A Year in Review: Looking to 2016

The Ascienzo Family Foundation is proud to announce the distribution of over $53,000 to agencies and organizations throughout the United States thanks to the advocacy of our core of Ambassadors, as well through those local partnerships we created in the fall of 2015.

At the heart of our mission are those individuals whose volunteerism and/or support for community building was addressed this past December. Ten of our ambassadors applied for and were granted funding for a wide range of educationally based programs that will serve the needs of many in 2016. Most of them were present at our 2nd Annual Dinner held on December 22nd at which they outlined their grant application amid a guest crowd of some 50 people. In addition, we celebrated our partnership with the Red Hook Central Schools and the BackPack Program serving the food needs of 21 students from the Mill Road Elementary School.  And finally, representatives of the Red Hook Faculty Association were present to commemorate the funding of food vouchers for those needy families that were assisted during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Seasons.  

The Directors and I are thrilled to have made such a commitment in our first year and anticipate an equally dynamic year in 2016 on a number of fronts.  As we study the efficacy of the 2015 grants with our inaugural group of Ambassadors, we will coordinate with our new Class of 2016 Ambassadors policy and protocol that will allow for a similar set of grant experiences that the Class of 2015 enjoyed. The Class of 2016 was introduced at the December 22nd awards dinner, each speaking of their excitement in working with the Ascienzo Family Foundation. We will continue to network locally, attending civic meetings, establishing contact with both individuals and professionals interested in our mission, particularly in the area of elder care. With 20 active Ambassadors, our goal in 2016 is to expand our reach in sustaining our mission, both in the communities our ambassadors reside, as well as in Red Hook.

Thinking of You,

Nick A.   

New Updates for a New Season

Almost a year since incorporating, the Ascienzo Family Foundation is anticipating the culmination of its first grant cycle. We will act on reviewing those grant applications in November 2015, extending grant awards and recognition during the month of December and at our 2nd Annual Foundation Dinner.  Our first ambassador group is currently submitting their requests based on affiliations, civic engagement, and advocacy within their respective communities.

In addition, we have pursued an initiative close to our hearts and our beginnings - local partnerships in the Foundation’s home community of Red Hook, NY. Partnerships with the Regional Food Bank and the Red Hook Faculty Association will assist in providing meals for both children in our schools and families within the Red Hook community. Efforts to assist the elderly and to establish/support programs in pursuit of our educational goals are ongoing.

As we look forward to solidifying those local initiatives as 2015 closes, we’re just as eager in preparing to extend 12 invitations to prospective ambassadors for the 2016 grantmaking year. The 25 or so ambassadors hopefully working with us next year will enable a greater reach of our mission in assisting those in need. Ideas, comments, and suggestions are all well received. Please email those thoughts to ascienzofamilyfoundation@gmail.com.

A listing of grant recipients will accompany our next update in late November. We extend our gratitude to all who have shown support and interest in our mission over this exciting, evolving first year!

Thinking of You,
Nick A.

Background: Inspiration Behind the Ascienzo Family Foundation

Each spring for the last 20 years I've challenged my graduating seniors to compile a list of goals to share with friends and loved ones for motivation and guidance in reaching those goals. I took my own advice in the spring of 2014 and began the formation of a family foundation. That advice was buoyed by the significant influence of two former students; “daughters I never had” who unwittingly shaped my vision in the foundation’s birth.  

Additionally, whether through friendship, a professional relationship at school, or through the dynamic of other student-teacher interactions, I've also been energized by many other people who’ve made a difference in this undertaking. The impact of personal connection is a driving force in any vibrant community and those connections I’ve experienced over the years in Red Hook have been numerous, enriching, and engaging. In an effort to maintain both personal connection and community prosperity, I’ve envisioned an ambassador affiliation with my foundation that will serve local communities. Former students, acting in their ambassador roles, would appeal to the foundation for grants to assist their local agencies/organizations in poverty alleviation, educational needs for the less fortunate, or elder care. The Red Hook Community has played a significant role in who I am and has been the home of many outstanding students throughout the years. Their good standing in their own locales will be called upon to foster my foundation’s mission.

 I’m humbled by the efforts, time commitments, and generous monetary contributions so many of us every day are involved with, as we make a difference. My ultimate goal is to provide resources for others in various communities through my ambassador group, that with appropriate guidance from my Board of Directors, may continue in perpetuity. Making a difference in anyone's life is easier when you have the encouragement from those around you. I trust that my student ambassadors, directors, and other contributors will motivate me and The Ascienzo Family Foundation in serving their own communities in countless ways.

- Nick A.

Welcome to the Ascienzo Family Foundation

On behalf of the Board of Directors I’d like to extend many thanks to all of you who’ve given your time, wisdom, and encouragement for The Ascienzo Family Foundation to form as we look forward to our 1st year of ambassador relations and grant applications. We send to the ambassadors who’ve volunteered our heartfelt appreciation. Your call to assist those less fortunate and, in turn, request assistance from us will be the backbone of our organization for the foreseeable future.

As your affiliation develops with any agency whose goals are similar to ours, please consider how we may foster an even stronger connection in tangible ways. Our goals of helping reduce poverty, assisting in the education of those less able, and lending a hand in elder care, are attainable with your volunteerism within your community. As the year progresses, please consider how The Ascienzo Foundation could benefit the group you advocate for. Additionally, the Board is crafting a plan of action to bring our $10,000 Red Hook initiative to life. We foresee a series of meetings with community members whose ties within the community would allow for grant opportunities.  

Thank you all again, and as you think of others, we will be Thinking of You! 

- Nick A.