Cirque Du VOA
2024 Annual Gala
On April 15, we gathered at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza to honor CAVU Securities as well as Danielle Mareka, Fashion Model and Philanthropist, and celebrated the progress we are making together as we strive to end homelessness in Greater New York by 2050. NBC’s Willie Geist emceed the event for the tenth year, which raised over $1.2 million for VOA-GNY’s critical programs.
For more than 125 years, Volunteers of America-Greater New York has been serving individuals and families in need, becoming one of the largest providers of human services in New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Westchester County. Our annual gala is one of our biggest fundraising events of the year, benefiting VOA-GNY’s 70+ housing, health and wealth-building programs across the region.
Cirque du VOA Gala Honorees
Community Champion Award: CAVU Securities
Throughout our 128-year history, VOA-GNY has proudly served veterans of every American conflict since the Civil War, which is why we’re so proud to honor CAVU Securities, a certified minority- and veteran-owned enterprise. From the beginning of our partnership, CAVU has taken every opportunity to show our clients they care, generously adopting both of our veterans’ housing programs and providing year-round support. The award will be accepted by CEO Greg Parsons, who served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps.
Shining Star Award: Danielle Mareka
Having achieved professional success as a fashion model, philanthropist Danielle Mareka has spent the last two years giving back by helping domestic violence survivors in VOA-GNY shelters find empowerment in their resilience. Danielle, who lived with her mother in a domestic violence shelter as a child, hosts self-care events for survivors, bringing in professional hairstylists and estheticians as well as using her fashion and beauty industry contacts to donate makeup and other self-care products. Danielle models for brands including Nike, Tiffany & Co, and MAC Cosmetics, and her work has been featured in outlets such as Vogue and Essence Magazine.
Presenting Sponsors
PLATINUM
GOLD
Tricia and Timothy Carey
Paige Davis and Patrick Page
Reginald and Angela Goins
Loews Corporation
Kim and David Nastro
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of NY
Terri Ann and Paul Ouinlan
Volunteers of America, Inc.
Gerry Cunningham and Family
Erin and Jeffrey Ginsburg
Carmen and Tom Johnson
Nila Misra and Ashish Midha
The Parsons Family Foundation
Procida Construction Corp.
The Russian Tea Room
Wells Fargo
SILVER
Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC
Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP
BRONZE
Capital One
Patricia Daly and Henry Schreiber
GS Construction Group, Inc.
The Law Firm of Candace C. Carponter, PC
Yichih Lin and Dino Wu
Lettire Construction
Lockton Companies
Marshall & Sterling Insurance
New York Football Giants
Kyung-Ah Park and Robert Wolk
TGI Office Automation
Urban Builders Collaborative
The Weeks Lerman Group
See our 2023 gala Over the Rainbow: Imagining a Future Without Homelessness, which raised a record $1.3 million in support of our work to end homelessness in the New York area.
