Saturday, June 14, 2025
Teens in the Franklin Square community enjoyed an evening of kindness activities during the Howie’s Heart Teen Buffet of Kindness at the Franklin Square Public Library on May 1.
Moe’s Southwest Grill on Franklin Avenue, Greek Xpress on New Hyde Park Road and Tulip Caterers donated trays of food to the organization, including mini burritos, chips, chicken, curly fries and pita bread.
As the teens grabbed food from the buffet on festive happy-face plates, along with desserts such as mini muffins and cupcakes, they got to work creating crafts of their choice, including bracelets, keychains and cards with words of kindness written on them.
“We love to be involved with the schools and any organizations on Long Island,” said Tricia Catalani, director of marketing for Moe’s Long Island regional franchise.
Catalani said the restaurant donated 20 burritos, as well as chips and salsa, as a way of supporting the community. “We want to help feed them and give them a little bit of ease for all the work they do.”
Jen Camacho, who founded Howie’s Heart with her siblings Melissa Cox and James Conklin, said the buffet was a way of giving back to the teen volunteers who help run events and spread kindness in the community through their hard work.
“The kids here have been so inspiring to me,” Camacho said. “They keep coming back and participating in all of our events.”
Many of the kids, Camacho said, have been attending Howie’s Heart events since the family began the charity in February 2024. The organization hosts bake sales, lemonade stands, craft activities and educational events. One event in March, in collaboration with Canine Companions, taught attendees about service dogs and how they are trained.
Leah Cujilan, a freshman at H. Frank Carey High School, said she began volunteering with Howie’s Heart about a year ago. Her mother originally found the organization through its Instagram account, @HowiesHeart, and thought it would be a good opportunity for Leah to get some friends together and give back to the community.
One of the reasons she keeps coming back, Leah said, is because of Camacho’s welcoming spirit and loving guidance.
“I love talking to Jen,” Leah said. “She’s so kind and so welcoming. She’s always open to hear people talk.”
Haleigh Kolmos, also a freshman at H. Frank Carey, said attending Howie’s Heart events is therapeutic. After a long, stressful day at school, she said, it’s nice to come and make simple crafts for others in the community.
“It’s nice knowing that you’re helping people with a good intention, and just lifting others up,” Haleigh said.
Both Leah and Haleigh said they’ve made many new friends since joining.
“It’s important to put yourself out there because you never know when you can make a new friend,” Haleigh said.
Camacho, a social worker for more than 30 years, said helping the community comes naturally to her. She said her father, Howie Conklin, inspired her desire to give back, and she founded the charity in his memory.
Howie was known for his acts of kindness and making holidays and family gatherings feel extra special.
The family, Camacho said, experienced many challenges growing up. Her mother stayed home to raise the children, while Howie worked various jobs in construction. His inconsistent work created financial pressures and forced the family to prioritize spending and make sacrifices.
Camacho said she found it interesting that she and her siblings all ended up in careers that serve the community—Cox is a special education teacher, and James is a court officer.
“I think living a life where you’re faced with challenges,” Camacho said, “and as a family just figuring out how to get through those together, I think it probably inspired the three of us to want to help other people in a similar situation.”
Cox said Camacho primarily leads the charity by organizing events and bringing new ideas to the table. As a special education teacher, Cox said she contributes by helping make the events inclusive for those who are neurodivergent.
Thanks to the charity’s inclusive approach, Cox said, people from outside Franklin Square occasionally attend events. She recalled a girl from Smithtown who traveled 45 minutes to participate in an event.
“I think a lot of times it’s hard for kids to find services that are meaningful and really has camaraderie to it,” Cox said.
She credited the Franklin Square library for fostering a strong sense of community at the events, adding that the library staff actively supports group interaction.
“If I do good, and you do good, and somebody else does good, then we can all keep doing good,” Cox said.
Lori Conklin, Howie’s sister and the aunt of Camacho and Cox, said she has formed close relationships with many of the kids who attend the events. She praised Camacho and Cox for passing down Howie’s legacy of kindness to their own children, who also volunteer.
“This is a big thing,” Lori said of Camacho’s work. “She’s got a lot of guts.”
And, Lori added, as Camacho’s godmother, she will always be there for her and her siblings.
At the end of the event, Camacho announced the recipient of the red Mylar heart balloon, Jessiah Binondo, who was awarded for her positivity and “sunshine” personality. The balloon, handed out at the end of each Howie’s Heart event, is a tribute to one of Howie’s fondest traditions—greeting his grandchildren with a bouquet of red heart balloons each Valentine’s Day.
“My goal is to kind of plant new seeds for everybody—families and kids,” Camacho said. “Hopefully that grows.”
Camacho said anyone in the community interested in hosting their own event with Howie’s Heart is welcome to do so. Those interested in joining or attending future events can visit HowiesHeart.org.
“If there’s something you’re passionate about and you want to help out, come to us and we’ll teach you what to do,” Camacho said.
