The Vera House Foundation will present its 25th Annual “New Beginnings” Gala from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Oncenter. Special tribute will be paid to Gala Honorary Chairs Jodi and Philip DeAugustine of Cicero for their unwavering commitment and support of Vera House.
Jodi DeAugustine was a member of the Vera House Agency board of directors from 2003 to 2010, serving as president from 2007 to 2008. Since 2010, Jodi has served as vice-chair on the Vera House Foundation board of trustees. An extremely involved community representative, Jodi has dedicated much of her time to volunteer services. This includes serving as a Vera House sexual assault advocate, working on the Vera House White Ribbon Campaign Committee, the Vera House “New Beginnings” Gala Committee and the Vera House Speakers Bureau. Professionally, Jodi has been in the financial and banking industry since 1986 where she has devoted much of her time to international and community banks within Central New York.
Phil DeAugustine is an eighth-grade social studies teacher in the North Syracuse Central School District and the union representative for North Syracuse Junior High School. Before teaching social studies, Phil began his career as an alternative education teacher to at-risk youth for more than 10 years. For 23 years, Phil has spent his time coaching a variety of sports including volleyball, football and softball. Eighteen years of his coaching career were spent as the varsity softball coach at Jamesville-Dewitt High School. Phil has received the CNY Coach of the Year honor three times for his successful time at Jamesville-Dewitt, with over 300 career wins. Phil is currently the JV softball coach at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, devoted to cheering on his students both in the classroom and on the athletic field.
Jodi and Phil reside in Cicero and have two children, daughters Kennedy Anne and Madison Rose.
“New Beginnings” is the annual gala sponsored by the Vera House Foundation board of trustees to benefit the programs and services of Vera House, Inc. Now in its 25th year, the “New Beginnings” Gala will bring together over 500 guests to celebrate the season and support the agency’s mission to end domestic and sexual violence.
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. at the Oncenter with a cocktail hour and exciting silent auction. An elegant sit- down dinner will follow and Grand Central Station will round out the evening with entertainment.
Tables of 10, as well as individual tickets, are available at patron and donor levels. Patron tables of 10 are $2,500 and donor tables cost $2,100. Donor tickets are $210 per person. For more information or reservations, please call Vera House’s Special Events Office at 425-0818 ext. 248, or make your reservations securely online by visiting verahouse.org.
The Vera House Foundation “New Beginnings” Gala is made possible through the generous underwriting support of the following individuals and organizations: PathFinder Bank, Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc; Community Bank, N.A.; Cygnus Management Foundation; Fastrac; The Horowitch Family Foundation; Loftus, Ryu, Bartol, MDs, PC; Northwestern Mutual; Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, Inc.; Welch Allyn, Inc.; Carrols Corporation; JGB Enterprises, Inc.; Murphy and Nolan, Inc.; National Grid; Upstate Medical University; Bousquet Holstein PLLC; Anaren; Caroline & Nick Brust; Dr. Patricia Numann; Megan & Tim Ruddy, and KSP Painting of Syracuse, LTD.
Vera House works to end domestic violence and sexual assault in our community through various programs and services. The agency provides a 24-hour crisis, support and information line, and emergency shelter to ensure that all individuals are safe from violence. Actively engaged in domestic and sexual violence education and training in the community, Vera House offers counseling and advocacy services for victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as youth and elder abuse education programs. For more information about Vera House, please visit our website at verahouse.org.
