My cousin, Carmela Rizzuti Vitelli, is very special to me for a variety of reasons. We share many fond memories together of our childhood years. Carmela is a woman of strong faith with strong moral convictions. She has proven to be compassionate with those in need, often sacrificing her own needs to help family and friends. She and her late husband, Dennis, were happily married for 58 years until his death in April 2025. They raised two devoted and wonderful sons, David and Jason. Carmela and Dennis found great joy in spending time with their two grandchildren and can often be seen in pictures together on Facebook. Both Carmela and Dennis were very devoted to their large families. Their love for them was often expressed by their support and financial generosity. They also showed strong support to a brother-in-law and two of Carmela’s siblings during their difficult illnesses and eventual passing. Carmela was a true warrior during her battle with cancer and is a cancer-free survivor. Dennis was always by her side as a source of strength during her treatments. He was also the sole breadwinner at his excellent job of 25-plus years working for the Sanitation Department of New York City. There, he was well-liked and was treated by his co-workers as part of the family.

His passing has caused tremendous stress and unbearable grief to Carmela. There was no life insurance to bury Dennis and the mounting medical bills from their major medical conditions have accrued since 2023. Unfortunately, Carmela’s monthly pension and Social Security pay for the rent with not much left over. In addition, she was recently notified by her landlady that she was selling her home and that Carmela would need to move by February 2026.

Despite all these obstacles, Carmela’s faith in God and the love of her family and friends will help her continue being strong. She can overcome all these obstacles with our help and continue to purposely live her life to be the best mother, grandmother, cousin, and friend. My hope is that we can bless Carmela so that she can continue to make a difference in our present world. Would you please consider contributing to her need today?