Gab Bonesso really, really wanted a glue stick in first grade.
Standing in front of a few dozen kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Scranton, she acts out the moment one of her classmates gave her one, dancing with and kissing the glue stick.
“I’m gonna tell the story from a little kid’s perspective,” she said. “Almost cartoonish, so they can relate to it.”
Her classmate later took the glue stick back to give to another student. That memory stuck with her into adulthood.
“Not one kid in my class stood up for me, not one,” Bonesso said. “And I feel like that was more hurtful than the girl who bullied me.”
She expresses her feelings to inspire kids to do the same and be considerate of others.
Pittsburgh-based duo “Josh and Gab” — made up of Bonesso and Josh Verbanets — share their own experiences with bullying in their musical comedy performance to encourage children to love themselves, their community, and the people around them.
Humor Therapy Fund
“Josh and Gab” entertained summer camp students at the club thanks to the humor therapy fund, through the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Jeannine Luby created the fund in 2005.
“It turned into what's called a donor-advised fund, so I keep raising money for it,” Luby explained. “We give out a disbursement once a year.”
The fund brought Bonesso to NEPA last year. She is a mental health advocate and stand up comedian, and she performed in a series of events with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).
Luby is the founder of Laugh to Live. She empowers people to use humor for healing with laughter yoga.
“I think there was a day when we'd say, ‘oh, kids always laugh,’ but now the world is getting heavier and even children are I think it more fragile,” Luby said. “So we need to teach them early on that laughter and humor are great resources that they can tap into themselves.”
Josh and Gab
Verbanets and Bonesso have taken the “Josh and Gab” show to 13 states and Mexico in the last 12 years to spread their message of kindness and acceptance.
“We started little by little teaming up and doing kind of silly songs together, way back 2009, 2011,” Verbanets said. “Friends who were working in education asked us if we could kind of develop a school program from it.”
Verbanets plays electric guitar in the duo. He’s also in the rock band Meeting of Important People. Bonesso is a stand-up comedian and mental health advocate.
The duo has about 130 gigs booked for 2024.
“It's just about kindness, friendship, loving where you're from, loving who you are, and spreading that,” Bonesso said.
The nearly one-hour assembly starts with Josh and Gab warming up the crowd. They ask kids about their hometown and sing the song, “I Live in Scranton.”
"What do you love about Scranton?” Bonesso asked. “What do you love about coming to the Boys and Girls Club?”
The idea is to encourage children to love their community and care for the people around them.
“I believe if you love your school, then even if you don't get along with someone, you're gonna make an effort to try to make school good for them because you love your school. You love your community,” Bonesso said.
“This is the best morning of my life,” Verbanets said towards the end of the program. “And I’ve had a lot of mornings.”
The positive energy was consistent throughout, and the children were invited to dance during a few numbers, including a hip-hop song about “chicken nuggies.”
More laughter
Bonesso released a comedy album in May, titled “Tragicomedian.” She donated 25% of the proceeds from Mental Health Awareness Month to the humor therapy fund. She also donated 25% to Disability Pride PA.
Nonprofits can apply to host an event such as an improv workshop, laughter yoga or the "Josh and Gab" show. A grant is disbursed every year to a local nonprofit with a plan to use healing laughter and humor to benefit their staff, clients or the community.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation is accepting applications for the humor therapy fund through Aug. 12.
