For the first quarter of this fiscal year we would like to recognize Michelle Gamberdella for Living the Mission of CHOICES. Michelle is most often described as having a big smile, bright energy, and a bubbly personality.
Her personality helps her quickly establish genuine relationships with foster youth. Michelle is the person in the audience at choir concerts or in the stands at sporting events for many of her kids. In her day-to-day job she is a fearless advocate for the children she serves, and also her foster families. Michelle encourages teamwork, and advocates that all parties do what is best for those on her caseload.
Michelle is quick to list of all of the positive things her youth are doing and goals they are meeting. Lucky for us she always has many of these highlights to share, as she consistently has a large caseload. She is truly passionate about being a change maker and excels at providing mental health services to her foster youth. She uses an innovative approach to help meet each child’s specific needs.
Her commitment to the CHOICES mission and our families runs deep. When we have to shuffle up caseloads she really struggles with giving up her families, because she loves seeing their growth. Michelle’s fun personality and big smile can be seen at almost all CHOICES events. She is outgoing, friendly, and welcoming to all staff at CHOICES. When things get difficult, you can count on Michelle’s positivity and humor to make any situation better.
Foster parents continually sing her praises. Recently, one of her homes posted a picture of her online and shared how amazing she has been as their caseworker. Michelle is a huge asset to the foster care team and CHOICES. While she loves to travel and will probably be jet setting off to concerts very soon, you can always count on Michelle to get her paperwork submitted in time and all of her visits done prior to her adventures.
We are grateful for Michelle’s teamwork, commitment and advocacy. We know that the kids and families she works with are grateful for her cheerful presence in their lives. When times get tough we can count on Michelle to step up and help us get the job done with a smile. Thank you for bringing the change to our families and to CHOICES!
