Volunteers of America-Greater New York Hosts 22nd Annual Gala Honoring Deloitte

VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA-GREATER NEW YORK (VOA-GNY) HOSTS 22ND ANNUAL GALA HONORING DELOITTE

A New York Winter’s Eve, Emceed by Willie Geist, Host of Sunday Today with Willie Geist and Co-Host of Morning Joe, Will Raise Funds to Support VOA-GNY’s Wide-Ranging Social Service Programs

Paige Davis, actress and host of TLC’s returning Trading Spaces, to attend

(November 29, 2017 – New York, NY) – More than 375 charitable New Yorkers – many from the corporate community – will kick off the holiday season on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 as Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) hosts its 22nd annual gala, A New York Winter’s Eve, in The Grand Ballroom of The Plaza. This highly-anticipated and time-honored fundraiser will be emceed by Willie Geist, host of Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and Morning Joe co-host. VOA-GNY’s largest and most important fundraising event of the year, the gala raises funds to support its 91 social service programs. These programs include schools for children with Autism and other disabilities, residential settings for adults with intellectual disabilities – including some who survived Willowbrook State School, a continuum of care for formerly homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness, shelters for homeless families and those escaping domestic violence, and many more. Paige Davis, actress and host of TLC’s returning Trading Spaces, will also be in attendance and make remarks.

This year, VOA-GNY is honoring Deloitte with the Spirit of the Founders Award for leading the way in community involvement. Mike Fucci, chairman of the Deloitte board, will accept the award on the company’s behalf. Deloitte’s impact in the communities in which it does business is immense. Some of its participation with VOA-GNY includes:

  • Fundraising and sending over 100 employee volunteers to Sort Week during Operation Backpack®;
  • Through its annual Impact Day initiative, hosting dozens of funded projects and celebrations at many of VOA-GNY’s residences that serve families, domestic violence survivors, veterans and the elderly;
  • Serving on its board of directors and acting as ambassadors of VOA-GNY in the community; and
  • Spearheading the newly formed Next Generation Network of philanthropically-inclined young professionals in their 20s and 30s who support the VOA-GNY mission.

The evening will include a cocktail reception and sit-down dinner with a program that acknowledges its supporters, features stories about its life-changing work, and raises money with exciting live and silent auctions and a mission-moment paddle-raise.

VOA-GNY has been at the forefront of social service for nearly 125 years, helping individuals and families in need overcome obstacles to living safe, healthy and productive lives. Every year, tens of thousands of men, women and children benefit from Volunteers of America’s life-changing, often life-saving work including the homeless, families affected by domestic violence, children with special needs, adults living with HIV/AIDS, behavioral health or substance use issues, at-risk youth, veterans struggling to reintegrate, and the frail elderly. VOA-GNY is the largest provider of permanent, supportive housing for veterans in New York City.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and dress calls for “festive attire.” Tickets and tables range from $1,000 - $50,000 and are on sale now. Learn more here and contact Kirstin Uptegrove at kuptegrove@voa-gny.org or (212) 496-4311 to reserve a table, tickets or to make a donation.

The live auction will be led by Lucas Hunt, President of HUNT Auctioneers and will feature house seats to “impossible-to-get” Broadway shows with meet & greet experiences, in addition to trips to Bimini, London and California wine country.

This year’s Gala Event Committee, led by event chair Gerry Cunningham, a principal at Deloitte and the VOA-GNY board chair, includes Aileen Busick; Tim Carey; Paige Davis; Adele Gulfo; Jessica Hecht; Tom Johnson; Nancy Rose and John Kimelman; David Matera; Diane and Edward (Ned) Powell; Katelyn Rice; Jennifer Seickel; Stellar Kim Tucker; Robert Wolk; Mike Warren and Sam Yang; and Amy and Larry Zakarin.

Tere Pettitt, President and CEO of Volunteers of America-Greater New York, said, “As dedicated as we are to providing a lifeline to our vulnerable and at-risk neighbors, the quality of our programs would suffer without the support of donors and volunteers – both individuals and those from the corporate world. I look forward to our annual gala where we will celebrate and thank Deloitte for their unwavering commitment to those we serve, and our other partners – including everyone in the room that night. Deloitte’s generous philanthropy – in the form of funding and sharing their time and talent – has made an immeasurable and enduring impact on so many New Yorkers.”