Lou Barbera and his partners at VLM Commodities live by the philosophy “You give as much as you can, always.” When they decided to hold a “Charity Week” every one of their clients were happy to help! Everyone donated a week’s worth of gross earnings, raising $10,000 each for the three charities picked by Lou and his VLM managing partner Vincent. For Lou, his choice was clear: FRAXA Research Foundation, in honor of his son, “Little Lou”.
The week-long fundraiser was not just successful – it brought everyone closer together. Lou shared the story of his family’s journey with Fragile X, a road that has not always been easy. These days, Lou says “Little Lou is doing great! He’s always happy - at home and at school where he is in an amazing program. He’s really doing great!”
The Barbera family has been very active in the Fragile X and Autism communities ever since Louis was diagnosed. Lou has passed on his advocacy skills to his daughter, Allison, who is a strong voice for her brother, volunteers with the Autism Movement Project (AMP), and participates in local events supporting people with developmental disabilities. Lou’s wife Christine is a Learning Disability Teaching Consultant and an amazing resource and role model for the family.
Lou’s partner, Vincent, previously orchestrated the ringing of the Bell at the New York Stock Exchange to raise awareness for Fragile X.
“We are often asked how we can do this, live with the challenges of Fragile X, day in and day out” Lou shared, “It’s just what we do. We keep going forward. FRAXA gives life and purpose to our community. I look forward to Charity Week being an annual VLM event and supporting the work FRAXA does.”