The Caring Force is pleased to announce the March Member Spotlight honoree is Amy McCarthy, a Program Manager at The Home for Little Wanderers.
Amy has been the Program Director of the Boston-Suffolk County Family Resource Center since its opening in 2015 and has been a key part in helping the program grow to what it is today. In addition to performing her direct care duties and administrative tasks, Amy is also always available to provide public outreach to educate the community about the program she cares so deeply about.
Here’s a little more information about Amy and what she had to say about working in human services:
Organization: The Home for Little Wanderers
Years in human services: 10
Best professional memory: I’m going to cheat here and list two. The first is when I was successfully transitioning with one of the families I had worked with long term. They gifted me with a flower and a message that read, “So you know we will continue to grow.” The second is when I received a text message from a young man who I supported during a time where he struggled with school phobia. Years after ending services, his message read, “I passed my GED test today.” These two moments remind me that so much of the work we do may take place in the future, even when we are not closely tied to the families and individuals that we served anymore. The effects of our profession are long lasting.
We all work to ensure that our clients are treated respectfully and with dignity; what actions are you taking to teach human rights to your clients so they can be their own advocate? (Question from Ashley from Community Work Services): At the Family Resource Center, my staff and I work with families to educate them on their rights every day. So much of our work is rooted in assisting people with understanding and navigating systems and helping them learn the techniques, strategies and regulations that will help them access resources and positive outcomes. We work to build a welcoming and empowering environment for families and individuals who may feel vulnerable, so that we can reinforce that they are worthy of the human rights they are entitled to. We also work to stay updated on current events and changes that may impact them directly in their own personal lives to try to ameliorate additional stress caused by system changes. When members of our society feel undervalued for any reason, we work to remind them that they are important and we honor their purpose.
Question for the next member spotlight honoree: How do you think as a collective we can work to make this field more recognized for the hard work we do, and to attract new talent?
P.S. If you know someone who inspires clients and embodies the spirit of The Caring Force, please nominate them on our website or email Christine Batista at christine@providers.org for more information about our Spotlight program.
Back to All Blog Posts