HeartShare Human Services of New York Awards John and Mark X. Cronin the Monsignor Thomas G. Hagerty Humanitarian Award
At their annual gala on April 11, 2018, HeartShare Human Services of New York presented John Cronin and Mark X. Cronin, co-founders of John’s Crazy Socks, with the Monsignor Thomas G. Hagerty Humanitarian Award. Paul J. Torre, Chair of the Board at HeartShare said, “The launch of their business has not only provided jobs for young adults with disabilities, but has proved that individuals of all abilities are an essential and vital part of the workforce.”
HeartShare Human Services of New York nurtures and empowers children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down syndrome, through education, life skills and vocational training, employment, residential, case management, recreational, individual and family supports, and health care services. Founded in Brooklyn in 1914, HeartShare reaches over 35,000 New Yorkers with more than 100 programs in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
In accepting the award, Mark and John addressed a crowd of nearly 2,000 supporters of Heartshare. Mark said, “It is humbling to accept a humanitarian award from an organization that makes a difference in so many lives. We do not consider ourselves humanitarians, we’re just two guys selling socks. But that’s the point. What we do any one and any business can do.”
William Guarinello, the President of HeartShare said, “Mark’s hopes and dreams for his son, John, inspire the public to look beyond their limiting perception of disability.”
John greeted the crowd warmly, describing his meetings earlier in the day with members of Congress when he advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. Mark explained to the crowd, “We engage in social entrepreneurship. We have both social and an e-commerce missions and they are indivisible. Our commitment to show what is possible and our Giving Back are essential to making our business succeed. We do not believe it is enough to simply sell things, a business must have a mission and a connection with the community.”
John’s Crazy Socks opened its online store in December 2016. As of April 2018, the firm had created 35 jobs and 15 of those are held by people with differing abilities. Part of their mission is to demonstrate what’s possible which they do in many ways. John remains the face of the business, but they feature all of their employees in social media to show the world what people accomplish at John’s Crazy Socks. The company’s videos have been seen over 4 million times. The company hosts four to six school tours each week and John and Mark have crossed the country speaking to groups to share their message.
John Cronin said, “We love HeartShare and everything they do.”
To learn more about HeartShare, you can visit their website or contact their Communication Department at 718-422-3208. To learn more about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our website, our Facebook page, email us at Contact@johnscrazysocks.com or call us at 631-760-5625.
