As a young boy who had lost most of his hearing and, gradually, his ability to speak clearly, Donato Tramuto sought refuge in the books written by and about his hero, the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Donato found inspiration and encouragement from his speeches and memorized passages that would later become the cornerstone of his own speeches as a company executive and philanthropist.

In 2017, Donato was honored by a Boston-based social service agency founded 50 years ago by his friend and Tramuto Foundation board member, Phil Johnston. Phil, who had been working on Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign when the Senator was assassinated in 1968, created a juvenile justice agency committed to Kennedy’s legacy of unwavering responsibility to the poor and disadvantaged. Today, the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps (RFK Children’s Action Corps) is one of largest private child welfare and juvenile justice organizations in New England, guided by a core belief that all children have the right to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.

Donato was honored to receive the RFK Children’s Action Corps’ distinguished Embracing the Legacy award in recognition of his longstanding commitment to social equality and philanthropy. Not one to simply receive an award and walk out the door, Donato wanted to see for himself what the RFK Children’s Action Corps was about. Soon after receiving the honor, Donato visited the agency’s Lancaster Residential Treatment Campus where he personally met several students living and attending class there. The goal of the residential programs in Lancaster is to help children and adolescents address the challenges they face as a result of living in unstable, dangerous or abusive environments while helping them return home to their families and communities when appropriate. The campus provides multiple levels of residential treatment, emergency assessment, respite care, and special education services.

Donato was impressed with everyone he met at Lancaster – the teaching staff, the administration, the clinical staff and especially, the kids. Following that visit, he decided that these dedicated professionals, who deal with the emotional and psychological scars of kids who have endured more tragedy and tough times than most of us could imagine, would benefit from ongoing trauma-informed care training.

The Tramuto Foundation board members agreed that the RFK Children’s Action Corps would be a worthy recipient of a four-year grant, which will allow the agency to integrate the most relevant trauma-informed care principles into all programs offered on the campus.

In addition, over the coming year, the RFK Children’s Action Corps’ Leadership Institute members will collectively read Donato’s book, “Life’s Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business,” and incorporate examples from the book in their daily interactions with students.

RFK Children’s Action Corps CEO Ed Kelley explained that examples of how Donato dealt with his significant ‘bulldozer moments’ will serve as a roadmap for how their students can successfully overcome adversities in their own lives.

“There is no doubt that Donato and the Tramuto Foundation are committed partners in our ongoing work to support disadvantaged children. The Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps could not be more grateful to be associated with this caring and accomplished man and the dedicated men and women who serve on the Foundation’s board,” Kelley said.