Love Holds Life
By Bruce Apar
A Compassionate, Loving Champion of Kids with Cancer
L
ove Holds Life Children’s Cancer Foundation helps families
in the Hudson Valley and New York Metro area battling
cancer by providing financial support for their medical
treatments and expenses not covered by insurance. As the
charity says on its website (LHLny.org), “LHL began its mission
and continues to be inspired by Michael Montana, a young boy
from Patterson, N.Y., who was diagnosed with Leukemia at age
11. Since beginning our journey with Michael, LHL has raised
just over $73,000 for the Montana family, along with averaging
$25,000 per child for treatment. Our hands reach across to
Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester and Ulster Counties,
along with coverage of the greater New York City area.” Executive
Director Becky Eidam joined the 501(c)(3) not-for- profit
organization a year ago after attending a business seminar in
Poughkeepsie for entrepreneurs. She was there to learn more
about setting up her own business, through an essential oils
company called Young Living, and happened to meet a past
employee of Love Holds Life. Becky became intrigued by its
mission. “Being someone who has always helped people,” says
Becky, “I knew their mission
aligned with what I was
looking for in my life’s work.”
She met with Love Holds Life
founder Richard Senato and
promptly landed the position
of executive director. Richard
Senato’s passion for helping
cancer families is why he started
Love Holds Life in March
2012. Today, in addition to
Becky Eidam and him, the staff
includes outreach coordinator
John Manteria. Together,
the trio does extraordinary
humanitarian work that has
a profound and life-affirming
influence on families with
children battling cancer. Love
Holds Life provides financial
support, donating an average
of $25,000-$30,000 to its
sponsored families. “We would
love for the community to
really think about and embrace
all that we could do for more
families in need with additional
donors and supporters of our
mission,” says Becky Eidam.
“Our ultimate mission is to
ensure children with love and
life.” A native of New Jersey
who moved to the Hudson
Valley seven years ago, Becky
says she eloped four years ago,
which allowed her to fulfill a
goal of owning a home before
age 30. She calls herself a
“typical ‘Jersey girl’ who can
go from sweet to ‘Jersey mode’
within seconds. I am kind, fair,
direct, and not afraid to speak
up for a person and/or a cause
Becky Eidam, Executive Director
Duchess County Chamber Networking
Event (l-r) Richard Senato, Founder,
Becky Eidam, Executive Director, John
Manteria, Outreach Coordinator
Love Holds Life celebrates their four
year anniversary with Kohl’s District
46 and Somers Sports Arena
loveholdslife4 -caption: Shania (LHL’s
14th sponsored child) with Richard
Senato, Joe Cosentino, and the Hudson
Valley Young Professionals at OLMC’s
Italian Feast
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I believe in.” Becky says “When
my mother’s sporting goods
store closed about 10 years ago,
it was one of the most difficult
and stressful times my family
had to go through. After that
experience, I vowed to support
Kohl’s volunteers helping to raise money as many mom-and- pop local
businesses as I could. There are
for Shania at Highland’s Spring Fest.
a lot of them in the Hudson
Valley that I enjoy shopping
at and supporting.” She adds,
“My family has always owned
their own businesses and I’ve
always known I wanted to own
my own business one day.”
That’s what paved her path to
Check presentation at the OLMC’s
Young Living, to the business
Italian feast in Verplanck for Kimberly and Shania (from left to right: conference, and to Love Holds
Richard Senato, Kimberly, (LHL’s
Life. It’s a virtuous circle. “I
ninth sponsored child) Charlene,
made the choice to follow my
Shania, (LHL’s 14th sponsored child),
dream of owning my own
and Charlie.
business, and that led me to find
a nonprofit that fits my purpose in life, which is to help people.”
Asked what is most inspiring about her work at Love Holds Life,
Becky replies, “All the children fighting cancer who we help. They
never complain and are so strong, especially going through their
treatments. That is what fuels me and our team to work 10-12
hour days without complaining. We are lifting that financial
burden off of their family so they can focus on taking care of
their children when they are sick. Becky says she attends as many
networking events as possible. Some of the people she meets there
have become friends throughout the Hudson Valley “who I never
would have met otherwise. I am a big dreamer and someone who
sets goals – mostly outrageous ones, but I work daily to reach
those ‘impossible’ goals.” She also enjoys the collegial, mutually
respectful and productive office culture at Love Holds Life. Not
that they don’t have light moments too. As Becky explains it,
“The best part about my job is I get to be my authentic self and
bestversionmedia.com in return the guys get to be themselves. We have daily nonstop
phone calls back and forth, exchange terrible jokes, yell, laugh,
cry. We take each other’s food, cheer each other on, and have each
other’s backs when we are faced with challenges most non-profits
face. When one of us falls, the other two are there to pick up the
slack. Very loud with lots of love.” Love Holds Life looks forward
to its fundraisers this fall: A charity golf outing takes place Sept.
12 at Otterkill Golf & Country Club in Campbell Hall, N.Y.
On Sept. 27, Camp Nabby in Yorktown hosts a softball fundraiser.
Becky gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Camp
Nabby owners Rita and Joe Bertino, as well as the invaluable
assistance of Deb Milone, executive director of the Hudson Valley
Gateway Chamber of Commerce.
Love Holds Life welcomes and appreciates volunteers and
sponsors for its upcoming events. Additionally, throughout the
weekends of September and October, Love Holds life will be
fundraising at Outhouse Orchards.
Contact:
Love Holds Life Children’s Cancer Foundation, 2345 Route
52, Suite 2F, Hopewell Junction, N.Y. 12533; (845) 592-4544;
[email protected] or [email protected]; LHLny.org
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