Philanthropy as a Natural Instinct: Stephen & Redenta Picazio

By Barbara Mackay  |  Photo by Nancy Guth

June 2021—Stephen and Redenta Picazio met when they were fifteen years old in New London, Connecticut, drawn together by a love of boating. Today, after raising a family and enjoying successful careers, the couple remain fond of boating and coastal living. They summer in Cape Cod, winter in the Sarasota region, and give back through philanthropy. 

Fresh out of college, Stephen went to work in the banking industry, while Redenta became an English teacher. Once their son went off to college, they became enamored with the little town of Nokomis and decided to relocate to Florida.

“For the first two years,” says Stephen, “I took a sabbatical from work. Redenta was getting her doctorate and I decided that I was going to study for the Certified Financial Planner exam. In the winters we were here, and in the summers, we lived on our boat in Connecticut. After two years of fun and freedom, I decided it was time to go back to work. I joined Merrill Lynch in Venice, where I worked for thirty-five years. During that time, our son brought his family down here to be near us, and he worked with me at Merrill Lynch. I just retired officially in January.”

Redenta completed her Ph.D. in English education. “I taught in Connecticut and down here I’ve done a lot of things that mesh with my interest in teaching,” she says. “I’ve done some volunteer tutoring and I was on the board of the local college, the State College of Florida. We love being near our son’s family. That’s one of the things that makes us feel particularly blessed. Some people have to travel so far to see their grandchildren.”

Through the years of their marriage, Stephen and Redenta have shared many interests. A mutual passion for boating has remained since their earliest days in Connecticut, and together they have developed an interest in the arts. “We love the symphony and the theater,” says Redenta. “What interests us is not just the shows they put on for adults, but also the wonderful programs they have for children. We’ve always been focused on young people.” 

The Picazios share an interest in philanthropy, with a particular appreciation for the work of Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice. This large non-profit social service agency serves ten counties in Southwest Florida, influencing the lives of many children, adults, and seniors.

Redenta was an active member of the Catholic Charities Board, when she realized that the organization had many social service programs to support the diverse needs of the community. The Picazios went on to support a variety of programs at Catholic Charities. 

“We have given money to be used for the areas of greatest need,” says Redenta. “For example, we have donated to Family Haven, a program that offers temporary housing and case management as well as, Guadalupe Social Services, a program that provides, food, financial assistance, and client support services.”

The Picazio’s main philanthropic interest has centered around Our Mother’s House, a Catholic Charities program that provides housing and case management for homeless mothers and their children. By offering essential life skills and empowerment education, Our Mother’s House helps mothers and their children build self-sustaining futures. 

“We are interested in things that really impact a person’s life and help him or her find a new direction,” says Redenta. “When we learned about Our Mother’s House, and the work of Joyce Scott, the program director, we became motivated to support its positive outcomes.”

The Picazio’s began to donate formally to the program about twenty years ago. “But we had participated in it before that,” adds Stephen, “at a less formal level. The advantage of a program such as Our Mother’s House is that you are impacting the lives of two generations. In one respect you have a mother who has had trouble in her life and who finds that she needs this type of help to get back on track. And then of course you have the children who, if you get them into a stable, loving environment, will be able to get their lives moving forward in a very positive way.”

“A success story that touched our hearts involved a woman from the Our Mother’s House program who found gainful employment which enabled her to participate in a Habitat for Humanity program, to which we also donate. It is wonderful to see the progression of this woman who now has a good job and a nice home to raise her child in. Both are able to be stable, productive members of our society.”

 “Ours is not a big story,” says Redenta. “When you feel that you’ve been blessed in life and you see people in need, you say, ‘How can we help?’ It’s a natural instinct. There are a lot of people around this area who feel the way we do, people who are generous not only with their money but also with their time. I think that in this world you can’t do everything. We all focus on what is closest to our hearts. You could say that what is of most interest to Stephen and me is seeing how individuals’ lives can be helped, in many different ways.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice, please visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org or call 941.488.5581.