RSS 2.0 FeedThursday, December 15, 2011, Wantagh Seaford Citizen
Judy Bongiovi: Portrait of a Seaford star
Giving back in so many ways.
Judy Bongiovi of Seaford loves her community. She is a resident member of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce, the corresponding secretary for the Seaford Historical Society and an active member of St. William the Abbot Church, where she volunteers her time as a bereavement facilitator. She is an unsung hero, a volunteer who makes a difference in the lives of the people who live in her community.
“All of this blends together,” Mrs. Bongiovi explained. “ Seaford is a special community – very close knit and the people are so kind. Here in Seaford you still have that small town feeling.” That’s why Mrs. Bongiovi first became involved in the Seaford Historical Society. “Seaford has a rich history and I wanted to see it kept alive.
We’ve been able to get the museum open – it’s painted now and with our
Harvest Fair fundraiser we’ve been able to accomplish a lot of things. It’s especially rewarding when the children come to the museum and we can tell them a little bit about the history of the town, the place they live.”
It’s also why she recently joined the Seaford Chamber of Commerce. “I wanted to give back, to keep that feeling of community that is so important,” she explained.
Carla Powell of Seaford calls Mrs. Bongiovi someone who works tirelessly
without expecting any thanks or praise, “someone who devotes her talents and hundreds of hours each year to others,” she wrote. “All this while being an active wife, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter!” What is especially dear and near to Mrs. Bongiovi's heart is her work as a bereavement facilitator at St. William the Abbot Church. “I work with a support group for those who have had a significant loss. We meet for eight weeks and help to provide guidance discussion, readings. We talk about journaling. We discuss the different stages of grief,” said Mrs Bongiovi.
“Jessica Mullin [now deceased] began this and it has been an inspiration for me. I have had significant losses in my life so I wanted to help. It’s very rewarding to see others come through the journey. At this time of year it is especially difficult for a lot of people.” Mrs. Bongiovi said it has sometimes been difficult to work with the bereaved. “You get emotionally involved, but my daughter is a social worker and she’s helping me learn how to detach and stay strong.”
It is also very rewarding, claims Mrs. Bongiovi. “We have people who come back and show the others how it is possible to go on. We encourage people to volunteer, to give back in their loved one’s name. When you volunteer, you feel good,” she explained.
“We have one man who works in a soup kitchen; another has a happy hour at Knights of Columbus. I know a woman who crochets blankets for veterans. There is a woman, in her eighties who works with St. William the Abbot’s INN program, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Mary Brennan INN in Hempstead,” said Mrs. Bongiovi.
“I used to help out. We would get out about 900 sandwiches for that evening. I should get back to that. Yes, I need to do that,” she murmured.
