newark Stand Down; Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris County
Bergen County
Jim Tedesco, Bergen County Executive
Hudson County
Hoboken American Legion Post 107
Union County
Sergeant Michael Boll, Operation Rebound
Regional Award
Kelly Mazzocchi, Sterling Elks
Educational Award
Ann Treadaway, Director of Veteran and Military Programs, Rutgers University
Women’s Veteran Award
Lucy Del Gaudio, 2nd Vice Commander, American Legion Post 18, Weehawken
Middlesex
Paul Sansone, Sansone Auto Group
“The SOS Stakeholders breakfast was our way of thanking our veterans and providers who support us all year long and recognizing those that do so much. The Stakeholders would like to thank Catholic Charities for giving us that privilege,” JoAnn Northgrave, Veterans Coordinator, County of Hudson.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson, is proud to help Veterans in need. To learn more visit ccpaterson.org/veterans
(Pictured above) Lucy Del Gaudio (second from right) with members of the SOS Veterans community. Ms. Gaudio is a Veteran of the US Army and a strong advocate for Veterans throughout New Jersey. She was honored with the Women's Veteran Service Award.
Keynote Speaker, Christopher Perkins, Citi, addresses the sellout crowd.
John Swank (center) with members of the SOS Veterans Community. Mr. Swank, a Navy Veteran, is a longtime advocate for Veterans, through the numerous service organizations he is involved with. He was honored with the Passaic County Award.