President and CEO Bill Guarinello has been named to receive the Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council’s prestigious Lifetime Service Award. The Council advocates for people with disabilities, helps plan services and coordinates the efforts of all voluntary and governmental agencies, including the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities, NYC Department of Education and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The Lifetime Service Award is presented to an individual who has been a leader in the developmental disabilities field, who had been instrumental in the early years of the field by providing advocacy and leadership, and recognizes his or her significant and meaningful individual contributions to the developmental disabilities community. In addition to guiding HeartShare through its years of growth and diversification, Bill was among the founders of the Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council and served as its Chair and Co-Chair for over a decade. Bill has shown his commitment to the Council by making available HeartShare’s resources and staff to support the Council’s activities for many years. It is for all those reasons, and more, that the Council is honoring Bill with its 2014 Lifetime Service Award. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Brooklyn Family Support Fair, a Council activity that will be held on Friday, May 30th at Brooklyn College and at which the award will be presented.

Reflective of HeartShare’s diverse programs, Vice President of Energy Programs Joe Guarinello will be awarded the equally prestigious Low-Income Forum on Energy’s LIFE Achievement Award. The LIFE Steering Committee is chaired by a representative of the NYS Department of Public Service (DPS) and is comprised of member organizations that represent community-based organizations, electric and gas utilities, state and local government and weatherization agencies.

Joe has been identified as an outstanding advocate for low-income NY households. His influence has reached well beyond energy issues alone, extending a holistic approach that incorporates rental assistance, telephone access, food security and counseling services. Joe is being cited for pioneering the “HeartShare Model” as an immediate and enduring success in educating elected officials on low-income issues and in building productive relationships within communities, as well as for his extraordinary efforts in assisting the residents of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island during recovery from the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. The award notification cited Joe as truly an “unsung hero” who plays an essential role in helping low-income consumers address their energy challenges. Joe will receive his award at the LIFE Statewide Conference on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 in Albany, NY.