Tony's Story

Tony’s journey began in New York in the early 1990s, where as a teenager he volunteered on a crisis hotline, served on the Orange County Youth Advisory Board, and founded the Committee for Warwick Teens — a youth advocacy group that gave teens access to decision-makers and pushed for inclusive programming. His efforts were featured in major newspapers and honored by state and national leaders, including the New York Governor’s Office, County Executive, Congressmen Gilman, and State Legislators.

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In 2000, while serving as a volunteer Youth Director, Tony was involved in a severe car accident that left him in a coma. Doctors said he wouldn’t survive — but by God’s grace, he did. The crash left him permanently blind in one eye and led to years of seizures. Despite this, Tony returned to school and completed both his B.A. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in Counseling, turning trauma into testimony.   Tony has worked with children, families, and underserved populations in multiple roles since that time.

From 1998 to 2008, Tony volunteered as a Youth Leader in various churches, where he founded a coffeehouse-style outreach for teens combining recreation, mentoring, and care — serving over 30 youth at a time, which was featured on Bay News 9 for its impact. He also served as an Instructional Assistant for developmentally delayed students in public schools, further deepening his commitment to inclusive support.

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In 2017, Tony launched Youth Haven Ministries after witnessing firsthand how youth were being denied services for not fitting into eligibility boxes — and how faith-based hope was being stripped out of care. As a counselor, he wasn’t allowed to share God’s love with youth who needed it most. Meanwhile, churches were offering “come as you are” with strings attached — requiring Bible studies and behavior changes as the price for help. At the height of the gay marriage debate, Tony heard pulpits preaching exclusion. He was done with conditional ministry.

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That’s when God stirred something deeper in his spirit: to create a space reflecting Jesus’ true heart — radically inclusive, fiercely compassionate, and rooted in grace. A ministry built not on conformity, but on connection.

In 2019, Tony opened the YHM Teen Center in Pasco County, Florida, which grew to serve up to 60 youth daily with free mentoring, life skills, recreation, and optional Christ-centered support. The center was featured on Bay News 9, ABC Action News, and the front page of the Suncoast News for its transformative impact. When COVID-19 hit, the center was forced to shut down and, despite efforts, was unable to reopen.

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In 2024, Tony moved to West Virginia to care for his father through his battle with cancer. He continued working full-time as a Mental Health Counselor until his father passed in October 2024. Then in April 2025, Tony was diagnosed with leukemia — and even while hospitalized, he began relaunching Youth Haven Ministries. Released on June 9, 2025, he immediately resumed leadership with renewed purpose and spiritual fire.

Today, Tony is expanding Youth Haven’s reach — developing youth-led outreach, integrating digital tools, and launching God for the Rest of Us, a bold online ministry via TikTok and YouTube that connects spiritual seekers with a Gospel rooted in hope, healing, and belonging.

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He has been recognized by employers and the Knights of Columbus for excellence in mental health and community service. His true legacy, however, is in the lives transformed by Youth Haven — where inclusion is unconditional, faith is shared freely, and God is for everyone.