HeartShare Human Services of New York

Time to Shine! Be the Light is the theme of HeartShare’s 2021 Virtual Galastreaming live on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. (ET)and that’s because it’s your time to shine. No doubt, 2020 was hard on everyone, even more so for those in HeartShare’s carepeople with autism and other developmental disabilities. Your support helps HeartShare help them. Join us at our 2021 Virtual Gala and Be the Light in their lives. Purchase a sponsorship, ticket or journal ad, or make a donation here: http://www.heartsharespringgala.org

A 5-star getaway to one of Wine Country’s top resorts, New York Islanders tickets, a football autographed by winners of The Heisman Trophy and a chance to cook with the Scotto Sisters, Rosanna Scotto Fox 5 and Elaina, and their Mama! The silent auction for HeartShare’s 2021 Virtual Galastreaming live on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. (ET)is now open. View all the items up for grabs and start your bidding here: https://bit.ly/3rWj03q

From social worker to CEO: It’s a one-of-a-kind story about a one-of-a-kind leader. Our President and CEO William R. Guarinello started his career at HeartShare in 1970 as a 20-year-old case worker. Guarinello became Deputy Director in 1980, Executive Director in 1985 and President and CEO in 1993. At Be the Light, HeartShare’s 2021 Virtual Gala, streaming live on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. (ET), we’ll honor Bill for his 50-plus years of service with the first and only HeartShare Leadership, Innovation & Impact Award. If you’d like to join us, you can purchase a sponsorship, ticket or journal ad, or make a donation here: http://www.heartsharespringgala.org

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., President Chris Perry is one of three New York luminaries who will be honored at Be the Light, HeartShare’s 2021 Virtual Gala, streaming live on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. (ET). Perry will receive the 2021 HeartShare Visionary Award, which is presented to a person whose work honors our past, shapes our present and transforms our future by building a foundation for success. If you’d like to join us as we honor Perry, purchase a sponsorship, ticket or journal ad, or make a donation here: http://www.heartsharespringgala.org

HeartShare's 2021 Virtual Gala, Be the Light, streams live on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. (ET), but you can preview and bid on all of the incredible items up for grabs in our Silent Auction right now! There's something for everyone, from cool tech and great getaways to extraordinary experiences and one-of-a-kind celebrity-autographed memorabilia. How else can you have so much fun while helping people with autism and other developmental disabilities live their best lives? Click here to bid: https://bit.ly/3rWj03q

Happy holidays from the HeartShare family to yours!

Toy Story HeartShare extends a huge thank you to Michael Castellano and Joseph Gambardella who partnered with Stride 2 Greatness and Supreme Italian Market to organize a holiday toy drive to benefit the individuals in our care. Thank you for helping make spirits bright this holiday season!

Fighting the Good Fight Congrats to our Edgardo Velez, Senior Program Coordinator at HeartShare’s Brooklyn Day Habilitation Program, for being named as one of City and State NY’s 2020 Responsible 100, an annual list honoring 100 individuals fighting the good fight whose work makes life better in New York City and State. Click the link to read Edgardo's thoughts on his work, social responsibility and the best advice he ever received: https://bit.ly/3r0v1pb

Save Our Services Covid-19 has had a huge impact on New York State funding for services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those in HeartShare’s care. With another potential budget cut on the horizon, NYC FAIR has organized a Zoom virtual rally today at 11 a.m. ET. Add your voice to ours at: https://bit.ly/3qB4EWR

Our President and CEO Bill Guarinello is an active member of the community. Last Friday, he appeared on FOX 5 / Fox5NY.com's Good Day New York in his role as Brooklyn Community Board 11 Chair, along with Queens Community Board 6 Chair Alexa Weitzman, to discuss the impact of continued closures due to Covid-19 in the communities they serve with hosts Rosanna Scotto Fox 5 and Lori Stokes TV. https://www.fox5ny.com/video/859781

HeartShare’s Director of Energy Assistance & Community Development Tanya Jones has been invited to speak at the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) 2020 Energy Policy Summit. On Wednesday, December 9, 1:30 p.m.2:15 p.m., Tanya will join other top energy policy minds on a panel discussion that will explore the impact of voluntary and mandatory utility bill payment moratoriums resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic crisis. You can register for the virtual event here: https://bit.ly/3qDGXwO #EnergyPolicySummit #AABE

ArtShare in the Time of Covid-19 This year’s ArtShare, HeartShare’s annual exhibition of art created by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is open now through the end of the year at Realty Collective LLC’s Redhook gallery, Compère Collective, located at 351 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11231. This exhibition brings visual awareness to the experiences of the I/DD community during many months of physical distancing due to COVID-19 and serves as a symbolic placeholder for ArtShare’s annual November gallery show. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, viewings are limited to groups of four people at a time. Reservations can be made here: https://calendly.com/artshare/gallery-visit

Giving Thanks! The reviews are in and it's safe to say that HeartShare's "A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes" was a resounding success! A huge Thank You to our friends and supporters, and especially to our performers: 2019 America's Got Talent winner Kodi Lee, Ali Stroker, Gregory Jbara, Tamara Tunie, Abigail Hawk, Sean Ringgold, Ashley De La Rosa and Maysoon Zayid, as well as our hosts Rosanna Scotto Fox 5 and Q104.3 FM DJ Jim Kerr. Until next time!

Tonight’s the Night! This is it! Streaming liveand free!at 7 p.m. EST TONIGHT, A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes is a nonstop hour of music and entertainment honoring HeartShare’s essential workers and featuring 2019 America's Got Talent winner Kodi Lee, along with Ali Stroker, Gregory Jbara, Tamara Tunie, Abigail Hawk, Sean Ringgold, Ashley De La Rosa and Maysoon Zayid. Hosted by Rosanna Scotto Fox 5 and Q104.3 FM DJ Jim Kerr. Sit back and relax and enjoy, says Tamara Tunie. Or snap your fingers, tap your toes, get up and dance! Watch live at 7 p.m. at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

See You Tomorrow! The wait is nearly over! Only one more day until HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, an evening of music and entertainment honoring HeartShare’s essential workers. Not only do we have performances by some of the brightest stars of Broadway, TV and the big screenincluding headliner and America's Got Talent Season 14 winner Kodi Leewe have New York City and broadcasting icons Rosanna Scotto Fox 5 and Q104.3 FM DJ Jim Kerr as hosts. Streaming liveand free!tomorrow, Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Funny Lady Actress, comedian, writer and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid is a recurring character on General Hospital and author of the bestselling memoir, Find Another Dream. Her inspiring and hilarious @TED talk, I Got 99 Problems And Palsy Is Just One, was the most-watched TED Talk of 2014. She’s the co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival (@NYAACF) and @MuslimFunnyFest. She was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour and The Muslims Are Coming Tour. And she’s lending her voice to HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, streaming liveand free!Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

All Heart New Yorker Sean Ringgold is best known as Shaun Evans on One Life to Live and for his portrayal of Suge Knight in the The Notorious B.I.G. movie biography Notorious. At 6-foot-3, the former New York State Arm Wrestling Champion is often cast as the tough guy but in HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, he’ll be showing a different side. See for yourself when our Concert streams liveand free!on Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Let’s Go! Ashley De La Rosa kicked off her career at the age of 4 with a voice-over gig on Dora the Explorer. In 2012, she made it to the top 12 on The Voice. In 2018, she made her Broadway debut in Mean Girls on Broadway and she’s currently playing both Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the San Francisco production of Hamilton. On HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, she’ll be performing just what we all need right nowa very upbeat number. Catch Ashley in our Concert, streaming liveand free!Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Dear Abbie She’s best known as Detective Abigail Baker in "Blue Bloods," but if you follow longtime HeartShare family member Abigail Hawk on Facebook and Instagram, you know she’s also an amazing singer. On HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, she’ll be performing one of her favorite songs (hint: it’s from a very Dear Broadway musical) and after you hear her rendition, it’s sure to be one of your favorites, too! Catch Abbie in our Concert, streaming liveand free!Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

All that Jazz A HeartShare supporter for many years, Tony winner Tamara Tunie is best known for her 18 seasons as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and for her long-standing role as attorney Jessica Griffin on As the World Turns. She’s appeared in dozens of other shows and on the big screen with Al Pacino and Denzel Washington. In addition to all that, she’s also an accomplished jazz singer and she’ll be adding her voice to the incredible lineup of talent on HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, streaming liveand free!Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Triple Threat You know him as NYPD DCPI Garrett Moore on TV’s Blue Bloods, but in 2009, Gregory Jbara scored a Tony and Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards with Best Featured Actor in a Musical for originating the role of Jackie Elliot in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot: The Musical. He’ll be singing something very special on HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, streaming liveand free!Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Simply the Best Ali Stroker made history in 2019 when she became the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award, earning Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance as Ado Annie in the revival of Oklahoma! "Living with a disability, you can feel limited at times, she told CNN. But when I sing, I can fly. I am free." Ali will fly on Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m., when she headlinesand opens!HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, streaming live at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Mark Your Calendar! The countdown has begun! Only 10 more days until HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, featuring America's Got Talent 2019 winner Kodi Lee and a host of stars from Broadway, TV and the big screen. Join us for an evening of music and entertainment saluting our essential workers, streaming live on Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m. at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/.

Be Our Guest! Do you have plans for October 8? You do now! You’re invited to HeartShare’s A Concert for Life: Celebrating Heroes, streaming live on Thursday, October 8, at 7 p.m. at https://heartshare.onlinegalas.org/. This evening of music and entertainment honoring HeartShare’s essential workers showcases performances by some of the brightest stars of Broadway, TV and the big screen: 2019 America's Got Talent winner Kodi Lee, Tony winners Ali Stroker, Gregory Jbara and Ta...mara Tunie, plus Abigail Hawk, Sean Ringgold, Ashley De La Rosa and Maysoon Zayid. Join us for this one-night only virtual event hosted by two illustrious HeartShare Board Members: Rosanna Scotto Fox 5, three-time Emmy-winning co-host of FOX 5’s "Good Day New York, and Jim Kerr, legendary DJ at Q104.3 FM and Radio Hall of Fame Inductee. Please share with everyone you know! They'll thank you! See more