YDNM Gala program 2023

Table of

CONTENTS 03. Welcome Letter 06. Board Members 07. Sponsors #ISayNoMore

08. About the Movement 10. Our Mission / Our Vision 11. About the Founder 14. Ydnm Award Winners

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19. Gala Speakers 20. Chair Woman 22. Words From Survivors 23. What’s Coming Up

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24. Parents’ and Caregivers’ Guide

Welcome

LETTER Dear Friends,

Welcome to the "Unmask the Superhero in You" Gala. I am Maria Trusa, the founder of the movement "Yo Digo No Más / I Say No More", and it is my utmost pleasure to have you here with us. Together, we are embarking on a mission to raise awareness about sexual abuse of our children.

Our movement is dedicated to shedding light on the silent pandemic of sexual abuse of our children that affect children worldwide. We strive to provide education and support to survivors, empowering them to raise their voices and break free from the chains of abuse. Our ultimate aim is to initiate a healing process that will empower survivors to rewrite their own history.

"Yo Digo No Más" was born out of my personal experience as a survivor of sexual abuse at the age of 9. This journey inspired me to create a platform that brings attention to this "silent pandemic". My own strength and resilience have become a source of inspiration for many, and what started as a book has now evolved into a powerful movement.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your support, and I am excited to join forces with you as we unmask the superhero within each and every one of us.

I hope you get to see how urgent this matter is.

Thank you for attending our first gala.

Warm regards,

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“Every child is born with the right of their innocence. help us protect the innocence of our children.”

Scan this QR to Get Help!

Partner

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Maria Trusa

Founder & Chair of YDNM, Writer and Public Speaker

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MEMBERS

Gina Cappelli

Kimberly Alba, Psy.D.

Bill Drysdale

Camelia Peña Rivera

Vice Chair of YDNM and Founder & President of Forme Medical Center and Urgent Care

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Stony Brook University

CEO Advisory Board Chairman, Vistage Worldwide

Licensed Real Estate Realtor, RE/Max Distinguished Homes & Properties

Fénix Arias, PhD

Edwin M. Quezada, EdD

Michele D’Ambrosio

Nelida Lara, Esq.

Chief Operating Officer, Yonkers Public Schools

Executive Director Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders

Principal Court Attorney, NY Courts

Lawyer, DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP

Maura Daroczy

Taryn Duffy

Marco Vitolo

Elena Rivera-Cheek

Director of Sales & Marketing, Springhill Suites

VP, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs

President, 7 Ace Logistics

Founder & CEO of Copy & Art

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About the

MOVEMENT We are a movement dedicated to shedding light on the alarming cases of sexual abuse of our children. Our mission is to serve as a platform to raise awareness of this “silent pandemic” through education and support for survivors to raise their voices and break the chains of sexual abuse to initiate a healing process that will propel them to rewrite their history.

The movement was born as an initiative of Maria Trusa, our founder, who is a survivor of sexual abuse which she suffered at the young age of 9. An episode that for a long time plunged her into deep emotional pain, but later became the catalyst which strengthened her; filling her with the courage and resilience to move forward and achieve each of her goals. Subsequently, writing a book that would later become a movement.

Sexual abuse has become a worldwide problem that affects millions of children, women and men leading to serious consequences that can severely affect their physical and emotional health which our founder refers to as “the silent pandemic”.

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Every 68 seconds an american is sexually assaulted.

Every 9 minutes that victim is a child.

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Only 30% of the abuses get reported.

At #YoDigoNoMás, we fight to counteract these shocking figures by serving as a space to make visible the pain that many victims keep silent, and becoming that voice of support, so that survivors can break the silence, and put an end to the silent pandemic of sexual abuse.

Stopping the chain of abuse is everyone ‘s commitment. Whoever has been abused has a high probability of becoming an abuser.

Our movement is committed to giving voice to your story, thus preventing others from going through the same situation.

I S P R O U D TO S U P P O RT

YO DIGO NO MAS 2023 ANNUAL GALA

Mission

Vision

#YoDigoNoMas (#ISayNoMore), a non-profit

The #YoDigoNoMas (#ISayNoMore) movement

organization

global

will be the digital platform used by millions of

movement to raise awareness of the high

people around the world to raise their voices

prevalence of sexual violence happening to

against sexual abuse. Just as personal healing

our children with a strong focus in Latino

and growth begins with speaking an individual

communities, which helps break the cycle of

truth, societal healing begins with the voices of

sexual

many speaking together.

that

violence

has

launched

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a

prevention

and

education, and provide mental health resources and tools for survivors and families.

Protecting the innocence of our children

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#ISayNoMore

María was born in the Dominican Republic. At the age of nine, she was sexually abused—with her father’s consent. Her struggle to find healing and personal and professional growth began there.

María is an example of the advances possible for the Latino community in the United States. Her mission with this movement is to empower men, women, and children to become part of this fight—and become part of the change.

#ISayNoMore

MARIA TRUSA

It was a long process. Now, after 47 years, she is sharing her story with the world so the victims of this pain can break their silence and rewrite their stories.

“Survivors’ voices matter in this movement. Do not let yourself be silenced.”

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Our founder

ISay MORE

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#ISayNoMore

YO DIGO NO MAS

"Children are not just innocent, they are hopeful, they are the promise of life." - R.A. Salvatore

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Spano helped create the New York State School Tax Relief (STAR) program and Enhanced STAR, and worked with Governor Cuomo to pass New York’s property tax cap, bringing government in line with what taxpayers can a� ord. He also fought to pass some of the toughest state laws in the nation to protect children against dangerous sex offenders and violent criminals.

Since taking office as Yonkers’ chief executive in 2012, Mayor Mike Spano has led the passage of balanced, bi-partisan budgets, without cuts to services, while leading the charge in rebuilding Yonkers Public Schools. Mayor Spano also launched one of the most ambitious and comprehensive energy plans of any city in the state – Yonkers Green City – saving taxpayers millions of dollars in energy costs, while protecting the environment.

Award

WINNER MIKE SPANO

Mayor of Yonkers, NY

A lifelong Yonkers resident, husband, father of three, and former State Assembly Member, Mayor Mike Spano has dedicated his life to standing up for Yonkers families.

Elected in 1992 as the youngest member of the State Assembly, Spano proudly represented Yonkers for two decades, � ghting for students, protecting taxpayers and supporting economic growth. He led the Task Force on Sex Crimes Against Children and Women (SAVE New York), fought for the passage of Megan’s Law, and secured legislation to protect children across the state. He also wrote the language enabling Yonkers to receive a direct portion of revenue from video lottery terminals at Empire City Casino. It was an enormous victory for Yonkers and its public schools, providing $20 million in direct aid annually for education in the city.

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With a strong focus on job creation and economic development, Mayor Spano is leading Yonkers’ nearly $5 billion revitalization efforts with innovative new projects that are transforming Yonkers’ growing waterfront, attracting new businesses, tech companies and the arts, and creating hundreds of new jobs across the city. Today, Yonkers is the fastest growing city in the state outside New York City, sales revenues are up, home sales are up and property values are on the rise. Yonkers has recently been ranked the safest city of its size in America and in the Top 100 Best Cities in which to live.

Mayor Mike Spano is committed to securing a strong financial future for Yonkers and building upon its greatest strengths – its location, its history, its pride and its people.

#ISayNoMore

three years and raising the on-time graduation rate for all diverse learners, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners.He also worked collaboratively with all stakeholders to lower the high school dropout rate by 61 percentage points since 2015.

Quezada is driven by the philosophy that all children can achieve at high levels when given quality instruction, a supportive learning community, and when learning with caring adults who value academic success. He is now dedicated to preparing and developing school and system leaders in order to create such an environment.

Award

WINNER EDWIN M. QUEZADA, EdD. Executive Director Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders

Has nearly 35 years of experience working in education, serving in elementary, middle, and high schools as a teacher, school counselor, development professional, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent, and, since March of 2016, superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools, an urban district of more than 3,600 staff and serving nearly 26,000 students across more than 40 schools.

Quezada has a proven track record of developing educational leaders—planning and delivering professional development and experiences that bolster the leadership competencies required to create a school culture in which the needs of all learners are met—and implementing systems of support to create a district-wide educational culture focused on accountability, achievement, sustainability, and educational opportunities for all.

Under Quezada’s superintendence, the Yonkers Public School District became the highest performing of all Big Five districts in New York. For the past seven years, Yonkers held the highest graduation rates of the Big Five districts, achieving a 90% graduation rate for all students over the past

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Quezada served as co-chair of the Yonkers My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an initiative designed to address enduring opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color, launched by the Obama Foundation with a goal of ensuring that all young people can reach their full potential. In 2023, the Obama Foundation named Yonkers Public Schools one of four My Brother’s Keeper Model Communities, an acknowledgment of the positive impact on graduation rates for young men of color seen under Quezada’s leadership.

Additional accolades acknowledging Quezada’s work in community service and educational leadership include an Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration; a Yonkers Commission on Human Rights 2018 Community Service Award; and a 2020 Leadership and Excellence in Education Award from the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators.

Over the past five years, Quezada also worked in support of Yonkers Urban Leadership Academy (YULA), developed in collaboration with the Wallace Foundation, the New York City Leadership Academy, and Bank Street College of Education and focused on preparing those in the pipeline to serve as assistant principals in urban schools. He is also President-electS of the New York State Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.

Quezada earned a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and a Master of Science in school counseling from Herbert H. Lehmann College, a Master of Science in school supervision and administration from Fordham University, and a Doctor of Education in school leadership for teaching and learning from Walden University. #ISayNoMore

Award

WINNER GOYA Goya Foods Inc- Education Achievement Award (Accepting on behalf of Goya, Rafael Toro, Director of Public Relations) Goya Cares is a global initiative dedicated to protecting children and their mental health.

The mission is focused on education, awareness, and coalition building while providing schools with preventative education needed to protect children. By leveraging its resources and network, Goya Cares strives to make a positive and lasting impact on society, embodying the company's core values of integrity and compassion.

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Through this global initiative, Goya Foods continues to stand as a beacon of hope and support for those facing adversity, sharing the belief that everyone, especially our children, deserves to live in a world where their life is valued, their freedom is a reality, and their mind is at peace.

#ISayNoMore

In 1998, she left the family business and Founded Formé Rehabilitation, Inc. a NYS licensed Article 28 Diagnostic and Treatment Center and a NYS Recognized Woman Owned Business, where the company primarily focused on physical and occupational therapies, with facilities in both Scarsdale and Eastchester.

In 2014, Gina closed both rehabilitation facilities and opened Formé Medical Center, a new state 11,000sf medical center in White Plains, New York, providing Urgent Care, Primary Care, Specialty Medicine, radiology, and diagnostics services. In 2015, Gina began a partnership with Maria Trusa, where the two were determined to create a place for the underserved community to get access to affordable, dignified, and high-quality medical care regardless of their financial or immigration status.

Award

WINNER GINA CAPPELLI

Founder and President, Formé Medical Center, Inc.

Gina was born and raised in Yonkers, New York to parents Luca and Concetta Cappelli. She attended Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration. Shortly after graduating, she began working for the family’s general contracting business, receiving valuable hands-on experience in business operations, accounting, and personnel management. When the family began to switch its focus away from general contracting and into real estate development, Cappelli Associates was formed.

Led by her father Luca and brother Louis, Gina gained more than 20 years’ experience in property management, providing oversight for more than 1.2 million square feet of corporate office space.

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In 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit the US, Gina and Maria transformed the center into the first walk-up COVID testing center in Westchester, caring for more than 600 people a day, both for testing and medical care. For the next 2 years they, along with the team at Formé, worked tirelessly 7 days a week to provide the care for the entire community.

As a board member of Yo Digo No Mas, Gina was instrumental in the organization receiving its 501c3 status, she served as an ambassador for the organization, advocating for its mission to protect the innocence of children. She assisted with strategic planning for activities to help define the organization’s long-term goals, as well as playing a crucial role in all fundraising efforts.

Active board member for both the Yonkers Public School Foundation and Yo Digo No Mas.

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Gala

SPEAKERS MARIA TRUSA Founder

TARA ROSENBLUM Master of Ceremony Award-Winning Journalist News 12 Anchor/Reporter

#ISayNoMore

Yo Digo No Mas (I Say No More)

ELENA RIVERA-CHEEK YDNM Board Member

JOHNNY OJEDA Survivor

JULISSA OJEDA Survivor

Protecting the innocence of our children

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CEO Copy & Art,

Our programming, "Break the Silence: Stop the Pandemic

of

Sexual

Abuse,"

will

be

a

cutting-edge educational resource designed to teach children of all ages about the various forms of sexual abuse, how to identify warning signs, and, most importantly, how to seek help and protection when they need it. By instilling knowledge, resilience, and self-assurance, we aim to empower the next generation to break the cycle of abuse.

Your support will enable us to create

Chair

engaging

educational

teachers

and

materials,

caregivers,

and

train reach

communities far and wide. Together, we can

WOMAN

make a lasting impact on the lives of countless children, ensuring they grow up in a world free from the shadows of abuse.

Join us in this critical mission to cultivate a safe future for our children, one where they can

FÉNIX ARIAS, PhD

Chairperson, Yo Digo No Mas / I Say No More

thrive, grow, and reach their full potential.

Invest in cultivating a safe future, and together, we will build a brighter, safer tomorrow for our children.

Dear heroes, Imagine a world where every child grows up with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to protect themselves against sexual abuse. At Yo Digo No Mas / I Say No More, we are dedicated to making this vision a reality. We're seeking your

support

to

develop

comprehensive

programming that will provide children and parents with the necessary tools to recognize and respond to potential sexual

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abuse and ensuring a safer future for all.

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threats, ultimately preventing child sexual

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Survivors are not responsible for the pain others have caused them. You are brave for raising your voice and stopping the chain of abuse.

Affinity by Molina Healthcare proudly supports the 2023 Yo Digo No Mas Gala.

We honor the mission to protect the health and rights of all of our children.

AffinityPlan.com

Words From

SURVIVORS YENICK M. GONZALEZ

Was born and raised in Washington Heights.

She currently performs open-mic poetry all

She earned her Master's in Creative Writing for

over Manhattan; including the Nuyorican

Poetry at Lehman College, where she is now a

Poetry Cafe. Yenick hopes to one day win a

professor. Yenick's love of books and poetry

Pulitzer Prize in poetry, become New York

inspired her to write at a young age. She has

City’s Poet Laureate, and inspire all women;

had her poems published in “La Libreta”,

and her four daughters. to be warriors.

“Obscura”, and “The Lit” Magazines.

Emotional Orphan

On Sherman Ave It was like Mount Everest But with only 5 flights Of stairs.

If I was able to get up that mountain AND climb downstairs

They consummated He says “slut” She says “rape”.

“Santa Claus is the wade of cash” in his pocket.

The laws are lacked In Jersey for a 16 year old.

Betty Crocker Never made cookies Or existed here.

Living in the Upper West Side Dominicans migrate north

*Love was black eyes And hashtags on Small backs and skinny legs.

Where richer Dominicans Rent the top Floor for the view.

*Pride was watching Us on the floor Screaming “Please! STOP!”

Where non educated; Because they have Franklyns in their pockets

*Nurturing was eating What the hypochondriac read in the National Inquirer.

And they think They are better Because of their Cadillacs.

*Support was an obligation Only understood by those who wanted it.

The reality did Not get snatched And cherished.

Fear was the silent word that shouted “Keep your head down!”

The heart beated The Love shined The Soul cried

Wishing Deaths is a conversation That shouldn’t be heard From an 11 year old.

At 10, was ran over By a bus with Duel drivers

I survived.

It was like Guantanamo Bay Without locked doors And barred windows.

Rice embedded knees And Encyclopedia crucifixion.

I survived.

I felt like a POW Busted lips, hashtag back, Buckle tooth on bloody breast, Unexplained discipline For untaught lessons and ghostly mom reminders.

I survived.

Shopping for christmas At Macy’s looked like Rockwell images And stereotypical holidays While Krampus lurked at home.

I survived.

To have my own thoughts To wear and eat what I want To dress however I please To learn and go as I see fit To live this life and be free.

I survived...

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What’s

COMING UP

Nj Conference Dec 9th 10 Am - 3 Pm

2024

Marathon

Children & Parents

Curriculum Development

In-Person and Digital Awareness and Educational

Campaign

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Walks

3rd Walk 2024

2024

Talk Show Season 5

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YO DIGO NO MAS