NYN Media honors 2016 Front Line Heroes

As children they dreamed of becoming astronauts, farmers, Charlie’s Angels and ice skaters – they ended up becoming life-changers. Friends, family and colleagues gathered on the morning of April 26 at New York Law School to celebrate New York Nonprofit Media’s first class of Front Line Heroes: 26 individuals who have displayed excellence in their commitment to serving those in need.

“(Front-Line Heroes) stand for the best of what nonprofits are all about,” said guest speaker Paula Gavin, Chief Service Officer at NYC Service. “You’re mission-driven, you’re results-oriented and you’re people-focused – and that’s what makes the difference in nonprofits.”

Dr. Alan Shapiro, Senior Medical Director for Community Pediatric Programs – a collaboration between The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Children’s Health Fund – was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award. He used his acceptance speech to draw the room’s attention to the plight of the most vulnerable.

“I’m the most fortunate because of the children and families I’ve worked with over the years,” Shapiro said. “It’s pretty heartbreaking to wake up and you go to work, and you’re working with children who live on the street – homeless youth who have to live on subways and in parks because there’s not enough beds for them – they age out of foster care and there’s nowhere for them to go. We don’t put enough resources into that.”

Our heroes shared with NYN Media that they have staked out in front of homes to make sure absentee participants were shepherded back to the services they needed, paid for shirts and ties out of their own pockets to help build a young person’s self esteem, created job opportunities where there were none and visited participants at their hospital beds. All the while, many also spoke of a recognition that just a few turns of fate separated them from needing the services they were helping their clients access. It spoke of a humility and empathy that was reflected in all of their work.

Guest speaker Nancy Wackstein, director of community engagement and partnerships at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service, summed up the level of appreciation for those in the room: “We all who function in executive roles and managerial roles at these agencies are actually the support staff, because it’s your work that is actually why we are all in business in the first place.”

Images in the order they appear: Front Line Hero Alan Shapiro, MD Children’s Health Fund, Front Line Hero Dario Mohr, Jobpath, Front Line Hero Phillip Foster, Leake & Watts, Front Line Hero Rolando Guzman, St. Nicks Alliance, Front Line Hero Carmen Gonzalez, Ms. ED & CEIM The Children’s Aid Society