The February 2014 Dignity & Respect Champion is…Pam Golden
Pamela Golden, executive director of the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, grew up with a strong commitment to helping others and engaging all members of the community. Pam, a life-long Pittsburgh resident, remembers her parents instilling in her a responsibility to give back and be a proactive member of the community. Some of her earliest childhood memories are of volunteer projects cleaning up trash in the neighborhood and stuffing envelopes for a healthcare fundraiser.
Pam Golden believes, “Everyone has something to contribute, and is of value to the community,” and she hopes to exhibit that belief daily. Pam not only believes that everyone has something to contribute, but she is always quick to acknowledge the good deeds of others. In fact, Pam has encouraged the nominations of several other Dignity & Respect Champions to help promote their efforts in the community.
With the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, Pam strives to bring awareness to issues affecting the development of Allegheny County’s youth, as well as providing them with assistance through direct action programs. She has enjoyed a long career as a marketing communications and strategic planning professional working with some of the region’s marquee organizations, including WQED TV, Magee Women’s Hospital, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
“Pam deserves to join the ranks of the Dignity & Respect Champions of Greater Pittsburgh. In the more than three decades that I have known Pam, she has been a master at finding time for what’s important in life,” says Judy Kelly, who nominated her for the award. In addition to Pam’s position with the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, she also finds the time to volunteer for a number of worthy organizations. She is a volunteer with Heartland Hospice where she spends time providing companionship and comfort to people reaching the end stages of life and who may not have family able to be with them. Additionally, she serves as the President for the Aurora Reading Club of Pittsburgh, one of the nation’s oldest African American arts and cultural organizations and is vice chair of The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She formerly served on the City of Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission.
“I know a few of the past Champions and I’m pleased to join them and continue to encourage and develop dignity and respect. A quote from Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s visit last fall has really stuck with me, ‘Do one good deed every day,'” says Pam. When asked how she has been able to master doing good deeds, Pam responded that she just simply does the things that she would want people to do for her. She continued, “I don’t think I do anything extraordinary. I don’t do anything above and beyond what many other people do. I genuinely enjoy helping. Contributing to others and my community really does give me great joy.” Through community engagement Pam hopes to help build a better and stronger community for the present and for the future.
Nominate a Champion
Do you know an individual who makes a positive impact and promotes an environment of inclusion? If so, nominate the person in your life you feel has made a difference for the Dignity & Respect Champion Award! This prestigious award recognizes people who are engaged in their communities, live by the principles of dignity and respect, and promote an environment of inclusion.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L2YHWGZ?utm_source=February+2014+Pgh+Champion&utm_campaign=February+Champion&utm_medium=email
The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness campaign designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect. What started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a local community effort, has now become a national initiative dedicated to driving inclusion and promoting campaign launch efforts in every major city in the U.S.
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