About Us
The idea of “Incredibly Blessed” came to me like a dream. I thought of the incredible lives me, my family and friends all share and the importance of giving back to those in need. When I left my 25 year hospital career, I did a lot of self reflection and asked for guidance to place me where I needed to be.
We are a unique organization of women from all different backgrounds, passionate about helping others in need. It is important to note that not one of us draw any kind of salary from the foundation. All monies that we receive, either from donations or events go directly to the cause.
Our foundation has 3 signature events per year; Gentlemen’s Night, Ladies Night and our Holiday Event. We had 40 guests at our first event, and we have now grown to close to 300. We have received several grants from many corporations and banks. We feel our events have grown so successful because people feel the energy in the room and want to join our journey of hope, kindness and compassion. Incredibly Blessed is about everyone getting together and giving back to others in need. Our mission goes way beyond writing a check and making a donation, it is a journey that we are all on. We are privileged to do the work that we do.
The secret to our success is our “Incredible Blessings”; creating experiences and memories for children and their families. Most of these children are very ill or at the end of their lives. Even though we are not able to change the outcome, because of you we are able to bring sunshine on a child’s cloudiest of days.
About Us
Why Incredibly Blessed was Established
I (AnnMarie Catello), lost my sister too soon from cancer. It was a long journey for her and for me. My sister helped raise me and we were extremely close. Working most of my life in the hospital, I was very involved in her care and knew at the end each day was getting harder and harder for her. Through many surgeries and many tears, my sister still tried to protect me and cared for me. It was devastating losing my sister, it left me with a feeling of hopelessness and deep depression.
After close to 3 years of losing her, I knew I couldn’t continue to feel this sadness every single day, I had to heal from her loss. My sister loved children and obviously she would never be a grandmother. I knew I had to do something to honor her. She was an incredibly kind and giving person. Even at the end of her life she agreed to a liver biopsy, knowing that the procedure could end her life. She told me she was doing it in hopes the doctors could learn something about the disease to help others. What an incredible, selfless act. She died 2 days after that decision.
The idea of “incredibly blessed” came to me like a dream. I thought of the incredible lives me and my family and friends all shared and the importance of giving back. I called friends of mine and asked them if they would like to be a treasurer, be a secretary of a non-profit foundation. They said yes, confused and I really didn’t provide much more information. I applied for a non-profit foundation in the state of New York. I was told it could take up to 6 months to get a foundation off the ground and it could cost several thousands of dollars through an attorney. Me and my friend decided to fill apply on our own and I received my non-profit status and EIN in 3 weeks. That’s usually unheard of, but I had my angel Carol pulling all the strings.
Now here we are, 2025, 6 years after our launch and 2 of those years we navigated through Covid.
We are a unique organization with an incredible team of women. It is important to note that none of us draw any kind of salary from the foundation. All money received through donations and our events go to the cause.
We have honored all our pledges in helping the homeless, Veteran’s, the elderly and countless more. Our foundation has 3 signature events a year; Gentlemen’s Night, Ladies Night and our Holiday Event. At our first we had close to 40 guests, now we have close to 300. We have received several thousands of grants from grants from many corporations and banks.
The secret to our success is our “incredible blessings”. I receive a call from a local school, hospital, FB contact or a community member, telling us of a very sick child in need. We don’t give money or build buildings; we create experiences and memories. Within 48 hours of receiving the call the wheels are in motion, and we make some magic happen. Even though we can’t change the outcome of the situation, we can grant a small wish to bring some sunshine on a child’s cloudiest of days. Most of these children are at the end of their lives or very, very ill.
There are so many “blessings” we have created but here are a few. We have created nurseries for parents taking their babies home knowing it will be for a very short time. We have sent a HS Sophomore to a Broadway show with her mom, car, dinner and front row seats that created a memory between the two that will last forever. Created a Lego bedroom for a young man in our community who is extremely ill. Lego’s are his love and this was his request. The list goes on and on and on.
I believe this is why our events are so successful. People feel the energy in the room and we make sure the events are fantastic. It’s not about us and it’s not about speeches. It’s about everyone getting together and giving back to others in need.
I can finally say people are really starting to get it and believe in what we do. This is way beyond writing a check and making a donation. It is a journey that we are all on and I am so proud of this work that we are privileged to do.
In closing, having my children as part of this team and their understanding of the power of giving back has given me such joy. I am obsessed with sharing this with the younger generations. They all have so much and needed a way to give back, Incredibly Blessed” is that way. I have written several children’s stories about kindness, understanding and love. All geared towards young children and tapping into their philanthropy at a very young age.
When I left my career at Staten Island University Hospital after close to 25 years, I asked God to place me where he needs me…he did, right here at Incredibly Blessed.
