Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am (EDT)
EPISODE SUMMARY:
- Discover how entrepreneurship can empower people with disabilities
- Learn about the challenges and triumphs of creating inclusive employment
- Be inspired by the Cupcake Crew’s commitment to mentoring the next generation
🧁 This Friday on Philanthropy in Phocus with Tommy DiMisa #InTheAttic 🧁
Join us for a heartwarming and empowering conversation with Patty Castrogiovanni, founder of Special Sweets Bakery, operating under the nonprofit A Special Place For Me. Together with the Cupcake Crew—a team of talented individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities—Patty is proving that purpose, creativity, and community rise beautifully… just like their cupcakes. 💜
This week, we explore “Baking with Purpose: How Sweet Inclusion Can Be.” Learn how this small business blossomed from a dream to keep a close-knit group of classmates together after aging out of the school system—and how it now inspires others through mentorship and meaningful employment.
🕙 Tune in Friday, June 20th at 10 AM EST to hear how this one-of-a-kind bakery is creating opportunity, joy, and delicious impact—one cupcake at a time.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/specialsweets4u2/
#SpecialSweetsBakery #CupcakeCrew #InclusionMatters #DisabilityEmployment #BakeForGood
On this lively episode of Philanthropy in Phocus, Tommy D kicks things off with cupcakes, tech hiccups, and heart—highlighting his signature mix of humor and purpose while celebrating Special Sweets Bakery. The segment introduces the mission behind the bakery, founded to provide meaningful employment and community for young adults with disabilities who aged out of traditional support systems. Through playful banter and heartfelt reflection, the message is clear: nonprofits like this deserve the spotlight for giving purpose, dignity, and joy to those often overlooked.
In this segment of Philanthropy in Phocus, Tommy D continues his signature mix of heartfelt storytelling and high-energy banter while introducing the remarkable origin story of Special Sweets Bakery. Founded by longtime educator Patty Castrogiovanni and her friend Lisa, the bakery was created to give a group of young adults with disabilities a sense of purpose and continued community after aging out of the school system. What began as a day program in Patty’s home quickly blossomed—through dedication, media support, and the kindness of donors—into a thriving vocational nonprofit housed in a donated BOCES kitchen, serving up opportunity one cupcake at a time.
In this joyful segment of Philanthropy in Phocus, Tommy D takes listeners on a virtual tour of the Special Sweets Bakery kitchen, introducing several of the inspiring young adults behind the cupcakes. Each team member proudly shares their favorite cupcake to bake and eat—like Christina’s “Pretty in Pink” strawberry and Zolydia’s “Ravishing Red Velvet”—while showcasing the sense of purpose and camaraderie they've built together. With heart, humor, and community spirit, this behind-the-scenes moment brings to life the mission of creating inclusive employment and lifelong connection for individuals with disabilities.
In this final segment of Philanthropy in Phocus, Tommy D wraps the show with heart, humor, and a strong message about the power of inclusive employment and community support. He celebrates Special Sweets Bakery not only for their delicious cupcakes (including options like dairy-free “Skittles Supreme” and pet-friendly “Pup Cakes”) but for their mission-driven model that empowers young adults with disabilities through meaningful work and skill-building. The conversation highlights the nonprofit's growing corporate partnerships, long-term vision of becoming a full-service café, and unwavering commitment to creating access and purpose—proving that with empathy, support, and a little frosting, everyone can thrive.
00:02:30.370 --> 00:02:31.850 Tommy DiMisa: What's up? Everybody?
00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:33.166 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hey? Tommy.
00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:35.249 Tommy DiMisa: You know it's funny.
00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:53.810 Tommy DiMisa: you know, they can't start the show without you when you're the host of the show. But sometimes you know the show, as they say in the business, must go on. Listen. In the real world, tech issues sometimes get in the way I am the nonprofit sector, connector, the one and only time for a hat change time for a hat change. The show is philanthropy and focus.
00:02:54.540 --> 00:02:55.280 Tommy DiMisa: I was at
00:02:57.990 --> 00:03:08.150 Tommy DiMisa: up everybody. This show is called philanthropy and focus, and every single Friday I go a couple of flights up, and, in fact, today it was like 3 or 4 flights up, because I had to go back downstairs and figure out this tech stuff
00:03:08.610 --> 00:03:15.170 Tommy DiMisa: every single week on philanthropy and focus. I bring you the leader of a profit organization to help them tell their story
00:03:15.820 --> 00:03:32.580 Tommy DiMisa: and amplify their message. And that's what we're going to do today. Special sweets talk about special sweets, your boy. He has a sweet tooth in case anybody didn't know anybody in my life knows I can't walk past the table with cupcakes on it without stopping and saying Hello! And check out this hat, everybody! What's it? Say on there?
00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:33.540 Tommy DiMisa: Special.
00:03:33.540 --> 00:03:35.819 Patty Castrogiovanni: Special sweet bakery.
00:03:35.820 --> 00:03:40.159 Tommy DiMisa: 21. How many is this? a 1 of one hat? How many hats are there, Patty?
00:03:40.647 --> 00:03:44.062 Patty Castrogiovanni: You're the limited edition, one of 5.
00:03:44.550 --> 00:03:46.669 Tommy DiMisa: One of the stuff is this one of 5.
00:03:47.010 --> 00:03:47.350 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:03:47.350 --> 00:03:48.129 Tommy DiMisa: Are you kidding me.
00:03:48.130 --> 00:03:52.220 Patty Castrogiovanni: We're get. Yes, we're going to have to autograph it for you next time we see you.
00:03:52.220 --> 00:03:54.279 Tommy DiMisa: I shouldn't even put it on. I mean, it's like.
00:03:54.600 --> 00:04:00.479 Patty Castrogiovanni: You know. Put that in a case you have to frame it. Shadow, box it, shadow, box. It.
00:04:00.480 --> 00:04:02.400 Tommy DiMisa: You know what you know, what? It's so funny. Bro.
00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:03.490 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, this is what.
00:04:03.490 --> 00:04:04.440 Tommy DiMisa: One of 5.
00:04:04.440 --> 00:04:11.260 Patty Castrogiovanni: We also saved the 1st cupcake wrapper. So we have that paper. Put that to the shower box.
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:28.300 Tommy DiMisa: I don't want the 1st cupcake wrapper. I think that should be yours. I am known to, you know. Shout out, everybody knows I do the show from the attic right up the top of the stairs, and there's a lot of stuff that I should be purging that I don't purge, that I save up in the attic, you know, cupcake wrappers and things like that. I'm sure.
00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:29.220 Patty Castrogiovanni: Sounds, scary.
00:04:29.220 --> 00:04:41.709 Tommy DiMisa: I gotta. It is a little scary somewhere. Probably this is a weird thing to tell the whole world. But somewhere in this attic is probably my braces, because I thought one day I'd be a big time celebrity, and someone would want to put my braces in a museum. You know the ones on my teeth.
00:04:42.602 --> 00:04:46.930 Patty Castrogiovanni: You grills, grills.
00:04:46.930 --> 00:04:50.795 Tommy DiMisa: I gotta get. You know I should get some grills. I should get a little iced out for sure. You know
00:04:51.270 --> 00:04:54.060 Tommy DiMisa: this is how the show is alright. So every week on the show
00:04:54.510 --> 00:05:13.869 Tommy DiMisa: bring together. I totally missed my whole entrance as the music started. My guest is waiting for me. Sometimes tech is that way, man, it's just the way it goes. All right. So let's get into it. So the other day I'm at. I'm at City field, shout out, Let's go! Mets! Let's go. Mets. By the way, a couple little bit of gear today to talk about the fit like, believe there.
00:05:13.870 --> 00:05:17.670 Patty Castrogiovanni: There's good there is good in the world. Be the good I like that.
00:05:17.670 --> 00:05:31.089 Tommy DiMisa: The good in the world. Yep. And then you got the old, the baseball jersey, the in focus baseball jersey over that. So let everybody know the fit. So if you're only listening, just imagine good looking fella cool hat on baseball.
00:05:31.090 --> 00:05:31.840 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hello!
00:05:32.590 --> 00:05:34.829 Tommy DiMisa: You know, like whatever fill in the blanks.
00:05:34.830 --> 00:05:40.234 Patty Castrogiovanni: 5. That shirt is, that is that one of 5 for you as well.
00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.220 Tommy DiMisa: This is one of one. There is only one of the.
00:05:44.296 --> 00:05:45.373 Patty Castrogiovanni: Wow!
00:05:46.450 --> 00:06:07.509 Tommy DiMisa: And it's only one of one vanguard benefits. Baseball Jersey! Shout out to our team at vanguard benefits! What's that about vanguard benefits? Hall of fame award which we're rolling out right now for Hall of Fame employers, we in the process of inducting our 1st 4 Hall of Fame Employers. So that's why the baseball jerseys are. Excuse me, as I would say on Brand. All right. So let's get into it. So I'm at Citi Field the other day.
00:06:07.770 --> 00:06:14.749 Tommy DiMisa: and I'm going through. It's a trade show at Citi Field. And I'm talking to these guys from Chitty's Ch guys. Chitty. Yeah.
00:06:15.050 --> 00:06:17.429 Patty Castrogiovanni: Delicious food. Yeah, they were right across.
00:06:17.430 --> 00:06:24.819 Tommy DiMisa: Patty, here's a problem with that. I'm I'm like breaking it up, chopping it up with those guys, and they got they don't have any more cheesesteak left for Tommy D. So then, like.
00:06:24.820 --> 00:06:25.930 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, man!
00:06:25.930 --> 00:06:30.880 Tommy DiMisa: Friend of mine, a new friend of mine, Dawn Kelly, from the nourish spot, is like right behind me.
00:06:31.440 --> 00:06:57.349 Tommy DiMisa: I'm like, What's up, Tommy d. So I'm like, what's up doing? I'm like, what's up Tommy? D like I'm like, what's up doing. She's got a full yellow sweatsuit on with the nourish spot Logos on there so like matching, matching yellow Hoodie, and I mean yellow like like the stuff like so bright. And I'm telling her I'm like, oh, my God, Dawn, I need that. I need that. I'll buy it. I don't care. But I needed. I need that whole suit, and I
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:08.740 Tommy DiMisa: she's coming on Long Island change makers. It's not a requirement at Long Island change makers to bring gifts to Tommy D. But the host appreciates. When people bring him gifts
00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:10.810 Tommy DiMisa: it adds up.
00:07:10.810 --> 00:07:12.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hence the hat.
00:07:13.410 --> 00:07:23.619 Tommy DiMisa: As I turn around. My friend Patty is across the room there in the Heineken. I don't know what it's called the Heineken Club. I guess where you're in.
00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:26.860 Patty Castrogiovanni: So that's how we roll. She's always where the alcohol is.
00:07:26.860 --> 00:07:31.169 Tommy DiMisa: Well, you know what funny it was like on a hot day in the summertime.
00:07:31.170 --> 00:07:34.359 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, having for that activity field is important.
00:07:35.080 --> 00:07:35.760 Tommy DiMisa: It was.
00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:49.780 Tommy DiMisa: Well, hey, you know what you got to do, what you got to do. Here's what I'm going to say. So I turn my friend Patty goes Tommy D. And I come running over cupcakes. And who'd you have with you, Patty? Who was the young lady that was with you there?
00:07:49.780 --> 00:07:52.339 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, my gosh! I had Patricia with me, and.
00:07:53.340 --> 00:07:58.089 Patty Castrogiovanni: Love her right. She's awesome. She'll be making an appearance in a moment. But yeah.
00:07:58.090 --> 00:08:11.529 Tommy DiMisa: All right. Well, that's what's gonna be fun about today. This is perfect. So if you all are in my tribe a bit of the Adhd. This is the show for you. The host shows up. There's cupcakes. There's gonna be special guests popping in throughout the show.
00:08:11.530 --> 00:08:12.709 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, that's right.
00:08:12.710 --> 00:08:33.000 Tommy DiMisa: I promise you that plenty of dopamine on the show today, baby, all right. So here's what we do. So I turn. Patty calls me over. I turn and I go eat some cupcakes, and Patricia told me, Tommy D. You got to try the espresso cupcake. It's got a cool like dipped espresso bean on top. We'll get it.
00:08:33.169 --> 00:08:44.059 Tommy DiMisa: So I'm just telling him we're trying to set the stage like where we were at Patty. I go. Oh, my God! Look at that hat! I go look at that lid, and I was like, What's this? Are you selling those? And she's like
00:08:44.059 --> 00:09:03.300 Tommy DiMisa: she's like, it's yours, Tommy D. And I go stop it. And now I'm staring at it right now. I actually one of the reasons like, although we were having some tech stuff. Then I have to run out to my car and get this out of my my little somebody gave me a bag at Citi Field. Who knows what it is. I'm sure their logo is on it, but they didn't give me a hat, because if they gave me a hat I would know what's on it? Because I'd be wearing it. So
00:09:03.300 --> 00:09:14.849 Tommy DiMisa: that's how that all happened. So I said, Patty, Patty, what do you think you want to come on the show long story. We're here. That is the introduction gang that felt like War and peace, except a much more fun version.
00:09:15.450 --> 00:09:16.050 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:09:16.310 --> 00:09:22.119 Tommy DiMisa: So, Patty, I'm going to try this, and then you're going to have to correct me if I'm wrong. Castro Giovanni.
00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:25.800 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, yes, sir, yes, visa.
00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:26.623 Tommy DiMisa: Yes.
00:09:28.270 --> 00:09:33.890 Tommy DiMisa: we go d for short, just because it's easy that way. Patty C. And Tommy. Who else is there with you?
00:09:33.890 --> 00:09:36.267 Patty Castrogiovanni: We should be.
00:09:37.060 --> 00:09:38.660 Tommy DiMisa: If I remember correctly, Brian.
00:09:38.660 --> 00:09:41.590 Patty Castrogiovanni: T. Oh, yes, you did. Look at that.
00:09:41.590 --> 00:09:44.369 Tommy DiMisa: We just need an A, we just need an A BCD.
00:09:44.370 --> 00:09:45.180 Patty Castrogiovanni: Internet Internet.
00:09:45.180 --> 00:09:48.190 Tommy DiMisa: Please, Lisa, is it Brienza? I remember from looking at your card.
00:09:49.720 --> 00:10:05.479 Tommy DiMisa: I remember that I haven't seen you in a while. That's like the other day that it was like right around Thanksgiving, like Thanksgiving, what you used to call Thanksgiving Eve. I'm sure the young people still do. But it was like that day. But, Patty, that's got to be a couple of years ago. It's not last Thanksgiving right.
00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:14.059 Patty Castrogiovanni: It was 2, yeah, 2. And remember, you're like, gotta get to Huntington. We got in the car. Yeah, yeah.
00:10:14.060 --> 00:10:22.170 Tommy DiMisa: And we're gonna talk about that because I talked to Michael. I don't know what we can and can't talk about. But I talked to my boy Michael Katakis. I'm on the Board of Spirit of Huntington Art Center, and he had nothing.
00:10:22.170 --> 00:10:22.740 Patty Castrogiovanni: You are.
00:10:22.740 --> 00:10:23.970 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, yeah, yeah. You didn't know that.
00:10:24.470 --> 00:10:26.590 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, I just had a meeting with him on Wednesday. Yeah.
00:10:26.590 --> 00:10:34.899 Tommy DiMisa: He said, he said, and I had a board meeting yesterday, and he told me just some really cool things that are going on, and I actually have. I want to say to you, you both like.
00:10:35.570 --> 00:10:46.389 Tommy DiMisa: why am I not just having your cupcakes and all the stuff I'm doing? Is the question. Usually I would say that till the end. But I'm like, you know, I don't want to. Today. I was thinking about this last night. I was like I do so many cool things right.
00:10:46.390 --> 00:10:47.070 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:10:47.070 --> 00:10:50.689 Tommy DiMisa: I should just have your stuff there at these events. So what?
00:10:50.690 --> 00:10:51.600 Tommy DiMisa: That's what we're talking about.
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:59.160 Tommy DiMisa: He hasn't even introduced these people yet. He's just. He's on a rant, and already he's buying cupcakes. So you'll try to.
00:10:59.160 --> 00:11:01.980 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, they're the damn best cupcakes you've ever had right.
00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:07.149 Tommy DiMisa: You're 100% and and extra special love by folks who.
00:11:07.150 --> 00:11:07.840 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:21.649 Tommy DiMisa: Are doing the work, and so we'll get into it. But I remember this. Paul Abdul had this song. I'll take 2 steps forward. I'll take 2 steps back, so let's take one step back so we could take 2 steps forward. I was Big Paul Abdul Lisa, are you happy?
00:11:21.650 --> 00:11:23.947 Patty Castrogiovanni: Take the the lyrics, please.
00:11:27.050 --> 00:11:44.379 Tommy DiMisa: So that so that video people are driving off the road if they're listening in their car. So that video was, it was like a cartoon character cat dancing with Paul Abdul on the thing. I think it was like I think it was like on the shut up and dance album. All right. How about shut up and.
00:11:44.380 --> 00:11:46.429 Patty Castrogiovanni: People you're into, Paula Abdulbrah.
00:11:46.430 --> 00:11:47.849 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, it's a whole piece, cool.
00:11:48.160 --> 00:11:52.929 Tommy DiMisa: I don't know about you, man, who was your who would in 19. Let's see.
00:11:53.030 --> 00:11:59.129 Tommy DiMisa: I had to be like 92, 93, something like that, you know. Come on, you didn't love me.
00:11:59.130 --> 00:12:00.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: I was into new kids on the block.
00:12:00.760 --> 00:12:01.510 Tommy DiMisa: So you're gonna okay.
00:12:01.510 --> 00:12:01.950 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's how.
00:12:01.950 --> 00:12:03.320 Tommy DiMisa: Dare you give me a hard time.
00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:06.439 Patty Castrogiovanni: They actually went on tour together that would pull their tools.
00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:13.619 Tommy DiMisa: On my show. Give me a hard time, Lisa B. You can't do Nko, Tb, and I'm gonna have to hear.
00:12:13.620 --> 00:12:17.889 Patty Castrogiovanni: Right. Donnie Wahlberg was my my husband. He didn't even know it, man, and he's so
00:12:17.890 --> 00:12:21.070 Patty Castrogiovanni: my husband today. He doesn't even know it, even though he's with Jake Mccartney.
00:12:21.070 --> 00:12:23.199 Tommy DiMisa: Pretty funny. You say that because I have a friend
00:12:24.710 --> 00:12:32.740 Tommy DiMisa: who swears who's in the nonprofit space. My friend Amy swears that she's married to Dave Grohl, except Dave Grohl and his family.
00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:40.349 Patty Castrogiovanni: The other one like he is like my dirty man, crush like I love him. I'm very upset with him for what he did, but I.
00:12:40.350 --> 00:12:40.740 Tommy DiMisa: A lot.
00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:41.930 Patty Castrogiovanni: Now.
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.620 Tommy DiMisa: You can be mad at your husband, it's allowed. Trust me, trust me, I.
00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:49.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: As long as you don't smother them with a pillow at night you can be mad at them.
00:12:49.830 --> 00:12:53.520 Tommy DiMisa: Well, I mean, listen! Nobody wants to go to prison to be honest, no one really.
00:12:53.520 --> 00:12:55.459 Patty Castrogiovanni: You know, for some people I would go to prison.
00:12:55.460 --> 00:12:56.420 Patty Castrogiovanni: Actually, we don't even know.
00:12:57.330 --> 00:13:02.099 Tommy DiMisa: This is not just any zoom call. People are listening to. This. People can listen to this.
00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:03.530 Patty Castrogiovanni: Understand the trauma.
00:13:03.832 --> 00:13:08.070 Tommy DiMisa: As long as there's an Internet, people will have access to this. Just remember.
00:13:08.291 --> 00:13:10.060 Patty Castrogiovanni: So we we never said that that wasn't.
00:13:10.060 --> 00:13:10.680 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, that's correct.
00:13:10.680 --> 00:13:12.419 Patty Castrogiovanni: I was asking for a friend, and the friend was not.
00:13:12.420 --> 00:13:15.840 Tommy DiMisa: I mean, wheels are off the bus. The bus is off the road.
00:13:16.010 --> 00:13:16.850 Tommy DiMisa: I mean.
00:13:16.850 --> 00:13:22.520 Tommy DiMisa: we should probably start the show over. Hey, everybody! It's Tommy D. Welcome to philanthropy in chaos. All right. So.
00:13:22.520 --> 00:13:26.040 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's how life rolls with us, and we're used to that.
00:13:26.040 --> 00:13:29.319 Tommy DiMisa: We are going. I haven't even really had you guys introduce yourself, and we gotta.
00:13:30.345 --> 00:13:31.360 Patty Castrogiovanni: Like.
00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:44.110 Tommy DiMisa: Our 1st break we have to go to like a break. So this is what happens. You know what the truth is. Patty had 2 dozen cupcakes delivered to my house, and I ate them all right before the show. I should. That's not true, but it would have been funny, because I would have.
00:13:44.456 --> 00:13:45.150 Tommy DiMisa: That's fine.
00:13:45.150 --> 00:13:50.970 Tommy DiMisa: That's why I'm off. So by the 3rd segment of the show I'm gonna be asleep. It'll be like.
00:13:50.970 --> 00:13:51.859 Patty Castrogiovanni: So band.
00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:56.210 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, my goodness, Lisa, you're trouble for me. You are very troubling, very troubling.
00:13:56.210 --> 00:13:57.490 Patty Castrogiovanni: They say.
00:13:58.280 --> 00:13:58.680 Tommy DiMisa: There we go!
00:13:58.680 --> 00:13:59.410 Patty Castrogiovanni: 1st time.
00:13:59.410 --> 00:14:09.250 Tommy DiMisa: All right, really quick, before we do go to our 1st break. Patty Lisa, why does this organization exist? Just tell me a quick story, and we have, like, 45 seconds before we break. What is this organization? Why does it exist?
00:14:09.930 --> 00:14:25.950 Patty Castrogiovanni: Because the young individuals that you're about to meet are just the most amazing humans in the world. And when they aged out at the age of 21 we're like, Oh, my gosh! We can't separate. They've been together since kindergarten, and we started in my home, and then.
00:14:25.950 --> 00:14:46.929 Patty Castrogiovanni: 4 years later. Here we are in this beautiful boces facility, and we're just hoping to grow even more and get the mission out that these guys are great and you know, they need employment. They need a purpose, right? Them, some kind of recognition, because a lot of times they go under the radar. They slip through the cracks of life, and you know what they deserve a chance. Yeah.
00:14:46.930 --> 00:14:51.549 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, shout this out. I got interviewed this week tops up right there.
00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:55.319 Tommy DiMisa: Shout it from the rooftops. I promise we're gonna have a lot of storytelling. We're gonna meet some people.
00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:57.420 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, God! You hear him now!
00:14:57.420 --> 00:15:01.079 Tommy DiMisa: I hear him. I hear him in the background. They're raring to get on the show.
00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:02.200 Patty Castrogiovanni: I'm just.
00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.249 Tommy DiMisa: Fortunate to be here, because if I was there with you like we thought we might do, there's no way.
00:15:06.250 --> 00:15:09.469 Patty Castrogiovanni: That would be awesome, Tommy, you're gonna have to come back and do it. Live.
00:15:09.470 --> 00:15:11.479 Tommy DiMisa: And I'm gonna bake. And I'm gonna.
00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:13.571 Patty Castrogiovanni: Forget the attic, live from the kitchen.
00:15:13.870 --> 00:15:15.860 Tommy DiMisa: I'm gonna put on an apron, and we're gonna do a lot.
00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:17.530 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, yes.
00:15:17.530 --> 00:15:26.079 Tommy DiMisa: I knew we couldn't do that today, because I figured I would be so distracted, even more so than I am, and I wouldn't be able to get through anything similar to what.
00:15:26.930 --> 00:15:27.430 Patty Castrogiovanni: So.
00:15:27.430 --> 00:15:43.749 Tommy DiMisa: Here's what we're going to do. We're going to come back. We're going to do story time with Patty C. Lisa B. And the one and only the kid, Tommy D, and we're gonna talk about how you got here. And then we're going to meet some of the individuals shout out, by the way, I got to say this, I got interviewed by 4 young people who are at the Nicholas Center. I don't know.
00:15:43.750 --> 00:15:44.940 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, amazing!
00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:48.720 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, my God, agents of humanity. I cannot wait. I can.
00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:49.470 Patty Castrogiovanni: I love it.
00:15:49.470 --> 00:15:52.909 Tommy DiMisa: Until that comes out, because that was like a 45 min interview.
00:15:52.910 --> 00:15:53.640 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:15:53.640 --> 00:16:06.299 Tommy DiMisa: Minutes of the interview, me and one of the individuals, Tomas. We started crying because of how it was a conversation he brought up and gang. You'll have to tune in for that. I'm not gonna tell you why we started crying. You're gonna have to look
00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:13.830 Tommy DiMisa: when it comes out. And actually, in a couple weeks. The founders of the Nicholas Center will be on this show, called.
00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:22.999 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's awesome. Stella's our idol. We met her back when she opened her 1st house after her sec, her starting in her home also. So she's our idol.
00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:29.660 Tommy DiMisa: He's incredible. The whole team over there is incredible. I had so much fun with him. They gave me chocolate. They gave me candles. All right. Let's get this show going.
00:16:29.660 --> 00:16:32.279 Patty Castrogiovanni: Did they give you a hat? No kidding.
00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:32.870 Tommy DiMisa: So you know.
00:16:33.640 --> 00:16:39.400 Patty Castrogiovanni: I told you our hats are from them, our shirts and hats spectrum absolutely.
00:16:39.610 --> 00:16:40.980 Tommy DiMisa: I pulled the spectrum table.
00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:45.580 Patty Castrogiovanni: Tag. Oh, man! Oh, I have it over here. I'll show you. Yeah, no, they're awesome.
00:16:45.580 --> 00:16:55.309 Tommy DiMisa: We love spectrum designs. All right, let's take a break. Tommy D. Will focus Baby Namaste in the attic all right or out of focus.
00:16:55.310 --> 00:16:56.055 Patty Castrogiovanni: Okay.
00:18:36.100 --> 00:18:42.040 Tommy DiMisa: Attic. Join your boy in the attic. That's right. Listen, here's the deal, you know. It's not like. I always
00:18:42.230 --> 00:19:01.730 Tommy DiMisa: want people to give me gifts. But I do tell you this, if you got a cool hoodie and you're a nonprofit, get me a hoodie. I'll get you a check if you got a cool hat. Get me a hoodie, I'll trade you a check, and this the folks at special suites were like so jazzed to give me this new lid shout out, it reminds me of
00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:21.399 Tommy DiMisa: of, like, you know, a buddy of mine who I've met, who has done some work with horseability. Max Siegelman Siegelman stables. It looks a bit like the Siegelman stable hat, because Siegelman stable hat has like just the simple logo of the horse, and then it says Siegelman stables, and I love this because this has a cupcake, and it has. It says.
00:19:21.540 --> 00:19:50.320 Tommy DiMisa: let me read it again. Special sweets, bakery established 2021. You know what I'm going to do. I'm going to make up a hat that, says Tommy D established 1978. I'm going to get that hat, because I think that would be a fun hat. Just come off mute, Patty and Lisa. Let's get into the show. Let's make this happen. I just you know what it is? You guys are on location. By the way, your T-shirt is really cool because it's got the picture of the cupcake. What does it say? There.
00:19:51.326 --> 00:19:54.003 Patty Castrogiovanni: Special suites. And then our website.
00:19:54.450 --> 00:19:56.780 Tommy DiMisa: Website. I love that all right. So
00:19:56.930 --> 00:20:00.310 Tommy DiMisa: tell me who you are. How did you get to this point of
00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:25.820 Tommy DiMisa: I heard you say, like as our folks were aging out, and they'd been together for such a long time. We wanted to give them some something else to do, and I always say this. You mentioned already. Spirit of Huntington. We already shouted out the Nicholas Center. I said, well, I didn't say her name, but we kind of talked about my friend Amy Fleischer, who is married to in her mind. Dave Grohl. She's over. She's over at Harmony healthcare. Lisa. You and Amy can talk it out and right
00:20:25.820 --> 00:20:34.039 Tommy DiMisa: you can argue about who can pretend better that they're married to Dave Grohl if you choose to. I guess how. Look at me just putting everybody's business out there, Patty.
00:20:34.470 --> 00:20:34.900 Patty Castrogiovanni: Okay.
00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:48.930 Tommy DiMisa: Patty and Lisa. What? What exactly happened? What are your backgrounds? How do you know each other? How are you connected? Because, like I was about to say with spirit of Huntington, it's all about access. It's not about ability, it's about access. That's what I say. And that's what the artworks program is at spirit. Tell me about how you.
00:20:48.930 --> 00:20:50.010 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, amazing!
00:20:50.010 --> 00:20:50.370 Tommy DiMisa: Right.
00:20:50.370 --> 00:21:13.190 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, I'll let Lisa start. And then well, we were both teachers, assistants in the corporate school district. So I actually opened up the program with them when the program 1st came in as the Aba classroom. So I've been with these guys from kindergarten on. So I stayed with them for about 9 years, and then they transitioned out, and as I was transitioning out, Patty was coming in at the same time. So
00:21:13.190 --> 00:21:37.200 Patty Castrogiovanni: I was there. That's how we wound up meeting was from the classroom. So then, as I transitioned out myself, I went into a completely different field, into aesthetics, and then always kept in touch with all the kids, obviously friends with Patty for over 18 years, and then paths crossed again, where one day I decided to leave the world of aesthetics after 12 years, and come back full circle and come back and work with the kids again with Patty.
00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:39.460 Tommy DiMisa: You say aesthetics you're talking about like facials and.
00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:46.530 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, like, basically anything that's non evasive. That would happen before going to see a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. So I could.
00:21:46.530 --> 00:21:47.960 Patty Castrogiovanni: are you still doing that in some?
00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:50.779 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, I do. I do it on the side. Yeah, I do it on the side.
00:21:50.780 --> 00:21:52.400 Tommy DiMisa: Have you seen me? You have to see how my skin.
00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.029 Patty Castrogiovanni: I was waiting for you to say I was.
00:21:55.190 --> 00:21:57.130 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's fabulous. Okay.
00:21:57.130 --> 00:22:00.660 Tommy DiMisa: Look fabulous on the zoom, I know, but I in real life I want you to tell me.
00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:01.380 Patty Castrogiovanni: Stop.
00:22:01.741 --> 00:22:05.359 Patty Castrogiovanni: Don't you wish I was kidding? I'm only serious about.
00:22:08.110 --> 00:22:13.220 Tommy DiMisa: Can't wait, all right. So now I know I get cupcakes, and I get a facial. This is like a Spa.
00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:13.880 Patty Castrogiovanni: Last week.
00:22:14.210 --> 00:22:15.340 Tommy DiMisa: One snapshot.
00:22:15.340 --> 00:22:18.770 Patty Castrogiovanni: Wow! Yeah, there you go, beauty and beating.
00:22:18.770 --> 00:22:22.230 Tommy DiMisa: Do? Oh, my God! That getting.
00:22:22.230 --> 00:22:27.100 Patty Castrogiovanni: Baked and get I mean no.
00:22:27.100 --> 00:22:31.919 Tommy DiMisa: Stop it, Tommy. D stop it, keep it together. So all right. So you guys.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:33.419 Patty Castrogiovanni: He stays in the attic.
00:22:33.420 --> 00:22:35.180 Tommy DiMisa: Your bet we're gonna get.
00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:36.140 Patty Castrogiovanni: Baked in the attic.
00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:40.939 Tommy DiMisa: They're all gonna get in trouble. We're talking about baking cupcakes, everybody, that's all we're talking about.
00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:45.509 Tommy DiMisa: Green wave is coming across this country. But stop it.
00:22:45.852 --> 00:22:48.249 Patty Castrogiovanni: Let's get it. Let's get it together.
00:22:48.250 --> 00:22:59.389 Tommy DiMisa: Let's get it together. All right. Howdy! You and Lisa go all right. Wait a minute. Let's do something together. So all kidding aside where the cupcakes come from? Were you cooking or.
00:22:59.390 --> 00:22:59.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh!
00:22:59.760 --> 00:23:01.930 Tommy DiMisa: Speaking in the school. At 1 point, too.
00:23:02.120 --> 00:23:22.179 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, no, so I met Lisa. I started in the 4th grade with the students, so she knew them from kindergarten. I came in in the 4th grade, and she ended up leaving. And then I just so happened that our district, Carl Place, is a small district. So the students were together in the same classroom, and I happened to just
00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:40.060 Patty Castrogiovanni: stay in their classroom. I was the ta in the classroom, and so I was with them. Since the 4th grade all the way up until they started at 18 years of age, with the vocational training, trying to see where they would go after they graduated at 21. So those 3 years were instrumental in
00:23:40.060 --> 00:24:09.090 Patty Castrogiovanni: getting us to where we were today, because I mean, Lisa wasn't in the classroom at that time, but I became I was stayed close with her. It was myself and another assistant in the classroom, Debbie, who, you know, we kind of said we can't separate, and and Mr. B. Which was the teacher at the time we're like, there's no way that we're not going to come in on a Monday and not come in to each other because we were like a little family at that point. So during those 3 years. We were.
00:24:09.570 --> 00:24:21.969 Patty Castrogiovanni: you know, bust around to different businesses to see. Okay. Michael likes, you know, retail likes, maybe. You know, working in at home depot or something like that, trying to find them a place to.
00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:24.739 Patty Castrogiovanni: you know, basically be
00:24:25.860 --> 00:24:32.560 Patty Castrogiovanni: the rest of their lives right to some degree right to find them a purpose. After the age of 21. So what happened was
00:24:32.988 --> 00:24:57.270 Patty Castrogiovanni: With Debbie's help she was the baker. She designed these cupcakes. So each of our students has a cupcake. And I said, Okay, we're going to start in my home. So we started in my house as a day program. So we're together every day, Monday through Friday, and the our vocational component was instead of going to different retail establishments or different businesses trying to get them a job, we started our own
00:24:57.330 --> 00:25:18.009 Patty Castrogiovanni: job right our own. And that's where the cupcakes came in. It was like an unofficial program that then became a program right? But the cupcakes were the vocational piece. So it gave our guys. Okay, here's your recipe. These are your orders. Let's make them. And that's just, you know, evolved over time.
00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:28.480 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah. So I love these stories gang. If you want to do something, do yourself a favor, do me a favor. Do the world a favor. Do the thing, whatever the thing is, try it out.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:41.080 Patty Castrogiovanni: There was no plan. There was no money, there was just good intentions, good hearts, and just our main focus was, we want to stay together and give them a purpose, and and here we are, and.
00:25:41.370 --> 00:25:51.900 Tommy DiMisa: Soon, though, did it become like so I know we want to get some folks engaged in the conversation and introduce some people in a second I just I think Doordash is gonna deliver cupcakes to my house at some point. I think that's gonna.
00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:54.940 Patty Castrogiovanni: No, they are. That's that's happening. So.
00:25:54.940 --> 00:26:03.550 Tommy DiMisa: That's happening. Well, I'm on the website. I'm on the website right now. And I'm looking. Why don't I just share the website? There's like we'll share it while we're talking through this. But like.
00:26:03.830 --> 00:26:08.359 Tommy DiMisa: how soon, when you were doing the programming out of the home kitchen like, when did you go? Okay.
00:26:08.540 --> 00:26:19.220 Tommy DiMisa: were you a nonprofit early on, like, how did you figure that out, or were you like? Well, this is kind of a cool thing we're doing, and it's like a club for these young people. How soon did it become formal?
00:26:19.630 --> 00:26:48.550 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, we started officially in my house in June, and in August, my partner, at the time Debbie had to step away due to family obligations. So I was kind of left to my own. And I'm like Lisa, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have all these kids. They're coming to my house on Tuesday, and what are we going to do but it all stemmed from just being together, number one? And then that was in September, so in
00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:54.328 Patty Castrogiovanni: in February of the following year, we were
00:26:55.030 --> 00:27:01.282 Patty Castrogiovanni: We had an article in Newsday, and that's really where everything took a turn. So because of that
00:27:01.670 --> 00:27:29.569 Patty Castrogiovanni: wonderful newsday story. Someone at Boces saw our story, and they said, Hey, we have a kitchen. So that brought us the kitchen. And then from that we were picked up by Cbs news, and that brought us the wonderful people at Create hope which are our biggest donors to date. They actually keep the lights on, you know, whatever they give us pays the rent and our insurance, and all of that. So they've been instrumental in our journey, because without them we wouldn't have.
00:27:29.690 --> 00:27:31.660 Patty Castrogiovanni: we wouldn't be here but.
00:27:31.660 --> 00:27:49.619 Tommy DiMisa: Let me stop you one second because we I don't know if it's going to come through how we lost you a little bit in and out a little choppy on the Wi-fi for a moment. There. So we're in the kitchen. 2,021, and then how soon do you get connected to both season where you are now. When did that happen?
00:27:50.681 --> 00:27:55.380 Patty Castrogiovanni: From 21 we came to boces in July of 2022.
00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:56.599 Tommy DiMisa: Okay, got it?
00:27:56.600 --> 00:27:57.160 Patty Castrogiovanni: Year.
00:27:57.160 --> 00:27:59.710 Tommy DiMisa: And that relationship you started to see that came through.
00:28:00.290 --> 00:28:02.609 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hold on! One second!
00:28:02.610 --> 00:28:03.880 Tommy DiMisa: It's all good man.
00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:06.260 Patty Castrogiovanni: It was our crew was getting a little rowdy.
00:28:06.260 --> 00:28:07.360 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, we're right next.
00:28:07.360 --> 00:28:08.899 Patty Castrogiovanni: These are their social skills.
00:28:08.900 --> 00:28:17.829 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, sure. So so when you were in. So how did the thing? I I Lisa? Patty started to say that.
00:28:18.060 --> 00:28:23.060 Patty Castrogiovanni: There was like a connection like some of the media kind of took a liking and started helping.
00:28:23.060 --> 00:28:40.649 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, it was a segment that was shown on television, and then it was put in the newspaper as well, and somebody from boces had actually come across the article in the paper and said, Hey, check this out! And he was able to actually get us at abandoned kitchen, which is here in boces that was abandoned since Covid.
00:28:40.650 --> 00:28:41.060 Tommy DiMisa: Right.
00:28:41.060 --> 00:28:57.849 Patty Castrogiovanni: So it was a perfect thing, because we can help them, and they can help us in the sense that we can, you know. Use the kitchen, and in the same sense we could also give classes and trainings to both these classes that come from outside inside the kitchen at the same time.
00:28:57.850 --> 00:29:04.049 Tommy DiMisa: Alright, alright. So here's what I want to do, because I wanna, I want to make sure we get the folks. How many, how many young people do you have over there that we're going to meet today?
00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:09.240 Patty Castrogiovanni: Today there are about 7 in there, and those are our original 7.
00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:12.719 Tommy DiMisa: Alright. So maybe we'll have them come through like in the next segment, so we can get to meet them. Is that cool?
00:29:13.180 --> 00:29:13.780 Tommy DiMisa: All right.
00:29:13.780 --> 00:29:24.740 Tommy DiMisa: Here's the thing I want to ask you. Do you remember, Patty Castro Giovanni, when we see how my hand goes up like that? Castro Giovanni, do you remember how and when, where we 1st met.
00:29:26.344 --> 00:29:28.860 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes! Oh, my gosh! It was a teagreman.
00:29:28.860 --> 00:29:29.260 Tommy DiMisa: It wasn't.
00:29:29.260 --> 00:29:32.289 Patty Castrogiovanni: It was that Leonard's. It was the the other half.
00:29:32.290 --> 00:29:35.519 Tommy DiMisa: No, I think it was at the New Hyde Park Inn.
00:29:35.520 --> 00:29:38.120 Patty Castrogiovanni: Isn't it? Who fucking? Okay. So I'm wrong. By a year.
00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:52.859 Tommy DiMisa: No, but my friend, my friend was next to you, she, my friend Darcy, from one hope wine. Remember the wine, lady. Yes, right next to you. So there was wine. There was cupcakes. It was. It was a great event. My Buddy Scott Horowitz, used to be on the board of tea. I'm very close to the folks at Teeger. Man. I love those.
00:29:52.860 --> 00:29:57.620 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, they're what they're wonderful! I shared with you that day the amazing news we received from Irene.
00:29:57.620 --> 00:30:00.500 Tommy DiMisa: Why can we say that later we'll say that at the end make sure we talk.
00:30:00.835 --> 00:30:01.170 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:30:01.170 --> 00:30:19.679 Tommy DiMisa: And then, when I was at Tegerman, in Richmond Hill, at the school, they got a Tommy Hill figure store and they got a Calvin Klein store. Talk about hats! I got a cool corduroy, Tommy Hilfiger hat for like 10 bucks, and I got a Calvin klein bucket hat. Bring him back to 1991 Tommy D. Bucket hats going back in.
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:20.280 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's.
00:30:20.280 --> 00:30:22.791 Tommy DiMisa: So, Hello, J, is more like it.
00:30:23.150 --> 00:30:28.659 Tommy DiMisa: So okay, again, anytime you ever give me a hard time, we're going back to new kids on the block. Okay, so that's it.
00:30:29.610 --> 00:30:32.259 Tommy DiMisa: Got you. I have you. I could blackmail you, even though the whole
00:30:33.450 --> 00:30:39.309 Tommy DiMisa: I could blackmail you. Look at this. You're murdering people at the beginning of the show, and I'm blackmailing people later in the show. What a show this.
00:30:39.310 --> 00:30:40.727 Patty Castrogiovanni: On the tourist.
00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:50.460 Tommy DiMisa: I can't. I can't mess with you, man, because, like some people who don't understand what's going on here are like, oh, my God, what are they doing? This is who we are, baby with. How.
00:30:50.460 --> 00:30:55.590 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's authentic. It is completely what you see is real. And it's yeah.
00:30:55.810 --> 00:31:05.289 Tommy DiMisa: My co-host from another show. We do called the professionals and animal lovers show she does know she's a Long Islander like us, but no longer lives here, and she misses this. What we're doing like.
00:31:06.390 --> 00:31:12.639 Tommy DiMisa: because not everybody does this. What we do here, you know, it's just the banter, you know the sarcasm.
00:31:14.930 --> 00:31:26.649 Tommy DiMisa: so shout out to our friends who are everywhere, but here this is how we roll. Man, Strong Island represent all right. So when we come back. Can we be ready to introduce some of the folks who are in the kitchen right now?
00:31:26.970 --> 00:31:30.509 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes. Do you want me to bring you in the kitchen, or you want me to bring them out here?
00:31:30.510 --> 00:31:33.629 Tommy DiMisa: I I can't control what you do. Do whatever you want.
00:31:35.070 --> 00:31:40.939 Tommy DiMisa: can you? If we can do it and walk with the the I ipad computer laptop. Whatever you got.
00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:41.710 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's okay.
00:31:41.710 --> 00:31:48.280 Tommy DiMisa: Down the kitchen. Let's play that way, and let's see what happens. Listen. I showed up late for my own show today. What else could go bad. Let's just play.
00:31:48.370 --> 00:31:50.294 Patty Castrogiovanni: Alright! Let's go for it.
00:31:50.680 --> 00:32:00.960 Tommy DiMisa: Go for it. You got 90 seconds. I'll see you in the kitchen, everybody. We're going to take a quick break now. The show is philanthropy and focus. Although focus is not exactly what we do here, we'll be right back.
00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:04.460 Patty Castrogiovanni: Far from focus. I'll see you in 91.
00:33:30.690 --> 00:33:42.820 Tommy DiMisa: Attic. Join your boy in the attic, check it out. So while my friends are moving into the kitchen, you know. Can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. But while the friends moving around, we're gonna figure out what they're doing. Are we going on a road show? We are all right. So while you guys.
00:33:42.820 --> 00:33:44.910 Patty Castrogiovanni: All right. Here we go, you ready.
00:33:44.910 --> 00:33:48.540 Tommy DiMisa: Gonna go all right. I'll tell you all the story I was. Gonna let's go. We're going.
00:33:48.540 --> 00:33:49.800 Patty Castrogiovanni: Wait. You want me to wait. I'll wait.
00:33:49.800 --> 00:33:53.379 Tommy DiMisa: No, no, no! We're going on a trip in our favorite.
00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:53.800 Patty Castrogiovanni: Ready!
00:33:53.970 --> 00:33:54.950 Tommy DiMisa: Let's go.
00:33:56.350 --> 00:33:58.960 Patty Castrogiovanni: Say Hi! To Tom.
00:33:59.330 --> 00:34:01.259 Tommy DiMisa: Hey, gang! How we doing.
00:34:01.290 --> 00:34:07.860 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hi, so why don't you introduce yourself? Okay, I'll go first.st Okay. Can you see yourself up there?
00:34:08.270 --> 00:34:10.479 Patty Castrogiovanni: Go ahead. I'm Christina.
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:12.250 Tommy DiMisa: Hi, Christina, I'm Tommy nice to meet you.
00:34:12.250 --> 00:34:26.629 Patty Castrogiovanni: My favorite flavor to make is chocolate. I like to eat chocolate a lot.
00:34:27.040 --> 00:34:28.420 Patty Castrogiovanni: There you go.
00:34:28.420 --> 00:34:29.550 Tommy DiMisa: What was I lost? My.
00:34:29.550 --> 00:34:35.130 Patty Castrogiovanni: My name is Michael Korea, and I work as special suite.
00:34:35.409 --> 00:34:36.150 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh.
00:34:36.150 --> 00:34:38.509 Tommy DiMisa: Michael Mike. Hold on! Stay with Michael a second Mike.
00:34:38.510 --> 00:34:39.250 Patty Castrogiovanni: All right.
00:34:39.250 --> 00:34:43.340 Tommy DiMisa: That Patrick, is that Patrick and Spongebob on your shirt behind your apron?
00:34:44.100 --> 00:34:44.860 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:53.290 Tommy DiMisa: I like those guys my son loves that show. I love that. Hold on, ladies. Hold on! But between Christina and Michael, who was the the other gentleman. There.
00:34:55.047 --> 00:34:57.282 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's Ryan's.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:59.450 Tommy DiMisa: Ryan, what's up.
00:34:59.450 --> 00:35:01.249 Patty Castrogiovanni: Amigos. I love.
00:35:01.250 --> 00:35:01.650 Tommy DiMisa: Lie.
00:35:01.930 --> 00:35:18.380 Patty Castrogiovanni: This is the thing like, how could we not? They have to stay together forever. I haven't figured out that part yet, but also make my famous strawberry cupcakes pretty and pink strawberry.
00:35:18.380 --> 00:35:27.590 Tommy DiMisa: I love that that's so good. That's so good, Michael. Those those your buddies forever! I love that man I want to ask. Go back to Christina, and then I want to meet Ryan and somebody else
00:35:28.240 --> 00:35:31.119 Tommy DiMisa: the pretty in pink that the name of the Strawberry One.
00:35:31.720 --> 00:35:32.740 Tommy DiMisa: Yes.
00:35:32.740 --> 00:35:38.469 Tommy DiMisa: I saw those. I think I saw them the other day, and I'm gonna put them up on the screen when we go back from break, but it has like.
00:35:39.115 --> 00:35:39.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:45.620 Tommy DiMisa: Strawberry on top. It even says it says on the website, Christine is pretty in pink.
00:35:45.620 --> 00:35:48.580 Patty Castrogiovanni: Strawberry. Yeah. A strawberry. Yeah.
00:35:48.580 --> 00:35:50.720 Tommy DiMisa: I see that I'm gonna share the screen while.
00:35:50.720 --> 00:35:55.209 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, pink is my most favorite color of strawberry.
00:35:55.210 --> 00:36:02.270 Tommy DiMisa: You know what I was out the other day. I was traveling around Long Island, and I found a strawberry farm. I don't
00:36:07.140 --> 00:36:07.560 Tommy DiMisa: terrific.
00:36:08.220 --> 00:36:10.590 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was all.
00:36:10.590 --> 00:36:17.409 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, that's yours. Look, that's yours, my favorite. Yep, that's you.
00:36:17.410 --> 00:36:20.949 Tommy DiMisa: And you guys make me some. If I come by, maybe next week I can get some of those.
00:36:21.370 --> 00:36:22.660 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, absolutely.
00:36:22.660 --> 00:36:28.400 Tommy DiMisa: All right. Good, all right. So I met. Thank you, Christina. I met Christina. I met Sean, Michael Ryan.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.130 Patty Castrogiovanni: Sure.
00:36:29.130 --> 00:36:29.540 Tommy DiMisa: Right.
00:36:29.540 --> 00:36:30.630 Patty Castrogiovanni: Nice Christina!
00:36:30.630 --> 00:36:31.240 Tommy DiMisa: Ryan didn't.
00:36:33.260 --> 00:36:34.480 Tommy DiMisa: Hey, Ryan? Let me say Hello.
00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:35.550 Patty Castrogiovanni: I.
00:36:36.430 --> 00:36:37.689 Tommy DiMisa: Hey, Buddy, how are you?
00:36:38.930 --> 00:36:41.539 Patty Castrogiovanni: Just feeling great.
00:36:41.540 --> 00:36:42.190 Tommy DiMisa: I love that.
00:36:42.940 --> 00:36:45.520 Tommy DiMisa: What kind of what kind of cupcakes is your favorite to make.
00:36:46.636 --> 00:36:48.110 Patty Castrogiovanni: Skittles. Okay.
00:36:48.110 --> 00:36:49.900 Tommy DiMisa: It all for real.
00:36:50.150 --> 00:36:50.970 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:36:51.210 --> 00:36:52.160 Tommy DiMisa: Wow! Oh, my!
00:36:52.160 --> 00:36:57.479 Patty Castrogiovanni: Mine is purple, passion.
00:36:57.480 --> 00:37:05.609 Tommy DiMisa: Ones with the M. And M's. Oh, wait! I see the skittles, Ryan skittles supreme, and those for folks those are dairy free. It tells me right.
00:37:05.610 --> 00:37:10.589 Patty Castrogiovanni: Mine is purple passion. He's not asking you.
00:37:10.950 --> 00:37:14.430 Patty Castrogiovanni: Jeez, how do you not want to be these kids every day?
00:37:15.540 --> 00:37:17.080 Tommy DiMisa: Can I? When can I,
00:37:26.970 --> 00:37:33.989 Tommy DiMisa: Christina? I I would love to interview you all when I come by. Can we bring maybe to do a whole show. Maybe you could teach me how to bake.
00:37:34.340 --> 00:37:41.779 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes! Oh, my God! They could teach you! Yes. What do you think? You guys could teach us the recipes and what we do
00:37:42.230 --> 00:37:44.478 Patty Castrogiovanni: right. You have a thing in your hair.
00:37:44.760 --> 00:37:45.569 Tommy DiMisa: Who else do we want?
00:37:45.570 --> 00:37:54.989 Patty Castrogiovanni: No, I don't want your hair. Stop!
00:37:54.990 --> 00:37:57.059 Tommy DiMisa: Who else? Who else is next? Who else?
00:37:57.060 --> 00:38:04.909 Patty Castrogiovanni: This is the big boss in charge. She always yells.
00:38:04.910 --> 00:38:06.030 Tommy DiMisa: Patricia.
00:38:06.030 --> 00:38:07.690 Tommy DiMisa: That's Patricia.
00:38:07.690 --> 00:38:09.420 Tommy DiMisa: Remember, when we met the other day.
00:38:09.420 --> 00:38:10.440 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:14.040 Tommy DiMisa: You remember which donor which cupcake you told me to try.
00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:15.920 Patty Castrogiovanni: Express help.
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:16.740 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's exactly.
00:38:17.410 --> 00:38:17.770 Tommy DiMisa: That's all.
00:38:17.770 --> 00:38:18.790 Tommy DiMisa: I was so
00:38:18.790 --> 00:38:30.059 Tommy DiMisa: good. Espresso one. Thank you for telling me about that. I love. Everybody's got the hairnet I might have to. So I did some food packing event. They made me wear a hairnet and a beard net. So if I come by, you, you guys might make me wear a beard net.
00:38:30.500 --> 00:38:32.680 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:38:32.680 --> 00:38:36.099 Tommy DiMisa: I like it, Patricia. Thanks for coming on the show. I hope to see you soon.
00:38:36.550 --> 00:38:38.970 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's the pool, all right, moving Friday.
00:38:38.970 --> 00:38:41.440 Patty Castrogiovanni: So long we have the amazing Zolydia.
00:38:41.590 --> 00:38:45.750 Patty Castrogiovanni: and then I'll introduce you to our amazing staff. Say, Hi.
00:38:45.750 --> 00:38:47.260 Tommy DiMisa: Hi, Zalidia! How are you?
00:38:47.580 --> 00:38:51.800 Tommy DiMisa: I'm good, and you I'm doing great. I'm Tommy d nice to meet. You see my hat. See, my.
00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:52.680 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:38:52.680 --> 00:38:58.280 Tommy DiMisa: I love this hat, I feel very special to have it. Would you have a favorite flavor of the cupcakes you make.
00:38:58.860 --> 00:38:59.900 Patty Castrogiovanni: Chocolate.
00:38:59.900 --> 00:39:04.079 Tommy DiMisa: Chocolate is chocolate's winning. If we were having a contest, chocolate's definitely winning.
00:39:04.080 --> 00:39:11.709 Patty Castrogiovanni: But Tommy, she has her own signature. Cupcake. Tell him your signature, cupcake the velvet one.
00:39:11.710 --> 00:39:13.320 Tommy DiMisa: Red velvet. All right.
00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:16.139 Patty Castrogiovanni: So Lydia's ravishing red velvet.
00:39:16.140 --> 00:39:17.649 Tommy DiMisa: I love the names I love.
00:39:19.720 --> 00:39:31.288 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, yeah, that was our, our old that was Debbie, and we wish her well. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to stay on the journey with us, but here we are. Her cupcakes live on.
00:39:31.610 --> 00:39:35.760 Tommy DiMisa: Well, let me ask you this, I know. Is there anybody else you want me to meet?
00:39:35.920 --> 00:39:38.510 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, absolutely. Here's our chef.
00:39:38.510 --> 00:39:39.380 Tommy DiMisa: Hey, chef! How are you?
00:39:39.380 --> 00:39:42.230 Patty Castrogiovanni: Hi! Chef! Ralph! Nice to meet you.
00:39:42.230 --> 00:39:45.690 Tommy DiMisa: Nice to meet you, man. I'm Tommy D. I'm looking forward to coming through and baking with you guys.
00:39:45.690 --> 00:39:48.999 Patty Castrogiovanni: Definitely we're expecting you.
00:39:49.212 --> 00:39:54.950 Tommy DiMisa: You'll be there, man, I'll be there. Listen, I will be good, I promise I'm not trying to be the boss chef. I'll just go. Yes, chef.
00:39:54.950 --> 00:39:56.229 Patty Castrogiovanni: Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.
00:39:56.230 --> 00:39:57.210 Tommy DiMisa: Thank you. Chef.
00:39:57.210 --> 00:39:58.429 Patty Castrogiovanni: We are family here.
00:39:58.430 --> 00:39:58.869 Tommy DiMisa: All right. Okay.
00:39:58.870 --> 00:39:59.620 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's who we are.
00:39:59.830 --> 00:40:04.310 Tommy DiMisa: I get very anxious around chefs. I was a waiter and a bartender for many years, so I always wanna.
00:40:04.310 --> 00:40:05.410 Patty Castrogiovanni: Really. Oh, wow!
00:40:05.410 --> 00:40:06.790 Patty Castrogiovanni: I'm gonna the nice ones.
00:40:06.790 --> 00:40:07.450 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, you're the nice!
00:40:07.490 --> 00:40:08.170 Tommy DiMisa: I'll tell you something.
00:40:08.170 --> 00:40:21.000 Tommy DiMisa: something chef. I was thinking about going into culinary. But I have this issue where I like people to like me, and all the chefs I knew were fresh and mean, so I decided not to go into culinary. So I became a sales guy instead. But.
00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:23.550 Patty Castrogiovanni: Mean did not mean he's French.
00:40:23.550 --> 00:40:26.500 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's fresh a little bit.
00:40:26.500 --> 00:40:27.829 Tommy DiMisa: Ramsay, Chef, Ramsey.
00:40:27.830 --> 00:40:36.110 Patty Castrogiovanni: Your friend is strong. He's only thrown things against the wall like 4 times. Really, not a lot.
00:40:36.110 --> 00:40:37.229 Tommy DiMisa: I promise I'm coming.
00:40:37.230 --> 00:40:42.080 Patty Castrogiovanni: I cannot. Work, never happened, never happened, never through. I will.
00:40:42.080 --> 00:40:46.840 Patty Castrogiovanni: And he says that's his favorite line. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
00:40:47.030 --> 00:40:53.060 Tommy DiMisa: I will come through. I will put on the apron. I'll put on a jacket. I'll do the whole thing. Whatever you need me to do chef. I appreciate.
00:40:53.259 --> 00:40:53.659 Patty Castrogiovanni: All right.
00:40:53.660 --> 00:40:56.670 Tommy DiMisa: Before we run out of time. Anybody else you want me to meet in the kitchen.
00:40:57.451 --> 00:41:01.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: Anyone else, Carolyn, do you want to come on and say, Hi, Carolyn.
00:41:02.240 --> 00:41:06.709 Patty Castrogiovanni: so this is I'm just gonna hand over to Carolyn. Carolyn.
00:41:06.710 --> 00:41:07.250 Tommy DiMisa: Carolyn
00:41:17.810 --> 00:41:18.210 Tommy DiMisa: I mean.
00:41:18.210 --> 00:41:20.300 Patty Castrogiovanni: Want to show you call me.
00:41:20.300 --> 00:41:21.540 Patty Castrogiovanni: Say.
00:41:22.640 --> 00:41:23.400 Tommy DiMisa: Oh yes!
00:41:23.400 --> 00:41:25.040 Patty Castrogiovanni: The spectrum logo.
00:41:25.040 --> 00:41:26.829 Tommy DiMisa: Logo, shout out to spectrum design.
00:41:26.830 --> 00:41:30.020 Patty Castrogiovanni: Or nice golf shirts, too. Spectrum.
00:41:30.020 --> 00:41:31.580 Tommy DiMisa: Golf shirt. Let me see the golf shirt.
00:41:31.580 --> 00:41:32.069 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah.
00:41:32.950 --> 00:41:35.590 Tommy DiMisa: You know, man. Oh, look at that! Oh, God! That.
00:41:35.590 --> 00:41:36.280 Patty Castrogiovanni: Right.
00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:39.729 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, I need one of those. We gotta. We gotta figure out.
00:41:39.730 --> 00:41:41.239 Patty Castrogiovanni: That one for you. Oh, here she is!
00:41:41.240 --> 00:41:41.590 Tommy DiMisa: Right.
00:41:41.590 --> 00:41:52.080 Patty Castrogiovanni: What else do you want to show him, Sean? And this is what Irene presented us with when I saw you.
00:41:52.080 --> 00:41:57.070 Tommy DiMisa: About that when you come back, and we got a little quiet time back in the other room you could tell me all about that. Okay.
00:41:57.070 --> 00:42:01.779 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, my God! We're so excited! And this is our this is our wall of fame.
00:42:02.420 --> 00:42:12.160 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, we've been blessed with all of our accolades, and you know great citations and all of these proclamations.
00:42:12.330 --> 00:42:13.350 Patty Castrogiovanni: Can you see that.
00:42:13.350 --> 00:42:15.239 Tommy DiMisa: I can see it all. Yeah. So, folks, if you.
00:42:15.240 --> 00:42:18.600 Patty Castrogiovanni: And this, this is the original Newsday article.
00:42:18.600 --> 00:42:25.060 Tommy DiMisa: Hang on one sec. So, folks, if you're listening to the podcast and you're not checking out website.
00:42:25.060 --> 00:42:26.510 Patty Castrogiovanni: Use me like that.
00:42:26.510 --> 00:42:27.940 Tommy DiMisa: Dot org.
00:42:27.940 --> 00:42:38.161 Patty Castrogiovanni: Christina. Tommy, we have to tell you a funny story. So you know, whenever you go into offices right? Everybody's got their citations in these beautiful
00:42:38.700 --> 00:42:45.559 Patty Castrogiovanni: framed, you know, boxes and and all of that, and ours are just thumbtacked to the wall.
00:42:45.890 --> 00:42:47.770 Tommy DiMisa: Listen. You do what you gotta do. You know that.
00:42:47.770 --> 00:42:51.420 Patty Castrogiovanni: Exactly, but you know what we're proud of every single one. So here we are.
00:42:51.420 --> 00:42:55.469 Tommy DiMisa: Nothing, nothing has to be all like uptight and and.
00:42:55.470 --> 00:42:58.510 Patty Castrogiovanni: No, no! But this is this is who we are.
00:42:58.970 --> 00:43:00.230 Tommy DiMisa: The beautiful.
00:43:00.230 --> 00:43:13.859 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah. Right now, the guys are working on an order for one of our corporate partners, this snapology in Westbury at the seminar. So we bake their birthday cupcakes for them. So that's what they're doing right now.
00:43:13.860 --> 00:43:17.119 Tommy DiMisa: Alright. Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna take a break. We're gonna go back to your main room.
00:43:17.120 --> 00:43:24.939 Patty Castrogiovanni: Want to show you also for oil all of your viewers. We are a bakery that's our very proud of our permit.
00:43:25.375 --> 00:43:28.080 Tommy DiMisa: They got the permit. You got all your paperwork in order.
00:43:28.420 --> 00:43:32.609 Patty Castrogiovanni: We are legit. We're too legit to quit, Tommy.
00:43:32.610 --> 00:43:34.589 Tommy DiMisa: Now we're going to empty hammer after what we.
00:43:34.590 --> 00:43:44.169 Patty Castrogiovanni: And this little guy look at. Look at this precious oh, he is a singer on the side. So yeah.
00:43:44.170 --> 00:43:44.690 Tommy DiMisa: Alright!
00:43:44.690 --> 00:43:46.130 Patty Castrogiovanni: Is this juggling apps?
00:43:46.280 --> 00:44:11.449 Patty Castrogiovanni: All right. Show you how to frost. You want to show Tommy how to frost. Okay, I like to frost chocolate cupcakes, and then I eat it. I like eating chocolate cupcakes, all right. Everyone remember. Do not eat too much cupcakes, too much cupcakes can give you a tummy ache, and you can get sick. That's a very important rule, all right. Everyone say bye to Tommy.
00:44:11.450 --> 00:44:16.219 Tommy DiMisa: Bye, everybody, thank you for letting me come visit. I'll see you next time in real life I'll come to see you all.
00:44:16.490 --> 00:44:20.119 Patty Castrogiovanni: Thank you for visiting our kitchen. Alright, so we'll come back out here.
00:44:20.120 --> 00:44:28.840 Tommy DiMisa: All right. Let's take a break. You go back. You guys get set back up. We'll take a break. We'll be back and we will. We'll continue the conversation. Thanks for taking me to the kitchen.
00:44:29.030 --> 00:44:31.139 Patty Castrogiovanni: All right, honey. We'll be back in a few.
00:44:31.140 --> 00:44:31.940 Tommy DiMisa: Focus, right back.
00:44:32.170 --> 00:44:33.180 Patty Castrogiovanni: Okay.
00:46:14.460 --> 00:46:35.290 Tommy DiMisa: Right, all right, all right, all right. This show is called Philanthropy and focus. Your boy is called the one and only the kid, the nonprofit sector connector. I was listening to a lot of hip hop music, and I realized the way I talk. Sometimes like I was on the phone with my friend Yolanda Urbano Gross shout out options for community living. They're honoring me in September, September 26.th Actually, I want to talk to Patty and Lisa about cupcakes. We'll talk about that. But I want to have.
00:46:35.290 --> 00:46:59.980 Tommy DiMisa: I want to have cupcakes there for that event. Before we jump back to a couple of things. I realized my friend Yolanda was like, I know how you do it, Tommy. It's your boy, Tommy D. You know the nonprofit sector connect, and I felt very. I thought it was funny how that reflected. But I was listening to a lot of hip hop music yesterday, and it just reminds me, I think a lot of what I do, and my tonality, and the way I speak I grab from a lot of that. So all right, here's the thing gang. If you were listening to the last segment.
00:47:01.150 --> 00:47:24.860 Tommy DiMisa: might have gotten lost. So what I want you to do if you're only listening, you are watching the last Segment you were staying with us. But if you're only listening, here's what I want you to do. Go to special suite.org special suites org to really find out more about the organization, the work they're doing and the about Us. Section tells the story. But you'll see some of the cupcakes. We were talking about the flavor. I got a little guy in the attic with me. His name is Cheeto. He is barking right now.
00:47:25.180 --> 00:47:25.990 Patty Castrogiovanni: Speedo.
00:47:26.150 --> 00:47:28.959 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, my God! We're gonna have to deliver to him! Oh, my gosh!
00:47:28.960 --> 00:47:31.729 Tommy DiMisa: And bring him on the show. I'll grab him in a second, since he's up here in the attic.
00:47:31.730 --> 00:47:32.622 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, my! Gosh!
00:47:32.920 --> 00:47:39.189 Tommy DiMisa: On a website called Pup Cakes. Yeah, you got fantastic bites and you got pup cake.
00:47:39.190 --> 00:47:40.140 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, sir.
00:47:40.140 --> 00:47:58.180 Tommy DiMisa: The light with bone tree topping. So look, you guys are like thinking of everything over there and like you said you got the proper permits in place. You're doing corporate, you know. I guess you're doing gifting and stuff like that. So I do want to talk. We're going to shout out to Melissa Pulcinelli over at she's Director of development at options for community living. She's my
00:47:58.740 --> 00:48:00.259 Tommy DiMisa: contact, and we're.
00:48:00.260 --> 00:48:00.729 Patty Castrogiovanni: This is.
00:48:00.730 --> 00:48:10.109 Tommy DiMisa: She and I are collaborating. So I'm actually the Honoree at the murder mystery event for options for community living. September 26.th Out at
00:48:10.590 --> 00:48:15.009 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, my goodness! What's the name of the place? It's somebody, Captain Bills, Captain Bills, on.
00:48:15.010 --> 00:48:20.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: We were at the Bay Shores, Chamber of Commerce Christmas party. Our our cupcakes were there.
00:48:20.760 --> 00:48:21.420 Tommy DiMisa: Yes.
00:48:21.750 --> 00:48:22.690 Patty Castrogiovanni: Love them.
00:48:22.690 --> 00:48:24.970 Tommy DiMisa: Well, let me get congratulations, Tommy. Thank you.
00:48:24.970 --> 00:48:29.699 Tommy DiMisa: Well, you're gonna be there. Yeah, at the very least, you're bringing cupcakes. If you're not gonna be part of the murder mystery. I gotta grab.
00:48:29.700 --> 00:48:30.500 Patty Castrogiovanni: We'll be there.
00:48:30.500 --> 00:48:34.019 Tommy DiMisa: I gotta grab Cheeto talk to me while I get him. He's right here about like.
00:48:34.020 --> 00:48:34.970 Patty Castrogiovanni: That's Cheeto.
00:48:34.970 --> 00:48:39.619 Tommy DiMisa: Corporate relationships. Corporate partnerships start to talk about that. He's right here. I'm going to get it.
00:48:39.620 --> 00:48:44.456 Patty Castrogiovanni: Awesome. So one of the great things Tommy is
00:48:45.300 --> 00:48:53.870 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, my gosh! We have some biscuits for him and a cupcake. Oh, my gosh!
00:48:53.870 --> 00:48:54.400 Tommy DiMisa: We'll have to help.
00:48:54.400 --> 00:48:55.360 Patty Castrogiovanni: It's adorable.
00:48:55.360 --> 00:49:00.389 Tommy DiMisa: We'll keep him outside the kitchen. We'll keep him outside the building when we visit, but he will come by. So his
00:49:01.530 --> 00:49:07.010 Tommy DiMisa: I see behind the glass, telling me, got a shout out at my guy, Cheeto on Instagram. That's right, Cheeto does.
00:49:07.010 --> 00:49:07.770 Patty Castrogiovanni: Whoa!
00:49:07.770 --> 00:49:08.430 Tommy DiMisa: Got his own interest.
00:49:08.430 --> 00:49:08.970 Patty Castrogiovanni: Is, that.
00:49:09.320 --> 00:49:09.780 Tommy DiMisa: Hey, guys.
00:49:09.780 --> 00:49:11.140 Patty Castrogiovanni: Have to follow him.
00:49:11.140 --> 00:49:26.389 Tommy DiMisa: So you have to follow him. Maybe we'll you know we do do what as they say in the biz. You know we'll do a collab where, like I bring him, he eats one of these things, and then we got the whole thing. So talk about like the like. Who do you want to hook up with like, what are the relationships like? What do we? You know.
00:49:26.890 --> 00:49:32.079 Tommy DiMisa: How do we get you out there? More because I know. When I was talking to Michael, Kataki got out the spirit of Huntington all the.
00:49:32.550 --> 00:49:34.250 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yeah, they're awesome.
00:49:34.250 --> 00:49:37.349 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, what do you want to do? Who do you want to partner with? Talk to me about that.
00:49:37.680 --> 00:50:00.689 Patty Castrogiovanni: Well, one of the things that we pride ourselves on is, you know, our story is great, and everybody loves our crew and everything. But you have to have a good product in order to get returned business right? So we're blessed that everyone who started with us from the beginning is still our client today. So we've been blessed with boces for one snapology. We just started with Catholic health.
00:50:01.181 --> 00:50:08.990 Patty Castrogiovanni: Who else do we have? Oh, Nordstrom, we have Nordstrom, like all of these corporate, that Sephora so.
00:50:08.990 --> 00:50:16.959 Tommy DiMisa: Where when does Sephora or Catholic health? When are they buying cupcakes like? Help me see why this fits like? Where does it fit.
00:50:16.960 --> 00:50:35.419 Patty Castrogiovanni: So either they'll call in and say, Hey, we're having a a meeting of 30 people. Oh, my gosh, the the people in Melville. They were awesome we just had an event with them. So either like, for example, if you're in your your corporate job you know, there's always cupcakes or parties, or anything like that. So.
00:50:35.420 --> 00:50:47.989 Tommy DiMisa: This Wednesday, this Wednesday. Can we get some cupcakes at the Jcc. I'm doing an event at the Jcc. Up here in the Greenville area. I got about 50 people that are going to be there. We need. We'll talk offline. And we'll get
00:50:47.990 --> 00:50:49.940 Tommy DiMisa: absolutely yeah, because
00:50:49.940 --> 00:50:56.660 Tommy DiMisa: because I can come by and pick them up. And we'll do some video about that, and we'll get them out, because that's that's what it is. Go ahead, please.
00:50:57.020 --> 00:51:22.820 Patty Castrogiovanni: Right? No, but that's what we are. So we're not only a bakery, but we are a mission based company, right? So anytime you purchase from us. You give our guys work. We have, in addition to our core 8. We also have about 20 plus volunteers that come in through our kitchen, whether it's through our Boces Worksite partner program, which is separate from our own volunteers that come in. But anyone that's interested in the culinary
00:51:22.840 --> 00:51:38.329 Patty Castrogiovanni: world or to work in a bakery, or we also as you saw our chef we also offer breakfast and lunch orders for the employees of the building, so that gives us oh, sure! And that gives us more experience in the, in the food industry.
00:51:38.330 --> 00:51:41.229 Tommy DiMisa: Just baking. It's it's also other cooking.
00:51:41.230 --> 00:51:43.740 Patty Castrogiovanni: Exactly because our our.
00:51:43.830 --> 00:52:01.829 Patty Castrogiovanni: you know, one of our mentors asked, who do you? What do you want? Special suites to be when you grow up. Who do you want to be when you grow up? So what do we want to be? We want to be a cafe that we can be open 7 days a week to serve our customers, to employ our individuals, to be able to give them a paycheck
00:52:02.187 --> 00:52:16.842 Patty Castrogiovanni: in addition to that, have the instructional component, which is what we are currently doing. Because right now, right there, everybody's learning right? 4 years ago, when we started, they needed written instructions they needed, you know, side by side.
00:52:17.280 --> 00:52:29.099 Patty Castrogiovanni: supervision. Now they're at the point where we can leave them. Not leave them, but they're independent enough that they can carry out the tasks on their own. And that's amazing to see and.
00:52:29.100 --> 00:52:33.430 Tommy DiMisa: It is, Patty. It's not about ability, it's about access or accessibility for.
00:52:33.430 --> 00:52:35.110 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes, you know what.
00:52:35.110 --> 00:52:50.910 Tommy DiMisa: And support people where they are, you know, if if we looked at, I say this and it's like, I don't know if I'm I've been saying it for years, and I don't know if I say it the right way. But it's my thing. So I'm gonna say it so like, I suck at a lot of things, and if we focused on all the things I was unable to do or was not good at.
00:52:50.910 --> 00:52:51.310 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:52:51.310 --> 00:52:53.230 Tommy DiMisa: I couldn't be anything right. But if.
00:52:53.230 --> 00:52:53.730 Patty Castrogiovanni: Beautiful.
00:52:53.730 --> 00:53:21.569 Tommy DiMisa: On what Tommy D. Is good at, and there's like 3 things I'm really good at. One of them is. I thought it was doing this show, but that's that's debatable after my performance here today. But self-deprecating humor is another thing I'm good at. So. But it's really about, you know, it's about focusing in on what people can do. And if we live in that zone of what someone's brilliance is and stay focused there and and support those efforts and their interest. Then we win. What do you say to that, Patty or Lisa?
00:53:21.570 --> 00:53:46.390 Patty Castrogiovanni: IA thousand percent agree with you. And one of the things we find is of our newer volunteers. They've been sitting home right? Or they they aged out and they had a job. But the job didn't work well because their employers are not empathetic to their needs. Right? We have someone that comes in. He's amazing. But yet we'll need an hour break, or or there are days when he just chooses not to participate, and
00:53:46.390 --> 00:53:55.940 Patty Castrogiovanni: we are nurturing in the sense that we understand that. But when he is ready and able he is amazing. And given the right
00:53:55.940 --> 00:54:07.369 Patty Castrogiovanni: environment, these young people just thrive, and one of the I mean, I can't say enough about it. My guys in there when we have, let's say, our work, our
00:54:07.370 --> 00:54:16.349 Patty Castrogiovanni: worksite partners and my guys step up to be the instructors, or they step up to be. You know the teachers that wear pat. You've seen Pat
00:54:16.420 --> 00:54:34.760 Patty Castrogiovanni: Kat can run. Oh, my gosh! She runs circles around all of us, and to have her now take the role of instructor or mentor to other young adults is just amazing, and and how they own it, and they're so proud of. Oh, oh, God, Tommy, I could go on all day.
00:54:34.760 --> 00:54:41.020 Tommy DiMisa: You know what? And we will. We'll go on because we're gonna we're friends. We'll hang out a lot. But the thing is, it's about empowering young people right.
00:54:41.020 --> 00:54:41.550 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:54:41.550 --> 00:54:45.560 Tommy DiMisa: I'm gonna show you you're only listening. I'm gonna read it to you. Picture this close your eyes.
00:54:45.560 --> 00:54:46.180 Patty Castrogiovanni: Good.
00:54:46.530 --> 00:54:49.460 Tommy DiMisa: It says, believe there is good in the world. But then the.
00:54:49.460 --> 00:54:49.910 Patty Castrogiovanni: There is.
00:54:49.910 --> 00:54:51.920 Tommy DiMisa: Yellow you have. Be the good. You know
00:54:52.730 --> 00:54:56.310 Tommy DiMisa: the good in the world gang. That's what you've got to do. Empower other people right.
00:54:56.310 --> 00:54:56.910 Patty Castrogiovanni: Yes.
00:54:56.910 --> 00:55:20.829 Tommy DiMisa: Happy Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth, when I thought about it. Happy, Juneteenth, everybody, I mean, we are a country that has a lot of challenges right now. We are a world that has a lot of challenges right now, and I always say love and compassion will lead us through. And it's about finding those opportunities to be supportive, to be in love to care about people. I don't mean to be in love like my friend Lisa.
00:55:20.830 --> 00:55:30.430 Tommy DiMisa: He's in love with Dave Grohl. But I mean like in love, like with each other and in love with humanity. Lisa, I love hanging out with you. We're gonna have fun. So so.
00:55:30.430 --> 00:55:31.720 Patty Castrogiovanni: Projectile moment with Lisa.
00:55:31.720 --> 00:55:32.620 Tommy DiMisa: Oh!
00:55:32.620 --> 00:55:35.330 Patty Castrogiovanni: We used to get. We used to get in trouble for laughing too much.
00:55:35.330 --> 00:55:40.059 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, this is Patty. This is my, this is my shocked face.
00:55:41.110 --> 00:55:42.110 Tommy DiMisa: I'm really surprised.
00:55:42.110 --> 00:55:50.250 Patty Castrogiovanni: We did another. We did another show, and another gentleman that brought us on, and I actually became his co-host. Yeah, he took me on as his co-host on Sunday mornings.
00:55:50.250 --> 00:56:03.090 Tommy DiMisa: You know what you know how many people say, Tommy D. Especially my friend Christine Fitzpatrick at League. Yes, it's like Tommy D. We got to do a show together. I'm like, so create one like we'll just do another 1. 4 shows I'm doing 4. So we'll do 5. Lisa, we'll do like.
00:56:03.090 --> 00:56:08.260 Patty Castrogiovanni: And I just have to shout out, Carrie. You had her on last week or the week before.
00:56:09.050 --> 00:56:10.650 Patty Castrogiovanni: Take care, love her!
00:56:10.650 --> 00:56:11.910 Tommy DiMisa: Who did you say? Which one.
00:56:12.150 --> 00:56:13.010 Patty Castrogiovanni: Terry.
00:56:13.300 --> 00:56:13.800 Tommy DiMisa: Oh! Oh!
00:56:13.800 --> 00:56:14.599 Patty Castrogiovanni: You had a.
00:56:15.030 --> 00:56:21.590 Tommy DiMisa: Yes, yeah, yeah. I mean, like this, this nonprofit sector. It's it's so connected. There's so much, you know.
00:56:21.590 --> 00:56:26.360 Patty Castrogiovanni: So many people, Tommy, and so many amazing organizations, and oh, so excited.
00:56:26.360 --> 00:56:51.140 Tommy DiMisa: So good. And listen when you're the nonprofit sector connector. That's just the way it goes. I get to hang out with people doing great work. Not that there's not other industries or sectors that are important, but I believe that the nonprofit sector is paramount, and it's always on the front lines doing a great work. So listen, Patty Lisa. We had a lot of fun together. I don't even know my cousins get married today. I don't even have any energy to go to the wedding. Now I'm like I'm tapped out. You guys got me tapped out.
00:56:51.140 --> 00:56:56.799 Patty Castrogiovanni: Be on the dance floor. Tell me, are you? Are you the guy in the middle of the circle or no bucket hat? That's the question.
00:56:56.800 --> 00:56:57.530 Tommy DiMisa: You're booking back.
00:56:58.040 --> 00:57:02.700 Tommy DiMisa: I got a I got a lavender linen suit in the car waiting to be worn.
00:57:03.766 --> 00:57:08.030 Patty Castrogiovanni: You a mile away.
00:57:08.030 --> 00:57:11.859 Tommy DiMisa: You remember my cousin Vinnie? I know you both do.
00:57:11.860 --> 00:57:13.310 Patty Castrogiovanni: Oh, come on, man!
00:57:13.310 --> 00:57:19.849 Tommy DiMisa: And when she goes we gotta go in a minute. Remember, she goes like this. Oh, yeah, you blend. You remember that.
00:57:20.070 --> 00:57:23.150 Patty Castrogiovanni: Shout out to Marissa Tomei, wherever you are, she's right.
00:57:23.150 --> 00:57:28.150 Tommy DiMisa: She's 1 of us. I don't know where she's from, but she sounds like she's from Long Island, is she from Long Island? Let's Google it real quick.
00:57:28.150 --> 00:57:31.190 Patty Castrogiovanni: Definitely New Yorker. Definitely New Yorker. But yeah.
00:57:31.250 --> 00:57:37.229 Tommy DiMisa: We're supposed to like install. And I have to Google things. Yes, from Brooklyn, which is.
00:57:37.230 --> 00:57:40.189 Patty Castrogiovanni: Cheeto! Where's Cheeto now? Is he still there?
00:57:40.340 --> 00:57:42.070 Tommy DiMisa: He's running around the attic. He's gone
00:57:44.010 --> 00:58:05.631 Tommy DiMisa: all right, folks. The show is called philanthropy and focus, which really is probably a misnomer, although I spell it with a Ph, so it doesn't really mean like focus, like with an F because we are not focused here. But we are Ph focused. So I like to say, stay focused. Make the world a better place, connect love, send out a lot of hugs, man. I'm all about the hug, you know there's just this like that's where we got to be for each other.
00:58:06.270 --> 00:58:12.889 Tommy DiMisa: I leave you all with this. This has been another in focus production. I'll see you all later. Make it a great weekend. Bye.
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