A Code Blue Thank You

The Community’s Finest Hour

 

SARATOGA SPRINGS—A triumph of hope, of a community rallying to bolster those among us who are the least fortunate, was celebrated at a reception gathering for Code Blue volunteers and donors on Sunday, April 27 at Bethesda Parish House on Washington Street.  

 

A Code Blue program swung into action just four days after the death by outdoor exposure of city resident Nancy Pitts on December 20, 2013. She was remembered in remarks by community resident Joy King. Also, an original new song, Homeless Heart, inspired by Ms. Pitts was written and delivered by songwriter Jeff Brisbin and Mayor Joanne Yepsen and Code Blue Coordinator Cheryl Ann Murphy made remarks.

 

Between Christmas Eve, 2013 and March 27, 2014 the Code Blue Shelter was open for 58 nights during one of the severest winters in several years. There were 928 overnight stays, an average of 16 guests per night. 

 

While there was much to celebrate, there appeared to be a sense among those gathered that there is much to do. A permanent Nancy Pitts Memorial Code Blue shelter is still to be located and tentative plans for necessary fundraising (such as a Code Blue Road Race next spring) were discussed. 

 

But this was a day to be thankful, and to take note of the tremendous community member and business response to an emergency situation. Here then, is an honor roll of sorts:

 

Restaurants and Other Services Donated By:

The Holiday Inn

Druthers

Georgia’s of Woodlawn Commons and Embury

Longfellows

The Olde Bryan Inn

The Wishing Well

Maestros at the VanDam

Saratoga Casino and Raceway

Jacob and Anthony's

The Bread Basket 

William Neimer, age 14 of Schuylerville and Rachel Dwyer, who made meatball subs and salad as part of his STAR project for Boy Scout Troop 4013.

PJs Bar-B-QSA 

Parkside Eatery

50 South

Spring Street deli

Capriccios Saratoga

Esperanto's

Leon's

The Stadium

The Inn at Saratoga

Sperry’s

Gaffney’s Restaurant

EL Mexicano

Irish Times

Panza’s restaurant

The Kettle

Country Corner Cafe

Chiantis 

Lillian's

Cobble Pond Station of Malta

Spot Café

Unity Lodge No. 22

Dunkin Donuts, S Broadway

Pizza Hut, Ballston Avenue

Treasures of Saratoga Hospital

Catholic Charities

Hannaford

Price Chopper of Ballston Avenue

American Red Cross Adirondack-North Country and NENY chapters

New England Presbyterian Church

The Giving Circle

Cudney’s of Broadway, donated fresh linens daily

St. Peter's Church

The Salvation Army

The local U.S. Navy

 

Individuals from the community who volunteered their time making meals and time serving the homeless, as well as those who made financial contributions:

 

Jasper Ian Aganon        

Helen Atwell

Andrea Barry             

Audrey Belt              

Mark Bertrand            

Robert Beyer             

Bill Boehmke             

William Brennan          

Kristin Brenner          

Kate Breslin             

Paul Brisson             

Ann Bullock             

Bob Bullock              

Margaret Bushee          

Lisa Capasso             

Gail Capobianco         

Frank Capone             

Tammy Chandler          

Margaret Cocozzo        

Rob Colangelo            

Jen Colangelo            

Doreen Collins           

Catherine Commerford     

Coqui Conkey             

Ellen Cuminale 

Robert Curry

Brian Dailey             

Barb Dalton              

Gail and Ed Decker       

Mary Beth Delarm         

Edward DeLuca            

Nathan Detweiler        

Ronald Deutsch           

Gurdeep Dhaliwal         

Ann Diller               

Brittany Dingler         

Patricia Downing         

Leann Driscoll           

Sharon Drosky            

Stanley Drosky           

Rachael Dwyer            

Jesse Elwert-Peters      

Carol Fallon             

Jeff Fortman             

Mitchell Frost           

Pam Funiciello           

Susan Gaddor  

Leo Geoffrion          

Thomas Gibbs             

Rachel Gill              

Conor Golden             

Bo Goliber

Arthur Gonick              

Michele Goyette 

Kathy Gregory

Sherie Grinter           

Susan Hamlin             

Jamey Hardesty           

Andrew Haskins           

Jami Hawthorne           

Rob Hawthorne            

Michelle Hicks           

Rolland Hoag             

Alex Hodor-Lee           

Catherine Hurley

Rev. Dominic S. Ingemie 

Sarah Ireland            

Janice James             

Jeri Jannicelli          

Eric Jenks               

Peggy Jenny              

Whitney Jobmann          

Chauncey Jones           

Beth Kane                

Mollie Kavanagh          

Aaron Kay                

Joy King                 

John Kirwin              

Douglas Klein            

Colin Klepetar           

Ian Klepetar             

Chuck Kochheiser        

Laura Kruegler           

Bill & Laura Kyer        

Laura Kyer               

Mark Lawton              

Alexas Leach             

Norine Lee-Wagner        

Devante Lewishearns      

Dave Lindberg            

Chip Locke               

Peggy MacArthur          

Mary C Mahoney           

Peg Mangano              

Tony Mangano             

Andrea Mann              

Ernest Mann              

Jackie Marcelle          

Robert McChesney         

Laurie McDermott         

Lisa Meade               

Erica Miller             

Kay Moberg               

Mary Monigan             

Amanda Moore             

Megan Mumford            

Cheryl Murphy            

Bradley Nagle            

Richard Naple            

Kelly O'Connell          

Betty O'Connor           

Kathryn Oppedisano       

Patricia Paduano         

John Penzer              

Michael Phillips         

Gary Picher              

Lisa Plue                

Steven Poissant          

Kim Poli                 

Joseph Potrzuski         

Elizabeth Powers         

Kelly Pressley           

Traci Radigan            

Lillian Ramsey           

Lisette Rayher           

Carol Reynolds           

Joyce Rice              

Patty Riggi   

Vincent Riggi

Julie Roberts

Bruce Robinson          

Marian Roth              

Marc Russo               

Melissa Russo            

Stuart Schultz           

Val Schultz              

Caroline Sgorrano

Ray Simboli              

Robert Simpson           

Janet & Bernie Singer    

Julie Slovic             

Karen Solomon            

Edward Solomon           

Beau Stallard            

Mary Starr               

Susan Steer              

LaVerne Stiles           

Brian Straughter         

Conrad Swiers            

Crystal Swinton          

Stephen Toman            

Chuck Tyree              

George Van Deusen        

Pam Volzone              

Karen Wadsworth          

John Waechter            

Krick & Sophia Wahl 

Shirley Waterfield       

Peter Whitten            

W Winz                   

Peter Wohl               

Ashley Wood              

Rob Wright               

Cathie Wright            

Sharah Yaddaw

Joanne Yepsen            

Karen Zanni              

Monna Zuckerman         

 

“But if we fail, then the whole world… including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister…. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if {we} last for a thousand years, {people} will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’.”

 

- Sir Winston Churchill