(Syracuse, N.Y.) – HeartShare, on behalf of National Grid, accepted a generous $10,000 donation on Wednesday, January 13 for the Care & Share Heating Fund, which is estimated to help more than 5,000 New Yorkers keep warm this winter.

HeartShare, a long-standing partner of National Grid, administers grants of up to $200 a year to eligible low-income families who need assistance paying their winter heating bills. In 2014, the fund helped approximately 5,600 National Grid upstate New York customers stay warm during the winter months.

“This check presentation not only means that we can extend heating aid further to New Yorkers in need, but also affords us the opportunity to celebrate the partnerships that make these services possible,” said Joseph Guarinello, HeartShare Vice President of Energy Programs. “It takes an interwoven, communicative and dedicated state-wide network of community organizations, elected officials, utility companies, like National Grid, and generous benefactors, like Dominion Transmission, to keep low-income families warm, safe and healthy.”

“It takes an interwoven, communicative and dedicated state-wide network to keep low-income families warm, safe and healthy,” said Guarinello.

(left to right) Brian Faison, Dominion Transmission Interstate Marketing Manager, Stanley J. Ossowski, Dominion Transmission Northeastern Area Manager, Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid Upstate New York Executive Director, Kate Granger, National Grid Manager of Consumer Advocacy and Low Income Programs, Mary Beth Basha, National Grid Senior Consumer Advocate, Rasheada Caldwell, Eastside Family Resource Center Coordinator (Syracuse), Charles Rivers, National Grid customer, and Joseph Guarinello, HeartShare Vice President of Energy Programs.

Dominion Transmission, a provider of gas transportation and storage services, offered a similar donation to Care & Share last year. National Grid customers can apply for Care & Share funds by visiting intake centers across upstate New York. A full listing of centers can be found by calling HeartShare at 855-852-2736. To apply for Care & Share by telephone, in an area where there is no local agency accepting applications, customers can contact 718-422-4207 or 718-422-3297 and a HeartShare representative will take the application over the phone. Care & Share information can also be found at www.heartshare.org/care.

HeartShare also partners with National Grid to administer grants for its Neighborhood Heating Fund (NHF), which is a similar program serving approximately 1,200 households in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Eligibility requirements and a list of NHF intake sites are available here: https://www.heartshare.org/programs/energy-assistance/nhf.html.

HeartShare’s energy fund intake sites now extend to 60 of the 62 New York State counties. Last year, HeartShare’s four Energy Assistance Programs helped nearly 24,000 New Yorkers. For more information on HeartShare’s energy assistance programs, visit https://www.heartshare.org/programs/energy-assistance/.