Occupation: I’m retired from Newtown Middle School and am a Nonna (grandmother) to three beautiful grandchildren. I volunteer with a number of organizations, including the Newtown VNA, Commission on Aging, Community Center Programs subcommittee, and Meals on Wheels. I’m also studying to become a Stephen Minister, on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Adventure Center, a Salvation Army bell ringer co-coordinator, I do Outreach for Newtown United Methodist Church, and teach Italian at the Newtown Senior Center.

Family: I’ve been married for almost 42 years to Dan. Our anniversary is in June. I have three grown children who are all married, [and] three beautiful grandchildren who volunteer with me as often as they can — actually, our whole family volunteers. It’s important to give back.

Pets: Our daughter’s dog, Jax, lives with us and a silly cat named Grayson. Grayson was rescued from a well by our son-in-law. His favorite past time is biting me! Some say these are love bites, but I have to say, I am not a fan of this kind of affection.

How long have you lived in Newtown? It will be 31 years come August. We moved here from College Point (Queens), N.Y. I love it here, but boy, was this a change from where I grew up. I was born in Brooklyn, but we moved to College Point when I was 5.

What do you like to do in your free time? We love to cruise, and we enjoy getting together with friends and volunteering. I also love to cook and bake.

Do you have a favorite book or author? I love to read and collect cookbooks. I also love Mary Higgins Clark — she provides light, fun reading, which is a treat at the end of long days.

What is your favorite travel destination? Through cruising, we’ve been to a lot of places. I’ve been to Italy several times and love all parts of it. My favorite cruise was the Mediterranean, followed closely by Alaska.

What is the best part about Newtown? The community we are surrounded by, the caring individuals, and the many friends I’ve made. There is always someone willing to help anyone. I’m grateful to have met so many people. I know who to reach out to when someone needs something. You can’t put a price on that type of networking. If I don’t know and I ask someone and they don’t know, I am almost always met with “Let me ask around.” We support each other, which, in today’s world, is huge!

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My mom. She saw the good in everyone and she helped everyone.

Do you have a favorite TV show? Pretty much any comedies. There are too many horrible things on the news that anything funny is my go-to. It’s a great way to de-stress.

What is your favorite food? I love to cook but can’t really say there is one thing I love more than another. I love experimenting when cooking. I can’t look at a recipe without thinking, “Hmm, what if I did this or that instead?” I’ve had some successes and some failures.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Pay it forward. I aspire to do that all the time. If we all just helped each other and kept that going, what a better world it would be!

What is something you cannot live without? Prayer and hope.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Our three children. They have grown up to be wonderful, successful adults who are raising wonderful families.

How can Newtown improve? Take the time to reach out to someone — whether you are in the grocery store, bank, library, wherever. Say hi, smile, be kind!