Mickey and Dawn were both devoted to children and did so much to help the agency. Mickey had a love for interior design, and used her passion in her volunteer work for The Depot the all-volunteer gift store in Midland Park that helps support the agency. She served as co-director of The Depot twice and also worked on the store’s marketing and advertising. Mickey was a deeply compassionate and generous person, and after meeting the girls in our foster care and learning about the trauma they had endured, she was moved to donate the home we call Path II, also known as Gracie Manor in Ridgewood. Hundreds of girls who have suffered unspeakable trauma have lived in this lovely home, played in the large yard, enjoyed home cooked meals – often for the first time – in the bright kitchen, and learned table manners in the dining room. Thanks to Mickey’s generosity, they have a beautiful home to simply just be kids and learn to be taken care of while they heal. Mickey cared so much about our children and we are forever grateful for her deep generosity of spirit.
Dawn’s son, Mark, has Angelman’s Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder. He is non-verbal and needs a great deal of care. He moved into one of our community homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 2012 at the age of 13. We quickly learned how devoted Dawn was to Markie, as she called her son. She visited him every weekend and made sure he spent time with his big brother, Gregory. Dawn got to know our staff well and many of the other children and families we serve in our Disability Support Services program. She also helped spread the word about our services, agreeing to be interviewed about Mark and telling her story at events. Whenever we asked her to help, she was there. Dawn’s life was full of challenges, but she was always positive and kind to all of us here. She just loved to see her Markie happy and making progress. We will miss Dawn very much and are honored that she entrusted us to care for her son.