Education is our Passport to the Future,

for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.   -Malcolm X

Our Story


Gene Legler, Executive Director, was born and raised in Rochester, NY.  His parents, Edward and Noreen Legler, were devout Catholics who were members of Holy Cross Parish and sent each of their children to Holy Cross School.  Gene’s parents were always donating to different charities, with his mother volunteering on a monthly basis to clean the sacristy at the Church.  As children, his family always had food on the  table, yet his parents reminded them all that there are several families that do not.  Even though the family didn’t have everything they wanted, they had everything they needed.

Those values of giving and serving were how Helping Hands and Caring Hearts of America was created in 2015, with the express intent on encouraging people to help the less fortunate.  Our organization will provide financial assistance through scholarship awards to two (2) minority high school college bound seniors coming from low income backgrounds.  Each scholarship recipient will then give back to their community through service with the Helping Hands and Caring Hearts Volunteer Team throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth & Rochester, NY areas.

Helping Hands and Caring Hearts of America, Our Story

Executive Staff


Gene M. Legler

Gene M. Legler

President & Board Chairman

Julianne Bianchi

Julianne Bianchi

Executive Board - Treasurer

Brandan Holland

Brandan Holland

Executive Board Member

Carolann Orlando

Carolann Orlando

Executive Board - Secretary

Shawn Rushton

Shawn Rushton

Executive Board Member

Michael Legler

Michael Legler

Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

DFW Selection Committee


 

All members of the Selection Committee grew up in Rochester, New York and attended Holy Cross School and Holy Cross Church.

Holy Cross Catholic Church Rochester New York
Licia Urtis Murrell, Selection Committee Chair

Licia Urtis Murrell, Selection Committee Chair

Music Teacher at McCleskey Middle School

Marietta, GA

Lori Allison, HR Consultant

Lori Allison, HR Consultant

Fallon Benefits Group

Atlanta, GA

Curtis Kirchmaier, Retired

Curtis Kirchmaier, Retired

Eastman Kodak Company

Rochester, NY

Carl Masters

Carl Masters

Retired Athletic Director at Holy Cross School

Rochester, NY

Michael Visconte

Michael Visconte

President at FC Edge

Port St Lucie, FL

Rochester Selection Committee


 

 

Holy Cross Catholic Church Rochester New York
Angela Visconte, Selection Committee Chair

Angela Visconte, Selection Committee Chair

Strategic Account Manager at RMS Omega Technologies

Rochester, NY

Aileen Diponzio

Aileen Diponzio

Holy Cross School

Rochester, NY

Ed Diponzio

Ed Diponzio

Dale Carnegie Training of Western NY

Rochester, NY

Marcy DiGirolamo

Marcy DiGirolamo

Paralegal, Ashcraft at Franklin & Young LLP

Rochester, NY

Nancy LF Carrier

Nancy LF Carrier

401k Plan Administrator at Wegmans Food Markets, Inc

Rochester, NY

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