Sen. Fred Akshar Honors Hospital Heroes Organizer Vanessa Moschak as his 2020 Woman of Distinction

(BINGHAMTON, NY) This week Senator Akshar recognized Hospital Heroes organizer Vanessa Moschak as his NYS Senate 2020 Woman of Distinction for the 52nd Senate District.

Each year, the New York State Senate honors women who have enriched the quality of life in their communities across New York.

An Assistant Principal at Broome-Tioga BOCES, Vanessa Moschak is the founder of the Binghamton Hospital Heroes Meals volunteer group, a meal delivery coordination effort that began in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital Heroes is comprised of 51 volunteers from Broome-Tioga BOCES and more than 65 local businesses that strives to show solidarity and support for essential workers at the UHS and Lourdes Hospital systems in the Southern Tier.

Hospital Heroes provided meals for Lourdes and UHS hospital sites for 12 weeks, providing 11,300 meals and receiving $10,019 in grants and donations, including winning a Southern Tier Tuesdays Grant as voted by the community.

The community has embraced this cause wholeheartedly. What began as a modest act of kindness during an unprecedented health crisis has united an amazing alliance of volunteers and local businesses to actively show support for essential workers and prove that our community is truly stronger when we work together.

Vanessa is currently a tenured Assistant Principal in the Preparation for Adult Living Success (PALS) Program at Broome-Tioga BOCES. Her career has been centered around supporting students with special education needs. Before transitioning to the role of Assistant Principal in the PALS program, Vanessa was a speech-language pathologist for nearly a decade. The PALS program educates students with significant, individualized education needs, ages 5 to 21, across 15 component school districts, and emphasizes developing life and employability skills. In her role as an administrator, Vanessa focuses on building meaningful relationships and connections that extend beyond the school campus. This is evidenced by events such as the first PALS “Celebrating Abilities Night” which brought together local businesses and organizations that support the special education population in the community for an evening of fun, and the PALS Veteran’s Day Assembly which incorporated American Legion Post 1645, the Twin Tiers Honor Flight, and local veterans.

Whether at work or in the community, Vanessa is passionate about advocating, connecting, empowering, and supporting success in others. In her free time, Vanessa sits on the Board of Directors for the Discovery Center. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Steve and their two young boys, Paxton and Owen. She always challenges herself to learn new things and is currently pursuing the art of vegetable gardening in her backyard.

Vanessa holds a Master’s in Speech Language Pathology & Audiology from the University at Buffalo, SUNY and an advanced certificate in Educational Leadership from SUNY Cortland.
 

"Throughout her career, Vanessa Moschak has dedicated herself to supporting children and families in need across our community,” said Senator Fred Akshar. “When the COVID-19 pandemic upended our daily lives, Vanessa rose to the occasion and worked tirelessly to unite our community around a common goal: Helping those on the front lines fighting to save lives. Vanessa embodies the generous, giving spirit that manifests throughout our community when it’s needed most. I’m truly inspired the work she’s has done and I’m proud to select her as the 52nd District's 2020 Woman of Distinction.”

“I am honored to be recognized for the Women of Distinction award by Senator Akshar for the 52nd District,” said Vanessa Moschak. “To be named among such an inspiring group of New York women is humbling. This recognition would not be possible if it was not for the 50 volunteers, 65 participating businesses, and countless donors who worked to bring the Hospital Heroes vision to life. I believe this work is a true representation of what makes our small community great and demonstrates that the caring and compassion of a small group of people can leave a lasting impact. Thank you for this honor and thank you to all who made this small idea into a big success for our local hospital heroes.”

“It came as no surprise to those who know Vanessa that when the pandemic hit her first response was ‘How can I help?’ “ said Broome-Tioga BOCES District Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer Allen D. Buyck. “Like so many of her colleagues throughout the BOCES organization, the instinct to reach out, jump in and lend a hand is one of the defining characteristics of a compassionate, caring leader. We’re very proud of her and those who answered her call to assist the heroes who staff our local hospitals.”
 

You can read more about Vanessa Moschak here: https://www.nysenate.gov/profiles/2020/fred-akshar/vanessa-moschak