(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Steve Adubato.

Welcome to part two.

We promised there would be a part two of this "Making a Difference Special: 25 years of the Russ Berrie Foundation of the Making a Difference Awards.

What you're about to see is our second group.

By the way, go on our website, steveadubato.org if you missed the first part.

This is again, a group of unsung heroes being recognized for extraordinary acts of heroism, of making a difference in the community, of really just being very good people who care about others.

Part two of "Making a Difference".

Now, before we go to the next group of honorees, you're gonna hear some messages of congratulations from three people who know the Berrie Foundation well, who know the Making a Difference Awards so well.

They've been a part of it for 25 years.

And here's who they are.

We're talking about Governor Tom Kean, United States Senator Cory Booker and State Senator Loretta Weinberg.

And here are their powerful words.

(inspiring music) - Well first of all, congratulations.

I mean you've really made a difference and you've made a difference by recognizing people who've made a difference.

That's been important over the years and we need more people like that.

We need more people, the kind of people who recognize.

We need you.

So look, you've done a wonderful job for 25 years.

Keep it up.

Well we should recognize that quarter of a century.

That is really frankly a record of making a difference.

And this is why, and we all know this, the everyday heroes of America, the people that deserve recognition are often those that don't get it.

And we are especially seeing that now during this pandemic and economic crisis.

We are seeing heroes every single day out there doing extraordinary things and we should be highlighting that.

And so their quarter century record of doing just that, elevating, not just folks, but really inspiring us all with their stories, it is just so critical the work that they're doing and I'm just grateful for them, quarter century strong, and I'm wishing them a continuance in their being light workers who shed light on other light workers.

- Well, first of all, congratulations, mazel tov for 25 years of recognizing people who don't ordinarily get recognized, people who are working just under the radar screen, just a little bit in the background, but make a real difference.

It is the Russ Berrie Foundation, and I knew Russ Berrie and I know Angelica Berrie, who has done such good work to not only bring a spotlight on people who have made such a difference, but provide them with resources to sometimes continue making a difference.

So congratulations on your 25th anniversary.

- Thank you, governor, senator and senator.

Now this next group of honorees is very unique.

Each one of them has had very painful and difficult experiences in their lives.

But they've taken those experiences and decided to make a difference in the lives of others.

They decided to take their pain and put all that energy, put all of that energy into helping others who are experiencing similar very difficult and painful circumstances.

Here they are.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Donna York from Hillsborough is founder of Hark ALS, which provides financial and emotional support for families affected by ALS.

She started the organization after caring for her father during his battle with ALS.

- I don't know how else to describe this disease and the biggest challenge is nobody understands that that hasn't witnessed it firsthand.

It's so hard to explain to people that you can be 100% cognizant, your mind is as sharp as ever, but you cannot move one muscle in your body.

It has been described by ALS patients as being buried alive.

It costs $200,000 a year plus to take care of an ALS patient at home.

I have worked with families now where the only one taking care of the husband is the wife 24/7.

And they just can't sustain that.

So to keep your loved one at home, you need ramps.

And then the other thing which is really important for families, for especially ALS patients with children and even without is a handicap accessible van.

Because if they don't have one, they are prisoners in their home.

But there's very few resources that help ALS patients financially.

And the way we help with that is we work with the family and we host a fundraiser for them so that they reach out to their community, their friends and their family, to help them get what they need.

Because people want to help you.

They just don't know how.

We're giving them the means to help you.

You're gonna need it.

Nobody can handle, no one can deal with this disease by themselves.

(inspiring music) - Paul Nickels from Hackensack is the creator of the Homeless Resource Guide and an advocate for the homeless.

Pulling from his own experiences, Paul provides a voice for those who have been silenced by their struggles.

One morning 10 years ago, Paul woke up homeless and decided to make a change.

- When I was trying to get back on my feet and going to certain things you had to do to say like get food stamps and Medicaid, you'd go to the office, you'd fill things out and they tell you to bring this, this and this.

But when you went back with this, this and this, they'd say, oh now you got to bring this, that and that.

I was like, no, this ain't happening no more.

And at the end of my process, I wrote it all down and put it in the guide and started handing them out to everybody.

And that was one of the points.

And it just evolved into online and then to help people with housing and building a big huge network with my church The River Mission and Transition Professionals, just all kinds of wonderful things.

Bergen County has so many resources, but a lot of people don't know what they are still.

- [Female] Paul's guide is now mandated for use by the court system and distributed to those dealing with homelessness and mental health issues in Bergen County - Whoever needs the help, wherever I'm guided to tomorrow or after we're done my phone might ring, that's where I'm guided to.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Lynn Regan of Farmingdale founded to CFC Loud and Clear Foundation after witnessing her son Dan's agonizing struggle with addiction.

She created a successful relapse prevention model that has helped thousands of young people achieve long term sober living.

- He'd been to so many treatment centers and every treatment center he went to he came out a better drug addict with more individuals that he could hang out with.

This system is gonna kill him.

So what can I do?

I sent him to this different place.

This different place changed his life, it changed his life.

But in the end, it's only 28 days long.

I mean you're not fixing somebody in 28 days.

So this is a lifelong journey.

I started talking to all the aftercare specialists in the rehabs that he had been to.

And I know from this rehab, this resonated and from this rehab, this resonated.

So I'm like, okay, we're gonna put together this aftercare program for you, Dan.

So we did this and we did this for a year.

And within that year, he was sober and his friends were coming to Dan at my kitchen table going, "Dude, how are you sober?

Can you please help make a plan for me?"

And we started a sober social community full of sober social activities, meetings and literally recovery plans to hold each other, it's an accountability program.

And now we're 15,000 families deep.

We're an after care program.

And what it's doing is rebuilding lives one at a time.

(inspiring music) - Talk about amazing.

I mean so many people have benefited from the commitment that the honorees that you just saw on video at this virtual event, the actions that they are taking to help others.

Now this next group of honorees, I mean this is so interesting.

These are people who in a split second had to decide what to do, what to do in terms of jumping in, leaning in very heavily to help others who were in danger.

The question is what would you do?

What would I do?

I'm not so sure, but I know that these people that you're about to see are genuine heroes.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Affectionately known as the rescuers, here in Foley, Joseph Dietrich, Drew Scalisi, Ryan Day and Tyler Amagain of Middletown, New Jersey created a human chain to save two small children whose sled entered an icy pond on a cold December day.

- It was really icy.

Everything was really icy.

Sliding around, we were falling down the hills and everything.

And we went down to check out a pond.

And it was slushy, it wasn't really frozen over completely.

We were just messing around the pond and then we saw the sled come down.

- I saw the kids in the water and I thought like nobody else was doing anything.

Let me just about walk in there and grab them to get them out of the water.

- Instinct is the biggest thing and I think it was for these guys was they're boys scouts.

And we're all very close with each other, we're really tight.

So all this bonding time led us to this one moment and it went perfect.

Everyone was involved.

Teamwork, it was great.

(inspiring music) - Sister Frances Salemi has been an educator in Jersey City for more than four decades.

Her steadfast presence at Sacred Heart School has improved the lives of thousands of children and families in the community.

- I have been in Jersey City for over 45 years, well actually at Sacred Heart for 45 years.

St. Patrick's, which is about a mile away, for four years.

So I just love it here, I love the children.

I love serving the poor 'cause that's what the Sisters of Charity Mission is to reach out to the poor.

We're kind of like a beacon of hope in this area and it's really all about empowerment of education.

It transforms their lives.

- [Female] On December 10th, 2019, she and her staff saved the lives of their students as two attackers ambushed a kosher grocery store across from the school.

In the hours long shootout with police that ensued, four people and the attackers were killed and the school was riddled with bullets.

- I was in this room having a meeting and we heard shots, which is not an unusual.

However, then it sounded like a machine gun and we knew there was something else going on.

The shooting was across the street from the second grade.

We realized that they needed to evacuate that classroom.

And so we went in there, some of the staff, and had the children crawl out to the opposite side of the hallway.

So it was a matter of just staying in place until it was time to move, which was, at one point we moved to the basement.

We exit the building because there was a pipe bomb in the van.

And you also saw the little students, you know helping each other, holding hands.

There were little kids that were crying.

I think the last child was picked up around seven o'clock.

And what I remember afterwards is the goodness of people.

I was so overwhelmed the days that followed how people responded to us.

The man who bought ice cream for 200 kids, the nonprofit in Jersey City who stood outside when the kids came out and gave them each a flower to make them happy and the phone calls and the support from the diocese, Sisters of Charity, parents.

As one parent said, she called and she said, "You know sister, you promised to keep our children safe and you kept your word.

- [Female] Anthony Capuano of Jersey City was in the right place at the right time.

As a lifeguard and swim instructor, Anthony knew he couldn't stand on the sidelines as he saw a car sinking in the Newark Bay with the driver trapped inside.

The cold November water or even his prosthetic leg didn't stop Anthony from jumping into the water to save the driver, who, unknown to Anthony, could not swim.

In 2009, Anthony and his brother were taking a shortcut to get across town.

- I was on my way to get my lifeguard certification.

And then what happened was the train was coming and I was moving and I tried to be a daredevil and long story short, got hit by the train and it took off my leg.

- [Female] Quick thinking from his brother and fast reactions from EMTs, saved Anthony's life, but not his leg.

He now wears a prosthetic right leg but is still a lifeguard and swim instructor.

Fast-forward to November 10th, 2020.

- So my friends were playing basketball, I was working out and all of a sudden we just hear commotion but it was like very surreal so it was like time was going really slow.

I'm like looking around and I'm like, is there anyone in the water?

And then from there, I just hopped over the bent thing where the rocks are and I just started taking off my leg and I didn't even take off my shirt, I just went.

Once I got to the car, I remember him panicking a little bit saying, "I can't swim."

Luckily, he didn't have his seatbelt on.

As soon as I pulled him out of the car, the car went under.

So it was like hard for me to like get back to shore.

And then I just remembered calling my friend Lina.

He's also a lifeguard and he jumped in at the time.

People like to say it was like a full circle moment because my brother saved me then and he was a hero then.

I'm just grateful in receiving this award if I can just inspire other people to be more positive, help each other, and more loving.

- Clearly incredible stories about courage and selflessness.

So I want to salute, all of us together with the Berrie Foundation, want to salute Anthony, Sister Francis and our Middletown rescuers for their quick thinking and their very heroic actions.

Now this is the final group of honorees at this very special virtual ceremony.

14 months ago as we were doing this when COVID-19 hit, devastation and fear across New Jersey, really across the nation.

And so the next group of people were very aware that other people were losing their jobs.

And in the process of losing their jobs and losing money, income that they needed, there were problems in a range of areas, but especially in when it came down to hunger and food and making a difference.

Let's take a look.

(inspiring music) - Jerry Maziarz from Elizabeth has been volunteering at St. Joseph's Social Service Center in Elizabeth for 19 years.

He started as a young father raising two children and working nights stopping in after work to help out.

- I work in a gas station night time this time from eight to eight and when I finish, you know, I stop over here from nine o'clock to 11, 12.

And first I start two, three hours, four hours, but later when I see what they do over here for the people, I stay longer and longer.

It's very, very nice when somebody come back.

Every week, I have the schedule for shopping in the food bank.

Okay so I take the two times a week, two pallets, I bring over here and we give it out.

We have also special meaning program where I pick every week.

- Jerry continued to keep his volunteer work and his schedule over the years.

And when COVID hit, he decided to keep showing up and he kept St. Joseph's Food Pantry stocked.

- It's true but you know I say, you don't know where you can get this COVID.

I can go buy ice cream, I can get.

So it's better if I get when I help people.

It make me happy because I go home and I say, "You good today?"

"Thank you, Jerry.

We good, we have food for whole week."

You know we know there's nobody hungry.

That make you happy.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Phil Stafford of Wallington is founder of N.J. Food and Clothing Rescue.

Grit and heart have fueled Phil's volunteer efforts before and during COVID-19 to secure and redistribute food to vulnerable individuals at risk of falling through the cracks.

- In New Jersey, there's about four million pounds of food that usually gets thrown in the garbage and we partner with organizations and stores and individuals and groups that whenever there's an overage of food, they contact me and I'll pick it up or they'll meet me somewhere and I'll get it.

And then at the same time, I'm arranging with other people who can get it to their clients.

And pretty much the same day, most of the food gets redistributed.

In 1999, I lost everything I owned in 10 minutes flat because of flooding from Hurricane Floyd.

So I was not in a good place mentally.

And it took a long while for me to fight my way out of that.

And I said to myself, "Listen, you could either continue like this, which isn't a good thing, or you can try to figure out something that makes you feel better."

That's why I get up and do it.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Maria Torres of Newark became the manager of United Community Corporations Champion House Food Pantry just weeks before the onset of COVID-19.

Recently diagnosed with lupus, she was at extremely high risk, yet never wavered in her commitment to the community.

As lockdowns and unemployment led to a huge rise in food insecurity, the number of people they served increased more than 1,000% over prior years.

- I started in February 13.

It was my Valentine's gift from the director saying that I got the position for manager here at the food pantry.

And about a month later, I was not feeling good and they gave me the news that I got lupus.

So I was dealing with coronavirus and lupus.

But I told them I was not gonna shut down and I was not gonna let this lupus determine what I was supposed to do.

And I know that the community needed us.

And I said, "I'm not closing."

So everybody was desperate because unemployment wasn't kicking in and they was like, "I have a family.

Everything is closed down.

I lost my food stamps, what I'm supposed to do?"

So I told them, "You know, if I have food available, you're welcome to come and pick up your grocery bags."

Last year, I think it was 50,000 people that we serviced.

And for me, that was a number that I was just looking at it like amazed of how many people we have touched over this past year with the COVID and everything.

I seen a lot of people coming for the first time in a food pantry and they're embarrassed.

And I told them, "Do not feel embarrassed.

This is for everybody and anybody that needs.

We're not here to judge you."

The volunteers are here because they were our clients.

They want to give back.

So they came here to help us out giving out distribution.

I have only eight staff so on hands on board.

Without them, I can't run United Community Corporation Champion Health.

So they're big part of this, of making it happen too.

So they're my heroes.

(inspiring music) - [Female] Dionisio Cucuta, Jr., also known as Chef Dion, a Marine veteran from Teaneck, is described as an irreplaceable asset to his community.

Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic created devastating food insecurity for many vulnerable residents in Bergen County, Chef Dion jumped into action.

Drawing on his culinary background, he created Hot Wheels, hot dinners prepared from scratch for families at Bergen Family Center.

He has since created Table to Table Tuesday, a raw food distribution program donated by Table to Table Food Rescue Organization.

Chef Dion has also been a long time mentor to young people through the Disabled Combat Veterans Youth Program and Englewood's Culinary Cadets Program.

- In 1977, I went into the Marine Corps, I enlisted, and that's where I received my trade, which is cooking.

I spent three years as a drill instructor and then I decided that I had enough of the Marine Corps.

I was young and I got out.

And then I stuck with the food service industry.

15 years ago, I was diagnosed with a lot of conditions due to my military injuries and it resulted in me retiring 'cause I just couldn't do it any longer.

I was mentoring youth, being a football coach here in Englewood, and next thing I know I got this small non-profit.

I meet so many different people in different communities I'm involved in and we share, you know, our lives.

I get so many phone calls that folks have lost their jobs or their businesses have diminished and declined.

So that gave me a huge indication knowing that folks are losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic, knowing they got families, it's time for me to step it up and go into second gear and get the food.

We stacked the bags up with different kits in them and extra vegetables just in the bags.

But as you'll notice when the cars come up, they'll receive additional tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots that are in white bags.

We don't know what we're receiving till we get it.

And that's the fun part about it 'cause then we can get creative.

Here we are 58 weeks later, I figure we'll do about 3,500 families and we're pushing at two million meals already since last year.

I have an amazing team.

They really care.

Just to see my team and just to feel the love that we're giving to those that can't even love themselves at this point 'cause of the confusion, I know it makes a difference and that's all I want to do is make a difference, and impact on people's lives.

So there you have it, extraordinary leaders making a difference in the lives of others.

Part one and you just saw part two of the Russ Berrie 25th anniversary of the Making a Difference Awards.

I'm Steve Adubato.

Thank you so much for watching.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Atlantic Health System.

The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

Valley Bank.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Johnson & Johnson.

Rowan University.

The Fidelco Group.

And by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Promotional support provided by AM970 The Answer.

And by NJBIZ.

- [Young Girl] I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when I was two.

It's hard to grow up with CF.

But I have an awesome care team at Goryeb Children's Hospital.

Helping me do the things I want to do, like play lacrosse.

And now, I've been recruited to play in college.

- Where you go for pediatric care matters.

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