PASCACK VALLEY—What started as one family’s mission to spare others from the heartbreak of childhood illness has grown into a 40-year legacy of hope, research, and lifesaving breakthroughs.
On March 15, the Hope for Children Research Foundation celebrates its milestone 40th anniversary with the 40 Years of Hope 2025 Humanitarian Gala & Casino Night at Seasons in the Township of Washington. The event honors three outstanding New Jerseyans who have made a lasting impact in their fields and communities:
- Susan Ungaro of River Vale, a longtime publishing and nonprofit leader, former editor-in-chief of Family Circle magazine, and past president of the James Beard Foundation. Family Promise of Bergen County said, when Ungaro joined its board of trustees, that she has spent her career rescuing, rebuilding, and revitalizing organizations. But today, the retired (or, as she puts it, “rewired”) nonprofit leader is focused on a different mission: helping homeless families find stability.
Ungaro first connected with the organization years ago through its congregational network program, where she met working parents with children who had no home. The experience transformed her perspective on homelessness.
“These families are the hidden homeless—living in cars or doubling up with relatives,” she says. “Many people in Bergen County don’t even realize they exist.”
A New Milford native and longtime River Vale resident, Ungaro and her husband, Colin, are both William Paterson University graduates. Now serving on Family Promise’s capital campaign committee, she hopes to use her fundraising expertise to help the organization grow after the challenges of the pandemic. As she reminded parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Haworth during a recent appeal: “No man or woman stands taller than when he or she bends down to help a child.”
Family Promise is working to set up its headquarters in Emerson. (See “Family Promise looks to appeal after site denial—new life for 436 Old Hook snubbed; nonprofit provides temporary housing for working parents facing homelessness” by Michael Olohan in the March 3 Pascack Press.)
- Armand Lembo Jr. of Wall Township, founder of Lemcor, Inc., a top-ranked waste management firm known for its environmental stewardship and philanthropy.
- Det. Sgt. First Class Daniel Oliveira of Kearny, president of the State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association of New Jersey and dedicated advocate for numerous state charities.
From Tragedy to Global Impact
The Hope for Children Research Foundation was born out of heartbreak in 1985, when Paul and Vicki Giblin lost their four-year-old daughter, Colleen, to an inoperable brain tumor. Determined to fight for better treatments, they founded the organization to support pediatric neurological research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
Over the past four decades, the foundation has raised over $8 million to fund groundbreaking work at the Colleen Giblin Research Laboratories. This small yet powerful nonprofit has made an international impact, supporting research that has led to:
- A gene therapy cure for GLUT1 Deficiency Syndrome (De Vivo Disease)
- The development of Spinraza, the first FDA-approved drug for spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of infant death
- Additional treatments, including Risdiplam and Zolgensma, offering hope to families worldwide
Foundation president Michelle Oates said in a statement shared with Pascack Press that the true reward is seeing children grow up. “Our proudest accomplishment? Going to children’s weddings instead of their funerals.”
A Local Effort with Global Reach
Headquartered in Ramsey, the foundation’s efforts stretch far beyond New Jersey, funding research that has changed lives around the world. Executive director Meg Minassian, who has been with the foundation since 1990, emphasizes that while the organization is locally based, its impact is far-reaching.
“We may be a local nonprofit, but our mission research is global,” Minassian said.
In addition to funding laboratory studies and clinical trials, the foundation also launched the Giblin Lecture Series in 1986, attracting world-renowned physician-scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners.
Celebrating 40 Years of Hope
The 40 Years of Hope 2025 Humanitarian Gala & Casino Night will feature a night of gaming, celebration, and recognition of the foundation’s achievements. Proceeds will continue to support cutting-edge research into treatments and cures for pediatric neurological diseases, muscular disorders, and brain cancers. For tickets and more information visit hopeforchildrenresearch.org.