Canton resident Amy Killeen honored as unsung heroine

While opening the mail one night, Canton resident Amy Killeen was surprised to find that she was named one of this year’s 100 Unsung Heroines by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

Representative Bill Galvin presents Amy Killeen with a certificate from the House of Representatives.

Killeen’s Northeastern University colleague Sheila Magee Beare had discretely written a letter of recommendation to the commission back in March on her behalf, nominating Killeen for this honor. Killeen is the director of graduate student services at Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, but it is her extra-curricular volunteer work, so to speak, that has garnered attention.

For the past 13 years, Killeen has worked with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, serving on its Board of Trustees since 2005, and for the past 11 years she has worked as a wish-granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

“My whole philosophy is with volunteer work, you have to be passionate about the organization that you’re working with and the people that you’re working with,” Killeen said. 

Killeen and the other honorees were recognized by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women on May 19 at the seventh annual Unsung Heroine Ceremony, held at the State House.

“I think it’s really, really nice that the [Massachusetts] Commission on the Status of Women has this award to recognize women doing things that aren’t in the news,” she said. “It does feel like an honor and I feel really proud to have been chosen. But at the same time, I know that there are lots and lots of people doing exactly what I’m doing every day and making a difference in people’s lives.”

While the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Make-A-Wish Foundation are two seemingly unrelated organizations, one of the reasons Killeen is active within both groups is because of her desire to help children, whether they be in need or suffer from life-threatening medical conditions. 

Killeen cites coalition data that there are more than 40,000 homeless children in Massachusetts, making the average age of a homeless person in this state only 8 years old. “When you hear that statistic, it really drives you to want to do something about the problem,” she said. 

The Coalition for the Homeless helps those currently without a place to live, but also takes a proactive approach in reaching out to people on the verge of homelessness. Killeen is active within the fundraising arm of the organization, having proven to be a master salesperson during the annual holiday cake drive. 

As a wish-granter with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Killeen looks to personalize each wish. Even though a common wish is asking to go to Disney World, she was still able to add a memorable twist for one girl, who was traveling to Disney on her birthday. Killeen sent the girl to the airport in a limo decorated with a Disney Princess theme, complete with sparkling cider to enjoy during the ride.  

“No two wishes are the same, even if they’re both Disney, even if they’re both a bedroom makeover,” she said. “Every kid is so unique and every kid’s enthusiasm for the wish is a new experience for me. It’s not just a kid meeting Jason Mraz. It’s everything that leads up to that meeting with Jason Mraz, all the special touches that you can do, things you can send the child in the mail, phone calls you can make to really make him or her feel special.” 

Take for example, a 5-year-old girl who wanted a Dora the Explorer bedroom makeover. When the bedroom was revealed, Killeen brought a Dora-themed cake and had another volunteer come dressed as Dora. 

Killeen is active in all steps of granting the wish, even going to Bed Bath and Beyond with a three-and-a-half-year-old girl to help furnish her dream Victorian playhouse. 

“It really puts perspective on life for me,” she said. “And to see what other people are going through and to be able to make a positive impact during their difficult situation, I think is the biggest thing for me.” 

Volunteering with Make-A-Wish also comes with some perks: Killeen has been able to meet musicians like Mraz and country duo Big and Rich. In her spare time (yes, she somehow has some) she enjoys decorating custom cakes, some of which she has used in helping to add an extra touch to a wish. 

“I’m a true Libra and I’m all about the balance in life,” she said. “I like to have my hands in a lot of different things and I like to maintain balance in my life — I don’t sit around much.”

For more information about the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, visit www.mahomeless.org and for more information about the Make-A-Wish foundation visit www.massri.wish.org.

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Posted by Jeffrey Pickette on Jun 3 2010. Filed under Features, News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.