Wheeler Honors Business Leaders, Philanthropists, Families, for Their Commitment, Generosity
Two organizations and several individuals were honored by Wheeler for outstanding support of its mission at the organization’s 13th Annual Hands & Hearts event, held virtually, on December 18.
This event recognizes individuals and families, corporations, and foundations for helping Wheeler to provide equitable access to innovative care that improves health, recovery, and growth at all stages of life. Wheeler has recognized more than 85 philanthropists since the inception of this event.
“With the generous support of our Hands & Hearts award recipients today—and all of our donors—we are able to meet the needs of the more than 60,000 individuals we serve annually,” said Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA, president and chief executive officer, Wheeler. “Our honorees truly make it possible for us to respond to emergent and growing community needs, and most recently, to notably advance and implement plans for our new community health center at One Hope Street in Bristol.”
The 2023 Hands & Hearts Appreciation Award recipients are:
Eversource Energy
A collaboration with Eversource Energy this year supported the purchase of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for Wheeler’s new community health center at One Hope Street, Bristol, through the Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program.
Additionally, this summer, the Eversource Energy Foundation awarded a $2,500 community impact grant to help support Wheeler’s Walk With Me service line for LGBTQIA+ individuals through its Family Health & Wellness Center in Hartford. This grant helps sustain a peer support specialist position at the health center, which leverages lived experience to ensure that patients feel affirmed and supported throughout their care.
The Frady Family (Bristol, Connecticut)
For the past four years during the holiday season, Joe and Toni Frady of Bristol have provided items for Wheeler families in need. Their acts of kindness and generosity reflect their deeply held core values and serve as teachable moments for members of their own family.
Their gifts have addressed the needs of dozens of Wheeler patients, spanning seven programs, including Community Support for Families, Care Coordination, Multisystemic Therapy – Building Stronger Families, Child First, Intensive Family Preservation, Supportive Housing, and Youth and Family TREE.
The Friends and Family of Sam Marszycki
The Samuel Marszycki Scholarship was established in 2021 to support a graduating senior with post-secondary education. It is named in honor of a former paraprofessional at Northwest Village School (NVS) who passed away in June 2020. It was established by family and friends in 2021 in Marszycki’s memory and is supported through donations and the annual Sam-O Scramble Golf Tournament, which marked its third anniversary this past September. The first award in 2021 helped support a graduating NVS senior who went on to study at a local community college. In 2022, the scholarship supported a graduating senior who wished to attend culinary school. The 2023 recipient aims to attend veterinary school.
Francis Vincent (West Hartford, Connecticut)
For the past decade, Francis served in key leadership roles on Wheeler’s Board of Trustees, including vice-chair and chair of the Development Committee. Under his direction and vision, Wheeler established its first capital campaign in decades, set an ambitious goal, and then expanded it, beating it convincingly and ahead of schedule.
Francis’s hard work, drive, and generosity—including a significant leadership gift—were instrumental in Wheeler’s community center at One Hope Street becoming a reality.
That project—a state-of-the-art health center—is the perfect alignment with Francis’s life work and passion of addressing disparities and working toward better health outcomes. The son of a physician, Francis was born in Scotland and raised in both Nigeria and Connecticut. Professionally, he served in executive corporate roles to improve health outcomes and make care more affordable for employers and their employees.
Rachel Tressy and Voya Financial
Rachel Tressy, chief auditor at Voya Financial, and Wheeler trustee serving on the Audit and Quality Committees, exemplifies creative, supportive leadership.
In addition to being a strong individual leadership donor, Rachel has rallied members of the Voya team over the last three years to support One Hope Street and Wheeler’s mission through an innovative employee giving campaign, which has involved more than 100 of her colleagues, who have collectively raised more than $10,000 toward services at Wheeler and in Bristol.
