Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Gina Centauro, co-founder of Rescuing Families Inc., was named a 2025 Woman of Distinction at the New York State Senate for her support of the disabled community through her work renovating the homes of disabled families.
While Gina was unable to attend the May 13 ceremony, Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who nominated Gina, hand-delivered the award to her at the Rescuing Families headquarters, in Franklin Square, on July 30.
The annual awards ceremony honors exceptional women from across New York whose pioneering contributions — in areas like community service, business, education, science, and the arts — have significantly shaped their communities. State senators each nominate a woman from their respective districts to be celebrated in the State Capitol in May.
Gina, 54, who co-founded Rescuing Families with her husband, Vincent Centauro, in 2016, said the honor meant much more than personal recognition. Rather, she said, being a woman of distinction helps expand the mission of Rescuing Families and spread the word about the work the Centauros and volunteers do.
“It is an honor,” Gina said. “I believe that our work—not just by me but my husband and our volunteers — that got me this award. It’s a group effort.”
As a woman fiercely dedicated to the cause, Gina spends most of her time focusing on support of the nonprofit’s mission, including fundraisers, craft fairs and garage sales to fund projects.
The Centauros are also both licensed contractors, which means when the nonprofit schedules renovations, the couple rolls up their sleeves and completes the renovations themselves.
Gina recalled working on a project in April when Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick called to tell her that Gina was her choice for the award this year.
“I was in the middle of working,” Gina said, laughing. “I’m like, all sweaty and dirty and I was like, ‘Oh, please don’t come here now.’”
Before being named a woman of distinction, Gina said Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick spent time with her at the headquarters and speaking with her through the nonprofit’s social media account. Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick asked a lot of questions, Gina recalled, in an effort to learn what Rescuing Families does for the disabled.
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, a Malverne native who represents Senate District 9, says Franklin Square is like a second home to her because she operates her law firm, Canzoneri and Canzoneri, LLP, in the neighborhood.
As a mother and business owner herself, she said she understands how important it is to find time to recognize women like Centauro for their contributions to the community.
“You are a shining example of what it means to give from your heart,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said to Gina as she handed her the award. “Not just from the excess that you have, but from time you could spend taking care of yourself.”
The work Gina and Vincent have done for other families stems from personal experiences caring for family members suffering from physical and mental disabilities.
Gina missed the May ceremony in order to care for her sister, Dina Cantone, who is autistic, deaf, and developmentally disabled, requiring supervision by caregivers on a regular basis. When an aide wasn’t available the day of the ceremony, Gina made the decision to stay with her sister because “family comes first.”
Vincent’s late father, Henry Centauro Jr., a Vietnam veteran whose exposure Agent Orange, a chemical used by the U.S. military to kill jungle foliage, left him with permanent nerve damage in his hands and legs. Gina’s father, Ralph Cantone, was a Korean War veteran who suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
By educating local residents and politicians about the unique needs of disabled people and how the charity supports them, Gina continued, she hopes more eyes will be placed on the cause itself.
“It’s not so much me being recognized,” Gina said. “It’s about the charity being recognized. Rescuing Families is close to our heart and the whole point is to have more people see what we do.”
According to Susan DiVerniero, a Rescuing Families volunteer who attended the July 30 ceremony, she loves working with the Centauros.
After DiVerniero retired two years ago after working in the Valley Stream School District, she began looking for ways to give back to the community.
“I was like, ‘You know what? When I retire, I want something worthwhile to do,’” DiVerniero said. “To me, this is just so genuine and real.”
As for Vincent, he wasn’t surprised at all when his wife was announced as a woman of distinction this year.
“It couldn’t be a better person,” Vincent said, explaining that Gina truly dedicates all of her time to their work. “It was a no-brainer for them to choose her.”
He said Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick’s visit to the headquarters was the perfect opportunity for the couple to show her how the nonprofit operates. The fact that the assemblywoman took time out of her day to meet Gina where she was, Vincent said, helped share their mission.
“For us, we want to get the word out there,” Vincent said. “We want to let more people know who we are. These awards are great, but we just want people to be aware that we’re here to help them.”
Gina shared the sentiment, adding that she is happy to accept awards, but even happier to share it with Rescuing Families.
“It means the world because it means we’re being recognized for our work,” Gina said. “Which then, in turn, helps us help more families.”
