Gratitude Week: Honoring the People Behind the Work
Featuring: Pam Comfort McGuiness, Recovery Engagement Project Coordinator & Certified Recovery Specialist
Every day, our team shows up with heart. They bring skill, compassion, and the fierce belief that every person deserves a chance to thrive. Today, for Gratitude Week: Day 6, we’re shining a light on the people who make our mission real — our staff.
United Way’s work is only possible because of the highly trained, deeply committed individuals who walk alongside our neighbors through moments of challenge and moments of hope. They are mentors. Problem-solvers. Advocates. Listeners. And they are rooted in community, working one person and one family at a time.
One of those people is Pam Comfort McGuiness, our Recovery Engagement Project Coordinator with United in Recovery and a Certified Recovery Specialist — and recently, the recipient of the Recovery Champion Award from the Columbia-Montour Recovery Symposium. The award recognizes her extraordinary dedication, transformative impact, and unwavering commitment to advancing the recovery movement.
Pam’s leadership is grounded in lived experience, professional training, and a deeply human approach to healing. Her work embodies what it means to build a Healthy Community and strengthen Community Resiliency — two of our core pillars.
Today, she’s sharing her perspective on something that sits at the heart of recovery: gratitude.
Why Gratitude Matters in Recovery
By Pam Comfort McGuiness
“Gratitude is defined as a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Gratitude encourages mindfulness and helps those in recovery recognize their accomplishments and the positive aspects of their lives. It is essential for maintaining sobriety.
In recovery, gratitude is a powerful mindset and practice that helps keep people grounded, hopeful, and connected during their healing journey.
It shifts our focus from what’s missing or wrong to what’s good and meaningful.
It helps you see your progress, lowers stress, resentment, and envy, deepens connections with others, builds better coping mechanisms, and reminds you that you are worthy.”
Pam’s words reflect what we see every day — gratitude is more than a feeling. It’s a tool for resilience, a pathway to healing, and a reminder that even in hard seasons, there is something steady to hold onto.
Celebrating Our Staff
Pam’s leadership reminds us that our staff aren’t just doing jobs — they are showing up in meaningful, life-changing ways. They are trained, trusted, and deeply connected to the communities they serve. They meet people where they are. They bring dignity to every interaction. They give hope room to grow.
Today, and every day, we are grateful for them.
If you’ve worked with someone on our team who made an impact on you or your family, we invite you to take a moment to reach out. Gratitude, after all, creates its own ripple effect.
