Speakers

https://www.thebrightsidefamily.org

201-530-6756

Kristine Pendy LCSW, is the new CEO of at the Center for Hope & Safety. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As such, Ms Pendy will discuss the critical work being done at the Center to support survivors, and how community partnerships play a vital role in creating safer communities.

Kristine@hopeandsafetynj.org

Heather Thompson and Maria Sinopoli of Table to Table will discuss how the nonprofit is using FIFA World Cup-related festivals and watch parties to fight hunger and reduce food waste. Through its Kick Hunger Out of NJ Tour, Table to Table rescues nutritious surplus food from large events and quickly delivers it to local food pantries, shelters, and community organizations.

They will also share how Table to Table has evolved since its founding in 1999 and describe their vision for expanding its impact in the years ahead.

Mrs. Rana will be discussing her latest book, Another Spring, her work as a playwright, and the role that art, resilience, and storytelling play in helping us better understand the human experience.

ybrana@aol.com

 

Military veterans Amy McCambridge-Steppe and Mark Steppe founded the nonprofit The Unbridgled Heroes Project in 2018 to rescue wild mustangs and pair them with veterans and others who have experienced trauma.  

https://www.unbridledheroesproject.org

201-937-3659

 

Women Light the World (WLTW) empowers women from marginalized communities to become leaders in climate action. Through practical skills training and entrepreneurship programs, WLTW equips participants to expand access to clean energy, build sustainable livelihoods, and advance lasting environmental and economic progress in their communities.

Mary Mahoney

marymahoney@womenlighttheworld.org

Robert will be speaking on what inspired him to become a Rotarian.

Robert Omer Latour CLU,Chfc,MSFS

AG Healthy Living

Michele Calise is a retired banking executive and an active leader in Bergen County’s nonprofit community. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Food Action and has been a longtime member of Women United in Philanthropy, supporting initiatives that address hunger, housing insecurity, and the economic well-being of women and families throughout our area.

Michelle willl be speaking about the struggles of people in need of food and basic daily necessities. 

201-755-1969 

mmhc99@att.net

Bergen Center for Child Development 

Tyler Ryan

I am the school social worker and one of the case managers at the Bergen Center for
Child Development. This is my 5th year working at the school, I received my undergraduate
degree from Ramapo College, and did my masters at NYU, and I am currently working towards
obtaining my administrators certification through the Education Leadership program at William
Paterson. I have been working in special education since I graduated from college. I started as
a paraprofessional in my home district of New Milford and came over to BCCD in September of
2022. My goal is to become a school leader so I can better advocate for students and help them
all reach their full potentials!
Krysten Cummins
I am currently the Supervisor of Instruction at Bergen Center for Child Development. I
have been at BCCD for the past 7 years. I am a certified Speech Language Pathologist. I
received my undergraduate degree from Stockton University and masters degree from Yeshiva
University. I got my administrative certification in 2023 and recently just finished the classwork
for my Principal’s certification. When I first started at BCCD I was their only speech therapist
and throughout the years I have been given various responsibilities that included Case
Management and administrative responsibilities. I believe that education and educational
institutions need both structure and flexibility. I now see the importance of advocating for special
education students and their families as we have gotten a glimpse of truly what these families
are going through.

Tom Santagato, Executive Director and Principal; Krysten Cummins, Supervisor of Instruction and Case Manager; and Tyler Ryan, Social Worker and Case Manager, will discuss the Bergen Center for Child Development and its individualized educational, therapeutic, and community-based programs helping students with developmental disabilities gain greater independence and prepare for life beyond the classroom.

201-385-4857

Krysten Cummins, MS.CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist (Supervisor of Instruction)

Tyler Ryan, Exeuctive Director

Tom Santagato, Executive Director and Principal 

 

Mia Forsberg-Villon founded Baby Bundle Inc. to help ensure that every newborn has an equal start in life. Inspired by the maternity-package tradition of her native Finland, Mia created the Baby Bundle Box to address a critical need among first-time mothers in New Jersey.  The nonprofit has supported new mothers since 2020 and primarily serves first-time mothers experiencing financial hardship or other difficult circumstances.

Each box is thoughtfully filled with essential newborn clothing, diapers, hygiene products, infant-care supplies, and other necessities. Through these packages, education, and community support, Mia’s organization provides practical assistance and peace of mind to mothers and families facing financial hardship and other challenging circumstances.

 

 

 

 

Bio to come...
For the 20-minute talk, Dr. Berlin suggests "Bulletproofing Yourself Emotionally: Practical Tools for Everyday Stress and Mental Health." It speaks to adults at every stage of life, with simple strategies members can use for themselves and to support the people they love. He's happy to adjust the focus if there's a theme your members would especially enjoy.

sscimeca@ncfl.net                        

Our guest speaker, Sharon Scimeca, Director of Development at New Concepts for Living, will give us an inside look at the organization’s exciting new Aquatic Center in Westwood. We will learn how this innovative facility will expand opportunities for adults with special needs and support New Concepts for Living’s mission of fostering independence, growth, and inclusion.

Allison Scorsone, is a Community Services Specialist with NJ Sharing Network, New Jersey's federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization. Her role is to provide education about the lifesaving gift of organ and tissue donation directly to communities across New Jersey. She serves Bergen, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties, Allison is the point of contact for organizations in these areas:

• Educational presentations at meetings and events within your community.
• Information tables at community events and health fairs
• Educational materials and resources at no cost
• Tours of NJ Sharing Network headquarters for those interested.

NJ Sharing Network’s educational goal is not to persuade anyone to take specific action, but to help community members understand what organ and tissue donation is, how the process works, and address common questions or misconceptions in an accurate and respectful way.

NJ Sharing Network
691 Central Avenue
New Providence, NJ 07974
Phone: 908-516-5400
Toll-free: 800-742-7365

Dr. Yuri C. Feynberg was born and raised in the Soviet Union. He will speak about his book, The Child of Gulag, an autobiographical story told in novelistic form. Dr. Feynberg spent part of his childhood behind the barbed-wire fences of a remote Siberian labor camp, where his mother had volunteered to work as a physician. Through the eyes of a young boy, the book depicts daily life within Stalin’s Gulag system while telling a deeply personal story of hardship, survival, family, and resilience.

After earning a master’s degree in special education and speech pathology from the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute in 1970, he worked as a special-education teacher, speech therapist, and principal of a residential school serving 450 children with developmental disabilities. He came to the United States as a political refugee in 1979 and later earned a doctorate in public administration from New York University. In 1991, he founded the Life Adjustment Center, continuing his lifelong work on behalf of people with developmental disabilities.