Maggie Galvin receives BC Community Service Award
Mary “Maggie” Galvin—a self-described “behind-the-scenes person”—found herself in the spotlight recently, when she was honored with the 2023 Boston College Community Service Award for her commitment to improve the lives of children, teens, and adults in the City of Boston.
Organized by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, the award highlights the outstanding contributions of a BC employee whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. Galvin, assistant director of advancement talent in University Advancement, was lauded for her compassion, leadership, and years of dedicated service at a recognition dinner on May 31.
Maggie Galvin (Lee Pellegrini)
Galvin was nominated by Jill Caseria, a communications and marketing senior writer in University Advancement, who commended her colleague’s efforts on behalf of the Department of Children and Families’ Wonderfund, an organization that supports children who are victims of abuse and neglect.
“Maggie truly embodies the BC motto of being a woman in service to others,” said Office of Governmental and Community Affairs Vice President Thomas Keady, in remarks prior to presenting the award.
Galvin began her 34-year career at Boston College in the Theology Department and joined University Advancement in 2003, where she has been honored with the "Caught You Being Excellent" award given to employees who go above and beyond in their job duties.
Called “Santa's #1 local helper” by Caseria, Galvin annually rallies her coworkers to contribute to a holiday collection of toys and clothing to benefit children and teens in need—offering to wrap the contributed gifts herself—and has a following of more than 180 generous friends and colleagues involved in the initiative. She is a force behind Boston College’s annual Christmas Raffle Baskets, which provide families, teens, and hundreds of young children in the state foster care system with both toys and basic necessities. And she has continued the Christmas collection established by the late Paula Forget of BC Facilities Services, coordinating with local organizations to provide for children who otherwise would not receive a gift during the holidays.
“She has a wonderfully big heart and puts in hours and hours of work on this— ‘just because,’" according to Caseria. “Maggie truly embodies Jesuit values by giving and doing for the less fortunate without ever expecting anything in return.”
“When I started at Boston College back in 1989, Paula Forget would send out an appeal as the holidays approached, for people to take the name of a child under social services care and fulfill their Christmas wish list,” Galvin said. “I looked forward to this every year and many years later, when an opportunity came up for me to take on a representative role, I was thrilled. I am only a facilitator; it is the generosity and kindness of my amazing colleagues in University Advancement and other parts of campus that make this program possible. I cannot do it without them and I cannot thank them enough!”
Galvin also credited her partners in an annual Winter Clothing Drive and the Christmas Raffle Baskets: Marsia Hill Kreaime and Jane McGuire, respectively, of Student Services. “I want to acknowledge and thank them as well for the incredible and meaningful work they each do and for allowing me to have a part in it.”
At the recognition event, Keady shared words of praise from some of Galvin's colleagues and friends:
“I wish there were more people in the world like Maggie.”
“Everyone that knows Maggie trusts her explicitly, her work ethic, her historical knowledge of BC, her sensibility, her Irish wit and sarcasm and her empathy toward others.”
“Maggie’s innate kindness, her consideration for others, and her good humor make it a joy and privilege to know her.”
“Boston College offers so many opportunities to be of service to others," Galvin said. "I would encourage people to take part because you get back so much more than you give.”