Holiday Hope Project 2022
Everyone deserves hope during the holidays!
The Romano Auto Dealerships donated $25,000 to local non-profit charities during the 2022 holiday season. 10 local organizations were awarded $2,500 each to help those in need.
Meet our first $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Building Men. This program strongly believes that developing a fellowship of young males striving to become responsible men will increase their motivation, passion, and leadership and help to create a positive impact upon the young men’s development. The Building Men Program is collecting gifts and monetary donations to be used for their holiday giveaway for the students and families they work with. On December 17th, parents will be able to come to pick out a gift or two to give to their children. It is such an inspiration to see all you do for the community.
Pictured: Director Joe Horan and Family & Community Engagement Coordinator Maiah Piraino with Leah Royal from Romano Toyota.
Meet our second $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Syracuse Northeast Community Center. The Syracuse Northeast Community Center's New American Livability Program helps New Americans, Immigrants, and Refugees connect in their native language, share cultural traditions, and become better acquainted with their new home on Syracuse's Northeast and North sides. The program provides weekly gathering space, English classes, dedicated food pantry, special events, and access to resources and expertise. The New American Livability Program grew out of a pilot and is becoming a comprehensive program building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Thank you for all the love and support you offer to the Syracuse community. 
Meet our third $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project,
Road to Emmaus Ministry of Syracuse, Inc., a dynamic ministry that brings the presence of the Catholic Church to the poor, hungry, isolated, and homeless of the south side and the city of Syracuse, New York. At Emmaus Ministry, they serve meals to their guests six days a week. To date they have served 57,384 meals and counting. With the high cost of groceries, this gift will be used to help them continue to feed the rising number of guests they see every day. We are so blessed to see all the good you do.
Meet our fourth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, CancerConnects, Inc. CancerConnects provides free programs & services to help facilitate the cancer journey for adult cancer patients right here in CNY. Their PLANT (Providing Lifesaving Access to Nutrition & Transportation) Program provides cancer patients with quality nutrition (including groceries, locally grown produce, lifesaving nutrition supplements such as Ensure/Boost, vitamins/mineral supplements, and feeding tube equipment).
Lori from CancerConnects says, “We are so grateful for the Romano Auto Dealerships Holiday Hope Project donation to support this vital program!”
Thank you, Lori and everyone involved in the CancerConnects program, for all your hard work and dedication to our community.
Meet our fifth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Lourdes Camp. Lourdes Camp's mission is to provide children an opportunity to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally and socially in a wholesome, caring outdoor environment. It is a learning experience filled with fun and excitement available to children between the ages of 7-14. With this donation, Lourdes Camp would be able to send more kids to camp through our Campership Program. The Lourdes Camp Campership Program is designed to allow children the opportunity to enjoy an experience at camp who otherwise might not get that chance because of their family’s financial situation. We are blown away by all the good you do for the children in the community!
Meet our sixth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Syracuse City Schools –Expeditionary Learning Middle School. Every year ELMS has a gift bazaar so their students can get items for their families for the holidays. The $2,500 will help with the purchase of gift items and dinners for families in need within the school. These are often the only gifts that the families receive each year. Thank you, ELMS, for your thoughtfulness and love for the families in the Syracuse Community.
Meet our seventh $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Food Bank of Central New York. Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit organization working to eliminate hunger through food distribution, education, and advocacy in cooperation with the community. This $2,500 donation will help the Food Bank acquire and distribute enough nutritious food for 7,500 meals. This food will be distributed in an 11-county service area of central and northern New York to individuals, families, and seniors facing hunger. We are blown away by this amazing charity!
Meet our eighth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Charity for Children. In 2004, Nina Albino and Kathleen Miller-Murphy founded Charity for Children as a way to provide financial and educational support to local children with diseases, disabilities and disorders who may have otherwise “fallen through the cracks.” The idea was to help not just the affected children, but entire families who must cope with daily challenges. With its localized focus, Charity for Children is able to simplify many of the strict administrative processes of national charities and make it as easy as possible for families to get help. This $2,500 donation will be used to provide lodging and meals to patients traveling outside the Syracuse area for treatment, diagnostic purposes or follow-up physician visits. These funds will also help pay for prescription drugs or any medically related expenses. We are so blessed to see all the good you do!
Meet our ninth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, Marcellus Fire Department Auxiliary. The Auxiliary provides Christmas to less fortunate families within the Marcellus Central School District. This year they have approximately 30 families they are trying to assist. This donation will help the Auxiliary purchase food for the families, as well as warm winter clothes and some toys for the children for Christmas. Thank you, Marcellus Fire Department Auxiliary; we are truly blown away by your selfless warm-hearted endeavors. Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Wheeler, Charlene Chase, Deb Fiumara, Katie LaRose, Wanda Persse, Jennifer Cebeniak, Beckie Somerville
Meet our tenth $2,500 recipient of the Holiday Hope Project, LAUNCH. LAUNCH has been proudly serving the greater Onondaga County area since 1985. Their mission is to partner with children and adults in order to provide individualized services that foster learning, independence and growth -- guided by the principle that learning is unique for each individual and occurs in all spheres of life. They strive to provide services and supports that promote lifelong learning and growth and exemplify the tenets that everyone should: have access to education and be supported to learn. have opportunities for employment and be supported to secure and maintain employment have opportunities for community involvement and be supported for active membership in his/her community This donation will be used to purchase group seating furniture and laptops for their Adult Social Recreation and Community Habilitation Program participants (learning and developmental disabilities) to use while working with the staff to continue their goals of gaining independence and growth. We are so inspired by all you do to help our community. Pictured: Kaitlyn Totten, Erin Gonnella and Paulette Purdy
