Professional Partner of the Month: August 2008
Amanda Gallello
"Mandy sincerely tries to make a positive impact on every life she touches. She is a genuinely kind and caring individual with a heart of gold, and she has a compassion for others which shines through in every aspect of her life."
- Angie Leed, Senior Caseworker, Lancaster County Children & Youth Resource Unit
"Mandy is wonderful to partner with. She is always ready and willing to work hand-in-hand with The Second Mile for any foster family event, however large or small. Her passion for helping children and families is evident in her everyday unfailing efforts, her lively personality, and the positivity she exudes. It has been an honor to work with Mandy over the past few years."
- Melissa Mogle, Director of Programs, The Second Mile
"Mandy espouses an attitude of grace and understanding. She is a good listener as well as wise in her knowledge about family dynamics. She is wonderfully supportive of Resource Families and their trying situations, and is committed to excellence in her work with them. She has energy that spills over to the families she serves."
- Kurt Miller, Director of In-Home Protective Services, Lancaster County CYS
While the above quotations from colleagues are a testament to Amanda (Mandy) Gallello's character and work, there's one quotation written by someone else, significant to Mandy, that tells just as much about her: Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." Mrs. Gallello states, "I believe that each person, each life has endless possibilities. I always wake up looking forward to the day." This positive attitude and commitment to possibility, combined with great people skills and dedication to her job, make Amanda Gallello The Second Mile's Professional Partner of the Month for August.
Mandy Gallello has worked over 30 years for Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency (CYS) in its Resource Unit, which is the unit that recruits, trains, and provides services to resource parents. Currently collaborating with about 200 resource homes, Mrs. Gallello's primary jobs are recruitment and pre-service training of resource parents, home studies, support services to resource parents, annual reevaluations of 30-40 resource homes, investigation of any complaints or concerns about these families, and author of a quarterly unit newsletter. She also serves as liaison to The Second Mile and the South Central Coalition of Foster Care Providers.
Mandy receives the most satisfaction in working with resource parents, who inspire her in their sacrifice:
| | "I am continually amazed at the goodness in people. At a time when finances are stretched thin, stressors are extremely high, and life is faster-paced than ever, kind and decent people call daily to offer themselves as substitute parents to the children of others. They rearrange their homes, disrupt their routines, change their personal goals, and share their financial resources with children waiting for their families to become whole again; and when that cannot happen, they often embrace these children as permanent members of their own families, helping to break the cycle of abuse and neglect." |
|
These special parents help tip the balance to the positive side, often in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances that the children may be facing.
And while resource families help keep Mandy's optimism high, she's very thankful to work with colleagues who also appreciate the value of resource parents to our children, and to our society. She cites these fellow professionals as the motivators who prompt her to come into work each day:
| | "Most of the members of the Resource Unit have worked together for several years and are like a second family. There are many other professionals with whom I have had a long association and I appreciate them immensely. Also, although I've seen a lot of sad situations, I have witnessed so many acts of kindness and selfless behavior that my faith in society is constantly restored." |
|
Luckily, Mandy is surrounded by other excellent professionals to help take on often challenging and difficult work.
And in today's world, the challenges seem to be mounting. Mrs. Gallello is seeing some of the more obvious ones, like too many clients, unreasonable demands, and too few workers, all of which lead to high burnout and heavy turnover rates. In addition, she also cites new laws and regulations as mechanisms that generate increased paperwork and high-pressure accountability standards:
| | "Investigating child abuse and neglect referrals has become even more dangerous, and attacks and threats against caseworkers are increasing. Also there is the problem of negative publicity and public misconception of what we do, particularly in regards to high-profile cases in the press. Much of the information printed is distorted or incomplete and we cannot correct or clarify it because of confidentiality. All we can do is to continue doing our best to ensure the safety of children." |
|
Clearly Mrs. Gallello's optimism comes into play yet again, allowing her to forge ahead despite increasingly tough circumstances in the field.
And somehow, she herself manages to give 110% without burning out, or getting demoralized. Mandy's colleagues describe her as a person who is constantly giving of herself above and beyond the call of duty, yet maintaining her fun and positive outlook. Angie Leed, Senior Caseworker in the Resource Unit, describes Mandy as being caring, supportive and able to make quick yet difficult decisions when needed. Leed adds:
| | "I have had the pleasure of working with Mandy and sharing an office with her for many years. She openly shares her work experiences - which have assisted other staff in learning what to do and what not to do in a variety of situations - and also has a sense of humor which has gotten us through many long, trying afternoons!" |
|
Giving generously of her time and self isn't restricted just to her clients, but also to Mandy's co-workers.
Former direct supervisor, Kurt Miller, also paints a picture of someone who unselfishly shares all her gifts with anyone with whom she interacts:
| | "Mandy is extremely dedicated and self-sacrificing to serve Resource Families. She has extended her work days on many occasions to coordinate special events for Resource Families. She is wonderfully supportive of Resource Families and their trying situations, and has energy that spills over to the families she serves. She is committed to excellence in her work with Resource Families." |
|
All these attributes come into play as Mrs. Gallello skillfully shares 30 years of experience, in many different roles at Children & Youth, to mediate, facilitate, and streamline services for children in need.
As the Lancaster CYS liaison with The Second Mile, Mandy helps match up resource parents with some of the foster family events that The Second Mile provides. Mandy shares in her own words how she appreciates this partnership:
| | "The Second Mile appreciates and acknowledges the contribution of resource parents, which is extremely important. The job of fostering is so wonderful, yet so difficult and often thankless. Resource parents advocate for a population that has no power, no voice. I truly value The Second Mile for recognizing the important role of resource parents and for offering so many positive family-oriented activities that would normally be quite pricey. The Second Mile also does a wonderful job of promoting positive public relations. The concept of giving a second chance, going the second mile, is so affirming and presents resource families in a very favorable light, very different from the normal stereotypical portrayal by the media." |
|
Appreciation of this collaboration is certainly reciprocated by The Second Mile, as referral sources like Mandy make this agency's programs accessible to those who would otherwise be unaware of them.
A brief personal sketch would include mention of Mandy's working at Lancaster CYS from 1974 to 1983, then briefly quitting to start a family, returning to work in 1985. She's been married to husband Tony for almost 27 years, and they have three children – Paul (25), Katie (24), and Angela (21). They also have a pet cat named Phoenix, and next April, will be welcoming new daughter-in-law, Abbie. Besides spending time with her family, Mandy enjoys reading, gardening, and doing word games & puzzles.
Amanda Gallello tends to see the glass half full, deflecting many of the negatives around her in her pursuit of trying to positively impact children's lives. She offers a telling anecdote about the sustenance provided by one of these "victories" she's experienced: "You cannot put a price tag on getting a call from a young adult who tells you that you literally saved her life when you put her in foster care as a sexually abused adolescent who wanted nothing to do with you." Fortunately, Mandy Gallello is working constantly in her efforts to help such children and youth in Lancaster County. For all she does to improve the lives of others, The Second Mile is proud to recognize Amanda Gallello as its Professional Partner of the Month for August.
|
![\"\"](\"/images/global/shim.gif\"){kind=spacer}
