Man With Down Syndrome Spends Life Spreading Love, Giving Back

CENTER MORICHES, NY— Keith Caputo has a dream — he wants to meet Ellen DeGeneres, appear on her show, and dance with her.

And, based on his extraordinary journey of love and an indomitable spirit that's helped him to soar, it's a dream his champions are hoping will become a reality for a person who's spent years giving back to others. A man who hasn't let a diagnosis of Down syndrome keep him from living a life dedicated to loving and helping those who need a hand.

Keith, 38, will celebrate his birthday on Halloween — and to mark the day, he and his mom, Cassy Caputo, will be giving out 200 "gently loved" costumes to kids in need.

That's just one of the huge-hearted acts of caring Keith embarks upon each year as founder and board member of the 501c3 not-for-profit organization "Helping Makes U Happy," which aims to show how every human is capable of making a difference through volunteering.

On Saturday, Suffolk Legislator Rudy Sunderman honored Keith at the group's annual Chinese auction fundraiser, naming him Honorary Legislator of the Day of Suffolk’s 3rd Legislative District.

“It is an honor is to thank Keith for his charitable work for all the residents of Suffolk County," Sunderman said.

Keith, his mom said, was surprised and delighted with the honor at the auction fundraiser. Sunderman, she said, made her son a banner and gave him a proclamation.

Prior to founding the organization, Keith was an active volunteer with many local charities for several years, receiving a sea of awards for his service to the community.

Since the beginning, Caputo saw only hope and open doors where others saw challenges.

"It surprises me, in this day and age, that some doctors will still say to moms, 'Why don't you give up your child for adoption?' When Keith was born, a doctor asked if we were going to keep him," she said. "It never occurred to me not to."

Faced with her baby's health challenges, including an intestinal blockage and his lengthy illness after being born premature, Caputo said: "At one point, they gave him last rites. At that moment, I thought, 'Nothing else matters to me. As long as this kid survives, I'll love him the best I can, do the best I can."

And today, that can-do spirit has been imbued into her son, who spreads a message of promise and possibility to so many through his caring heart. "When people see him and hear him, they're filled with such hope," she said. "I watch him reach out to people," some of whom open their hearts and share their pain with him, Caputo said. A woman whose daughter has brain cancer, for example. "Keith told her, 'You need a hug, and he hugged her and they cried together," Caputo said. "And then he told me he wanted me to send them a basket for Christmas. He has a beautiful heart. That's my boy."

Even before creating Helping Makes U Happy, Caputo said her son had been doing volunteer work with Anthony Parlato of the Moriches Community Center. "Keith and he were very close friends; Anthony took Keith under his wing and mentored him."

But in 2014, Parlato passed away suddenly. "It was very unexpected, and Keith was pretty much destroyed by that," Caputo said. "He was so sad. I couldn't get him out of it."

The worried mom took her son to a special needs psychologist who told her: "He's missing the helping. You have to get him back to helping."

Although planting a garden was suggested, Caputo said her son had other ideas, wanting to help in the community.

"I asked him why he wanted to do that, and he said, 'Because it makes me happy.'" She suggested naming their new group Helping Makes U Happy, a name her son loved.

In Feb., 2015, their organization was born, with a mission of showing how every human being can volunteer, inspire, make a difference by doing good, not only in the lives of the less fortunate — but in their own lives as well.

“I have a sincere respect and admiration for Keith for his endless hours and dedication to his community for making others happy,” Sunderman said.

Keith and his organization have raised money, donated supplies and collected clothes for different groups and individuals in need.

“If just one person looks at what I do and says, ‘Well, if he can do it, I can, too,’ then I can say maybe I’ve made a difference," Keith said.

“Keith Caputo is an extraordinary individual who has been making a difference, impacting lives and making people in his community and beyond very happy and it was my honor and pleasure to recognize him," Sunderman said.

Keith's can-do spirit has been instilled by a mother who's always taught her son to reach for the stars. "Someone we know does woodworking, and made him a wood carving that says, 'There's no 'dis' in my ability,'" she said. "He loved that so much." When faced with some who doubted his ability to soar, Caputo has said simply: "Why can't he? All you can do is try the best you can."

It's that belief and unwavering support that's led to her son's successes, including serving as grand marshal in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Center Moriches. "He said it was the best day of his life," she said.

Caputo, who also has a daughter, Briana, 29, and another son, James, 27, said from the start, the community has embraced Keith and his efforts. "People were very accepting of him, which was a great thing," she said. "He's always been very personable, very friendly. He is always happy. We had a man at the Chinese auction say, 'I've got to tell you, every time I see Keith, I walk away feeling happy.' You can't ask for more than that."

In the three years since it was born, the organization has thrived and blossomed. There are yearly events, including a Super Bowl party raffle that helps to fund five $1,000 scholarships for local students. "We go place to place in the freezing cold, selling raffle tickets with prizes including food for 12 to 15 and a big screen TV," Caputo said.

Their organization also helps to provide breakfast and lunch to needy children who are in the free and reduced lunch program during the school year, but face a gap in services during the summer months. Armed with donations and caring hearts, the group puts together boxes of food and delivers them; this year, 27 families and 63 children were provided with food so they wouldn't go hungry.

"Helping Makes U Happy has a board, and we have tremendous support from the schools, students, volunteers, families, the library — it's amazing," Caputo said.

Although operations were once based in their Center Moriches home, now space is rented at a building on Neville Street.

Other projects include 70 backpacks for needy kids filled with school supplies and 200 "comfort cases" for Suffolk County children who've been removed from their homes due to neglect; the backpacks are filled with fleece blanket, journals, pens, toiletries, pajamas, and toys. "These are the kids that truly leave home with nothing," Caputo said. "This is something they can call their own."

The 200 free Halloween costumes will be given out at the Center Moriches Fall Festival this weekend, either on Canal St., at the Neville Street park, or at their building, in case of rain. The Suffolk County Federal Credit Union also hosts a nine-branch wide food drive for the organization, with 700 lbs. of food donated last year.

And looking ahead, Cowfish and Rumba in Hampton Bays want to help, as well.

Then, too, there is the annual Chinese auction, which as grown from its inception five years ago at a street fair, with $8,000 raised. This year, it was held in the Center Moriches High School gym, and brought in $38,000.

"People just love this kid so much," Caputo said. "A lot of people say it's because he's the real deal. He doesn't have an ulterior motive."

Her son, she said, when grieving his friend Parlato, found solace and inspiration by watching Ellen DeGeneres on television.

"He started watching 'Ellen' right after Anthony passed away. It was only thing that would bring him joy. He loved watching her dance, and laughing at her monologues. He loved the helping things she did."

In fact, the idea for comfort cases came from DeGeneres, Caputo said. "Ellen brought him joy during a time of so much sadness. He asked me the other day, 'Do you think I'll ever get to meet Ellen?' I told him, 'In my heart, I think you will."

Keith has taken his inspiration from watching DeGeneres and turned it into a life devoted to helping others, Caputo said.

"Ellen does a lot of helping — and he wants to dance with her," Caputo added, smiling. "But when I ask him, 'Is Ellen the reason why you do what you do?' he says 'no.' He tells me, 'I do what I do because I love helping my community. I just love it."

Photo courtesy Rudy Sunderman's office.