Matthew House

Our Family

The immediate Matthew House family may change from week to week, yet remains bonded by caring and dignity as the life of one member comes to an end. Our extended family includes all who have been touched by the Matthew House mission. 

Many "Matthew House Angels," seen and unseen, join in providing comfort care to our residents and peace of mind to their loved ones. Our Volunteers, Staff, Executive Director, Board of Directors and generous donors all have a place in the Matthew House family portrait.

Board of Directors 

Bev Centers, President

Pat Carbonaro, Vice President

Tim Carr, Treasurer

Terri Culver, Secretary

Beth Burgmaster

Rhonda Carner

Lloyd Hoskins

Mark Locastro

Diane Lozowsky

Mark Pineau

Judy Santillo

Angela Ryan, LMSW
Executive Director

A Cayuga County native, Angela graduated from Syracuse University in 2003 with a degree in Psychology.  She has since worked for many diverse human service organizations including CSCAA, Cayuga County DHHS, Hospice of the Finger Lakes, Liberty Resources and Mercy Health & Rehabilitation Center.  It was at Mercy Rehab, working as a Social Worker that Angela had her first experiences with terminally ill residents and Hospice services.  She became drawn to end-of-life care and felt as if it were her "calling". In 2012, Angela enrolled in graduate school at Roberts Wesleyan College. She chose to complete her first-year internship at Hospice of the Finger Lakes. This experience confirmed her passion for end-of-life care and once the internship was complete, she continued to work per-diem for Hospice until graduating with a Masters of Social Work in May 2014.  After graduation, she continued to work for Hospice full time until March 2018, when she joined Matthew House as the Executive Director. Reporting to the Board of Directors, Angela manages resident admissions, acts as a liaison with families, community and referring providers, oversees staff, volunteers, training and scheduling, as well as directs budget and overall operations of Matthew House.

Lisa Camardo
Bookkeeper

Lisa joined Matthew House in 2010 as our part-time bookkeeper. A lifelong resident of Auburn, Lisa graduated from Auburn city schools, Cayuga Community College and LeMoyne College. Lisa ensures that all financial matters, from day-to-day expenses to foundation grant awards, and memorial donations to bequests, are properly accounted for and records maintained for clear, efficient review and auditing.

Shelly MacBain
Manager of Resident Services

A full-time staff member in her current role since 2013, Shelly first joined the Matthew House family in 2002, as the house opened.  She started as a Resident Care Volunteer and as a paid overnight caregiver. Shelly spent many years providing care in private homes and saw a need for a place that could be home for the terminally ill as well as a place of peace for their loved ones.  When Matthew House opened, she felt right at home.  As Manager of Resident Services, some of Shelly's duties are providing care to the residents and support to their families, to assist with the referral process and interviews with potential residents and their loved ones, providing training to volunteers/staff and to assist the Executive Director with whatever new and exciting project she might envision.

Ann Padula
Development Assistant

Ann has been with Matthew House since its founding in 2002, beginning as a House Care Volunteer for the first resident. Years later, Ann’s service would be reciprocated when her mother became terminally ill and came to Matthew House. In 2008 when a position opened to handle our extensive correspondence, Ann took on that role. She now maintains a database of families, donors and other friends across the nation who receive regular newsletters and event invitations. And, in her full-circle tradition, Ann returns to volunteer mode when Matthew House is invited to host a booth at the annual Father’s Day car show in Auburn – greeting attendees with smiles, literature and a wealth of information. 

Supplemental Staff

Our supplemental staff provides Resident Care services as needed on a per-diem basis, typically for overnight coverage or when a regularly scheduled volunteer is unavailable. This go-to resource of experienced caregivers assures that our scheduling is always smooth. Our current roster:

Carolyn Dann

Marilyn Donovan

Kris Ferarra

Denise Guiffrida

Joe Goodsell

Cassidy McGinn

Natasha Roof

Yvonne Snow

Volunteers

Well over 100 talented, compassionate volunteers provide essential services to the residents who grace our home. Besides our trained Resident Care and House Care volunteers, we salute those who assist with lawn and garden upkeep, sidewalk shoveling and other tasks. We value the contribution of each to our mission of providing comfort and dignity to the terminally ill in a home to share with loved ones. If you would like to explore the possibility of volunteering at Matthew House, please use the Volunteer Application to tell us of your interest. 

Donors

Local individuals, families, businesses, foundations, clubs and schools are among the "angels" who generously donate to Matthew House. Monetary donations, wish list items and home maintenance and renovation are just a few gifts bestowed to the residents and staff at the house. We deeply appreciate our wonderful, caring community. If you wish to donate, you can do so securely online, and we welcome your support.