Heidi Cinquegrana
What motivated you get involved in your community? I grew up watching Saint Mother Teresa on television performing acts of kindness and inspiring many to do good on an local and international scale. I was touched and moved by her quote "Love cannot remain by itself - it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service." With that and through the example of my parents volunteering to help the homeless growing up, I love spending my free time serving others and feel immense joy seeing a smile on a person's face.
How do you think your community work has brought about positive change? My volunteering spans from serving food on the streets of New York City, building homes in Peru, tutoring children in Nicaragua, and constructing beautification projects and caring for the mentally and/or physically disabled in Jamaica. Some key memories include:
- In Peru we built a home for a woman that just had a child and wasn't permitted to bring her newborn home due its unsafe conditions. We built them a simple home and witnessed the beauty of the mother bringing her child to their new little oasis for the first time with pride in her eyes and love for her child.
- Each Tuesday Sant'Edigo volunteers come together to distribute delicious homemade meals person to person in Grand Central station and surrounding areas. We share our smiles and build relationships with those who otherwise may not be called by name in a day. It is a gift to build authentic relationships with these individuals and treat them with dignity. As a team we help our new friends in anyway we can, either with connecting them with necessary services or by listening to their adventures of the day.
- Each January, I head to Kingston, Jamaica, with a mission team to volunteer with Mustard Seed. This organization cares for children and adults who society has forgotten and gives them a home an place where they are cherished. These individuals who have severe mental and physical limitations live a life of joy and reach their full potential. Year to year we visit and assist the residence with feeding them in the morning, preparing them for their day ahead, assisting with construction projects, and spending time with older residence at other campuses. These children and adults shine with their genuine love and appreciation of your true presence. It is an incredible gift to contribute to the safety and thriving of these beautiful individuals.
Has your job or profession helped in your community work? I am a third generation Con Edison employee and grateful to work for a company that safely and reliably provides NYC with energy for over 200 years. One of my proudest moments was supporting the company's response during Super Storm Sandy. The company came together, as one family, to get customer lights back on for the over million customers that lost power. I appreciate working for a company that truly cares about its customers and bringing forward a clean energy future. Con Edison offers many volunteer opportunities that my team and I have been fortunate to participate, whether it be serving meals at the Bowery Mission or volunteering on Governer Island. I find joy in watching my team and others realize their full potential. This is made possible by being a mentor for the company's Corporate Mentoring program, the Finance Mentoring Program and in the recent past with the Arts and Business Council of New York. Also, for the several years I have been a Captain at the company’s volunteer supported 10K Elite Water Station for the NYC Marathon. Lastly, it has been wonderful to intertwine my Irish heritage with work by being part of the Con Edison Emerald Society. Currently, I am the 3rd Vice President of the organization and assist with fundraising and supporting the coordination of corporate and community events promoting Irish culture.
Something people would be surprised to know about me... I am passionate about traveling and dancing. I have traveled to over 40 countries across six continents and I have trained, competed, and performed many years Irish step dancing and swing dancing.
Biography: I was born and raised in New York and live by the motto "Carpe Diem." My graduate and undergraduate degree are in Finance and my career has spanned many diverse roles at financial institutions and Con Edison. My core values, particularly of service, stem from my beautiful upbringing. When I was four, my parents would take me and my sister to volunteer at a local homeless shelter in Queens. I would set the table, make beds and welcome the guests when they arrived. My parents instilled in my heart a mindset of gratitude and to always give to those in need.
