Left to Right: Matt Schultz; Dani Heferle, Haven House; Judi Knight, Chair, Erie County Local 815 Women’s Committee; Mary Molly Shea, ECMC and Vincent Dusch, Plymouth House. Photos by Ove Overmyer, CSEA ©2017.
Cheektowaga—On February 1, CSEA members from the Erie County Local 815 Women’s Committee and invited guests held an informal dinner banquet to honor deserving charities, nonprofits and a CSEA family from the Buffalo metropolitan area. Judi Knight, the Local Women’s Committee Chair, served as host for the evening and introduced each of the award recipients. More than $8,000 was donated at the event.
Knight said, “All these groups and individuals who received financial contributions from our committee are doing amazing work. The CSEA family is a very giving and loving crew—and the recipients were thrilled to receive our attention and help.”
The recipients are as follows:
Mary Molly Shea, RN, MSN: Ms. Shea is a Patient Safety Investigator who works with victims of sexual assault at the Erie County Medical Center. Shea has initiated a program at the facility called, Healing Threads, which offers victims of violent crimes new clothes and necessary personal items before they leave emergency care at the hospital.
Dani Heferle, Community Liaison from Child & Family Services / Haven House: Haven House was founded in 1979 by the Coalition for Victims of Domestic Violence (now known as the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence).For over 35 years, the nonprofit has been working to prevent domestic violence and intimate partner violence in the home. Services are based on a continuum of care ranging from a fully-inclusive emergency shelter in a confidential location to long-term transitional housing. The continuum of care includes an extensive counseling and advocacy program for all individuals regardless of gender.
Dani Heferle, a representative from Haven House, accepts a donation from the Erie County Local 815 Women’s Committee on Feb. 1.
Vincent Dusch, Plymouth House / Plymouth Crossroads: is a nonprofit organization located in Lancaster, NY that offers transitional housing for disconnected, abused and homeless young men ages 16-20. As a voluntary residence, services are aimed at preventing youth from returning to homelessness, creating a more stable and productive living situation while preparing them for independence. The goal is for every resident to transform himself into a contributing, productive member of society. The Plymouth Crossroads philosophy affirms the right of every child to food, shelter, safety and assistance in growing into a healthy adult.
The Schultz Family: On October 25, a West Seneca Highway Department employee was involved in a tragic accident with his town sewer maintenance vehicle. He died of his injuries four days later at the Erie County Medical Center. Donald F. Schultz, 53, a 30 year CSEA employee of the town, was working on a project on Glenmar Drive around 9:00 a.m. when he lost his footing and slipped beneath the wheels of his truck while it was still in motion, according to police reports. Crews said he was flushing a sanitary sewer line at the time of the accident. Schultz was a father of six children. His son Matt attended the dinner and accepted a check on behalf of his family to help with ongoing expenses. West Seneca Unit President Brian Cummins was also in attendance.
-Ove Overmyer
