A letter from our founder

Dear friends,

Thank you for being here. So much has happened in our world since the terror attacks of September 11th, which makes what we do even more necessary and relevant. Heartworks is about the way tragedy shifts us and cracks us open. We give as a way to continue the wave of compassion that sustained so many families in the weeks and months after the attacks. We replicate acts that were offered to my sister Maryanne and her four children after their husband/father was killed while working in the South Tower.

A moment that changed everything

John had been part of my life since I was seven years old. He and my sister, Maryanne, had been together since they were teenagers, raising four beautiful children— Kaitlin, Patrick, Molly, and Colin. His loss left a space in our lives that words cannot fully capture.

In the midst of grief we were held

That first year was filled with unimaginable sorrow, but also extraordinary compassion. Friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers showed up in ways we will never forget. Meals arrived daily. Carpools were organized. Donations poured in from across the country— children sent coins from piggy banks, people gave whatever they could. There were notes, prayers, and small, meaningful gestures that carried us through each day.

While the world remembers images of crashing planes and burning buildings, our family remembers the kindness that was right on its heals…starting with an act of kindness on the opposite side of the country, when my father stood in a rent a car line in San Francisco, CA desperate to get back east after all flights were grounded. When he got to the counter the last available car had been given away. When my father shared that his son in law was unaccounted for and he needed to get back East, the man standing next to him turned and offered him his keys.

My nieces and nephews remember teddy bears made from their father’s shirts, surprise deliveries at the front door, and the constant presence of people who made sure they were never alone

A promise to pay it forward

Somewhere in that first year, I made a promise to myself: when we found our footing again, I would spend my life paying forward all that we had received. While September 11th was a public tragedy, we all face private journeys with life’s most gutted experiences. I wanted to create something that would bring the same level of care, connection, and support to those moments for local families in the same direct and heartfelt way we received back in 2001.

The beginning of Heartworks

Heartworks was born from that promise. In 2005, alongside a group of women who shared this vision, we set out to build a community rooted in compassion, one that notices, shows up, and responds with love in times of need. What began as an idea has grown into a movement committed to making a difference, one act of kindness at a time.

I encourage you to join our movement and to use any idea or inspiration that you find here in your own circle of friends, family and community. I have come to understand after over 20 years of Heartworks, that we all have the capabilities to be a Heartworker, all that is needed is a willingness to reflect upon our own compassion, vulnerability and the part we play in the bigger picture of our humanity.

In Gratitude,