DASI 2024 Wonderland Gala

Saturday, May 11th 2024 The Barn at Perona Farms 70 Perona Rd. Andover, NJ 07827 is Pleased to Sponsor the

DASI in Wonderland Gala

Celebrating 40 Years of Changing Lives

Welcome Letter

Athena Storm

Associate Executive Director, DASI

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary at DASI, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the journey taken together and the significant impact made through collective efforts. I am incredibly grateful for your unwavering commitment and generous support, which have been crucial in advancing our mission to assist victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and survivors of human trafficking. Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Since we were founded, DASI has served as a symbol of hope and support for thousands of individuals by providing them with safety, advocacy, and a way to gain power. This accomplishment is not ours alone, but is shared with our committed donors, sponsors, volunteers, staff, and board members who have put their hearts into the cause we all stand for.

Your contributions have been incredibly valuable in sustaining our daily operations and fueled our programs that aim to address the urgent needs of those we serve. From providing immediate shelter to empowering survivors through counseling and legal support, your involvement has been essential in every success story we have written. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Looking forward, we are committed to continuing our work with renewed energy and an unwavering focus on our mission. We are confident that, with your continued support, the next chapter in our story will be even more impactful.

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Your dedication strengthens our organization and creates a brighter future for every individual who turns to DASI for help. We are thrilled to start the next 40 years of service, innovation, and community partnership with you by our side.

With deepest appreciation and warmest regards,

Athena Storm Associate Executive Director, DASI

A Letter From our Board President

Jennifer Cable President, DASI Board of Trustees

Welcome, all, and thank you for being here with us.

As we come together to support DASI this year, we are celebrating not only the 40th year of our organization, but also welcoming new leadership and perspectives that will ensure DASI’s lasting impact in our community.

As of March 29, 2024, we promoted Athena Storm, MSOL to Associate Executive Director and welcomed Lauren Frary, MA, LRC, as Interim Executive Director. Athena was recently recognized as the “Rising Star” from our Sussex County Chamber of Commerce and will be honored by the Sussex County Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America at their Tribute to Women luncheon. I am excited to see how her passion and leadership vision shapes our organization’s future.

Our mission remains the same, as does our lasting commitment to offer safety, hope, and options to individuals and families affected by domestic and sexual violence, and to be a resource for the community at large.

We continue to be blessed with an incredibly generous and supportive local community, for which we are immensely grateful. The support that you are providing this evening is vital to our mission. We could not provide our client-centered services that empower and prioritize the needs of victims, survivors, and their families, without your support. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to DASI, our services, and our dedicated staff.

Our 40th anniversary gives us an opportunity to look to our legacy, our remarkable history, and honor the women who founded this organization while also looking with excitement towards a bright future.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Cable President Board of Trustees, DASI

Program of the Evening

Welcome & Introduction

Athena Storm

Associate Executive Director, DASI

Emcee

Robert Boyle CEO, Planet Networks

Awards & Presentations

2024 CORPORATE PARTNER

Airside Sheet Metal

2024 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Dodie Guardia & Susan Parnell

Guest Speakers

Sally Gibson

DASI Past Executive Director &

Impact Speaker

Daria Delserro

Closing Remarks

Athena Storm

Associate Executive Director, DASI

– 2024 Corporate Partner –

Airside Sheet Metal

In 1991, unofficially operating from the basement of his parents’ house, Mario Cavallone began his journey, leading to the establishment of Airside in 1992. The company’s first official workspace was in Mario’s barn in Frelinghuysen, where he started with modest sheet metal work. The company then shifted to a 4,000 square foot building on Stickles Pond Road, but as their operations expanded, it became clear that the space was insufficient. By 2007, Airside had acquired 14 acres of land on Brighton Road and erected their first building. Over time, expansions ensued, with additional buildings added in subsequent years.

Their projects grew in scale, culminating in a milestone achievement two years ago: fabricating and installing all the sheet metal for the tallest building ever constructed in New Jersey. Despite their remarkable growth and success, Airside remains committed to serving both small-scale and large-scale clients alike. Whether it’s a local homeowner in need of assistance or a multimillion-dollar project, Airside is dedicated to meeting the needs of all clients without losing sight of their humble beginnings and core values.

DASI Corporate Partner 2024

Airside Sheet Metal, Inc.

Q: What does it mean to you to receive the corporate partner award for Airside Sheet Metal, Inc. for your dedication to DASI and your community?

A: We are honored by the acknowledgment of our support for their cause. It’s truly gratifying to be recognized for our commitment to something we believe in.

Q: What lesson have you learned with all your charitable endeavors that you would like to share with others?

A: We believe in the power of giving back. Our journey began with humble origins, and as a company, we’ve grown significantly since then. We never lose sight of our identity –a team of locals who forged this company. Among us are individuals from diverse backgrounds, each overcoming their own challenges to achieve success.

Q: What motivates you to support DASI and the victims/survivors that they serve? What do you find most rewarding?

A: It feels good to know we’re making a difference in the lives of local women/children in need. The impact of our support directly empowers them. We are helping a real cause for real people.

Q

: Is there anything else that you would like to share with those reading this Q&A?

A : We’re a local company formed by a group of hardworking, blue-collar individuals who came together and poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building this company from the ground up. It’s been a true team effort every step of the way.

246 Brighton Rd, Andover, NJ 07821

– 2024 Community Partner –The Witches Paddle

The Witches Paddle is a Stand-Up Paddleboard fundraising event held on Lake Mohawk in Sparta, NJ. Each summer, this event is set to raise money for DASI and generate awareness for their services. Additionally, the Witch’s Paddle has a mission to inspiring victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking to find the courage to move towards becoming a survivor.

The Witches Paddle on Lake Mohawk was founded by cohosts Dodie Guardia and Susan Parnell in 2020. While they don’t know how they met, they know why they met. Having a similar vision to empower and connect women in their community, they also share a passion to support Domestic & Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking, so, selecting DASI as the beneficiary of the Witches Paddle was an easy mutual decision.

This year, the Witches Paddle will be held on Aug 25th on Lake Mohawk’s Beach 1

If you are interested in becoming one of our sponsors, volunteers or if you are interested in paddling at this year’s event, please reach out to Dodie Guardia at dodie.guardia@gmail.com

Dodie Guardia, owner of Brighter than the Sun, offers private paddleboard lessons. If you are interested in learning how to paddleboard, improve your skill, or attend a paddleboard yoga class, contact Dodie at dodie.guardia@gmail. com

Since the first event in 2020, the Witches Paddle relies on the help and support of the Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) paddlers, volunteers and sponsors. Together, each year, we nearly double the funds raised. We are truly grateful for the support we receive from our community and the positive impact their support makes in Sussex County does not go unnoticed.

Looking ahead: Dodie and Susan are excited to announce that the Witches Paddle will be hitting the road in 2024 to expand its impact into other cvommunities. Through another Witches Paddle, located in Wilmington, NC, we will be supporting Open Gate, a domestic violence shelter, on Oct 12. Amplifying connection, growing awareness, and celebrating courage will always be the mission of the Witches Paddle.

Q&A

QDASI Community Partner of the Year

Susan Parnell, of The Witches Paddle answers our questions on love for DASI.

: What does it mean to you to receive the community partner award for your dedication to DASI and the community?

A: When I discovered Dodie Guardia and I were receiving the Community Partner Award, I was elated with gratitude. Knowing our efforts to generate awareness and inspire women to Celebrate Courage in our Community brings me immense fulfillment. Our event, the Witches Paddle, held on Lake Mohawk, is symbolic to the journey of those affected with domestic violence. From overcoming fear to stepping into the unknown and learning to trust are all key components in both events. I am proud and humbled to be recognized as a Community Partner.

Q: What lesson have you learned with all your charitable endeavors that you would like to share with others?

A: Serving and giving back is one of my most joyful and fulfilling passions. I have learned that paying it forward and living a life full of gratitude, respect and offering support to others is a prevailing way to empower others and lead them to a more fulfilled life. Ultimately, when we spread our light, we light up others, and together, we light up the world.

Q : What motivates you to support DASI and the victims/survivors that they serve? What do you find most rewarding?

A: When I found the doors of Al-Anon, my heart hurt listening to harrowing stories of domestic violence. I internalized the pain of the men and women I was listening to. I saw how they had been frozen in fear and felt there was no way out of their relationship or situation. I saw how their lives had been impacted and how their thinking had become distorted. I saw how mental diseases can lead to domestic violence and is often a generational curse. It is through life experiences that I have developed a strong passion for supporting those affected by domestic violence and abuse. I am passionately motivated to support DASI and the victims/ survivors they serve.

: Is there anything else that you would like to share with those reading this Q&A?

AQ: Dodie and I are beyond grateful for the Community’s support of the Witches Paddle. Without your support, we would not be here this evening. This year, we are growing our mission to deliver more awareness through a new 501c3, Celebrating Courage. Proceeds will be donated to DASI and it is our hope that through Celebrating Courage, we can raise even more money to further support victims and survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking at even a greater level.

Q&A

QDASI Community Partner of the Year

Dodie Guardia,

of The Witches Paddle and Brighter

Than the Sun answers our questions on love for DASI.

: What does it mean to you to receive the community partner award for your dedication to DASI and the community?

A: It is a very unique experience because as much as we are humbled to be honored, I feel as though the honor is mutual. When community supports community positive growth is inevitable. This is the ripple effect. There is an unwavering similarity between the Witches who paddle for DASI and the survivors who have been supported through DASI. That similarity is courage. The courage to move away from something in your life that no longer serves you. Stand up paddleboarding is one of the fastest growing watersports and it has been my mission to show women and girls how by stepping out of their comfort zone and onto a paddleboard can have a profound effect in

many different areas in their lives. This community of women inspires each other to take risks. To take a chance to become a better version of themselves. Through paddleboarding and paddleboard yoga we have modeled that this is where the courage to change can begin.

Q: What lesson have you learned with all your charitable endeavors that you would like to share with others?

A: This question brings me back to a card I received after the first Witches Paddle we organized in 2020. The card read.... GRACE ABOUNDS. GRACE ASTOUNDS. You Are An Amazing Grace. And inside she wrote, “Like our lovely swans, you add such a beautiful dimension to our lake.” The lesson I learned is when you act with grace and gratitude it will cause a ripple effect. Here on Lake Mohawk, we have been blessed to be surrounded with supportive

staff and a community like none other. Without our community members, Lake Mohawk Country Club staff and inspirational paddling Witches, our vision to give back would never have come to fruition.

Q : What motivates you to support DASI and the victims/survivors that they serve? What do you find most rewarding?

A: I’d like to answer the second part first. Rewarding, knowing that any small act of charity CAN make a difference. Being given the opportunity to model for my children how even small ripples can create a wave has been the most rewarding. Teaching children early on that they can make a difference will only serve our community as a whole and have a positive effect for the future. What motivates me, the act of courage. Supporting a population who make that difficult decision to leave something that no longer serves them. To help bring awareness to and to help provide essential services to those affected by domestic and sexual violence. To help give survivors a chance to transform their lives.

: Is there anything else that you would like to share with those reading this Q&A?

Q

A

: I believe that our past does not define us.

Everyday is a day to become someone new. Another day to become the best version of you. If we change the meaning of our past, reframe it and become grateful for it, it will shape our future drastically. We have a passionate mission to inspire women and girls to go beyond their boundaries towards empowerment.

DASI FACTS in BRIEF

DASI FACTS IN BRIEF

About DASI

DASI has over 37-years of experience providing high-quality, comprehensive services to victims of domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking in Sussex County, NJ. We hold ourselves accountable in our work to dismantle the unique barriers faced by survivors, to confront systemic injustice, and to drive social change. We engage in transformative practices and aspire to create a strong, empathetic, healthy, and supportive community free of power-based violence. We strive to empower survivors, to create physical, emotional, and psychological safety, and to recognize the fundamental value and dignity of all.

1989, DASI opened an in-home emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence. Services now include a secure 24/7 emergency shelter, helpline, Step by Step Transitional Housing Program, crisis intervention program, case management, legal advocacy, children’s services, supportive and clinical counseling services for victims and survivors, prevention and community education, as well as DECIDE, a program for domestic violence offenders.

DASI is the recipient of numerous local, state, and national recognition for program excellence and exemplary staff performance. Our primary purpose is to keep survivors and their families safe, empower them, and help them progress toward independence and a sustainable future.

POETRY SESSIONS

18 0 DECIDE PROGRAM SERVED IN ABUSE INTERVENTION PROGRAM

1,368

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

1,191

197

1,101

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING SESSIONS

The Legal Advocacy Program assisted survivors by providing crisis intervention, education and information on survivor’s legal rights and options, thus, enabling victims to better understand their rights under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and more fully utilize the civil and criminal court system in obtaining relief from violence. Advocates provided court preparation, safety planning and court accompaniment for civil and criminal matters pertaining to domestic and sexual violence in Superior and Municipal Court. In 2023, DASI Legal Advocates provided in totality 5,213 direct legal advocacy services to 595 victims in Sussex County.

NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL

PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER

JOSEPH DEMARK, JR. JOHNNIE WHITINGTON

VICE PRESIDENTS

JIM O’REILLY

TOM DE BARTOLO BRYAN BUSH

TRUSTEES

CRAIG HOFFMAN PETE SCAGLIONE

JASON ROONEY LUKE GORDON

BEST WISHES

Fr om the

OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

SMART-UNION LOCAL 25 SHEET METAL WORKERS’ INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

JOSEPH DEMARK, JR. PRESIDENT/BUSINESS MANAGER

Joseph Melahn Calvin Brooks Recording Secretar y/Business Agent Financial Secretar y/Business Agent

Craig Hof fmann James Jankowski Business Agent Vice President

Executi ve Board Tr ustees Warden Gregor y Conte Josh Mer rill Dimitrios Potamousis

Paul Farkas Pat Smith, Jr

Char les Giambelluca David Walker

Scott LaRocca Or ganizer

David Manning Conductor Gregor y Conte

Onrea McIntosh Ben Garcia