Virginia Cervasio
Virginia Cervasio graduated from SUNY Old Westbury University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1998. She is mother to the late A1C Angelo “Merlin” Cervasio, who died by suicide in January 2006, due to his battle with PTSD. In the past 17 years, she has worked diligently to bring suicide awareness and prevention to communities in SW Florida and NY. Since moving back to New York in 2014, Virginia has made it her mission to help veterans in need. Heroes Among Us, a nonprofit organization, is the result of her persistent effort to make sure that no veteran and their families are ever refused what is needed to help them live a healthy life. In August 2019, Heroes Among Us was chosen to host the Vietnam Wall Memorial display for four days. This event brought comfort and healing to many Vietnam veterans and their families. She recently was honored in receiving the “Distinguished Service to Veterans Award” by Nassau County. In 2016, Virginia received the Linda Nadle Community Service Award from Long Island Crisis Center for her dedication to our communities. Among her many accomplishments, she was honored as the recipient of the 2009 Leadership Award, from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, for advancing the cause of suicide prevention in the U.S. She was also the 2008 November recipient of the Readers Digest “Make It Matter” Program, 2010 “Professional of the Year Award” from Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition.
