Goshen, N.Y. – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus has recognized Becky Gallaher as the Citizen of the Month Award winner for the month of June.
Gallaher has volunteered with the Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP) and the County’s Office for the Aging (OFA) to coordinate, oversee and implement meal deliveries for seniors and those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Becky is a wonderful woman and her contributions during the COVID-19 outbreak have been inspirational,” Neuhaus said. “Guided by her faith, Becky has worked tirelessly, and has had a positive impact on hundreds of Orange County residents during this unprecedented time. She is a selfless woman and we appreciate her dedication to the well-being of the residents of our County.”
Gallaher began volunteering with RECAP, a not-for-profit established in 1965 and the designated anti-poverty agency in Orange County, when the COVID-19 crisis began in mid-March as many more residents were in need of food and other important services. Working in coordination with Michele McKeon, Chief Operating Officer of RECAP and Office for the Aging Director AnnMarie Maglione, Gallaher often put in 25 hours a week overseeing the meals program, which made approximately 325 deliveries throughout the County each day.
Gallaher, a part-time Operations Coordinator at Grace Community Church in Fishkill, recruited approximately 160 volunteers during the outbreak. She continued to oversee operations during a 14-day span when she was quarantined due to the fact that her husband, Peter, had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Fortunately, Becky was never infected with COVID-19.
“Without Rebecca, this program would not have been as successful or as organized,” McKeon said. “We are so thankful for her heart, her passion and her commitment to our neighbors.”
Gallaher and her husband have a daughter, Victoria Bricker, 28, and three sons, Mark, 34, Kevin, 30, and Sean, 26. They are proud grandparents to Silas, 6, and Beau, 2, who are the children of Victoria and her husband, Ross, who serves in the U.S. Army National Guard. Gallaher also has a daughter-in-law, Caitlin. Becky and her family are active members of Grace Community Church, which has locations throughout Orange County.
“At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak I saw a need and I wanted to do something to help,” Gallaher said. “I’m definitely a woman of faith and I feel like I was called to serve. I wanted to make a difference in the community and I couldn’t have done it without the volunteers who served alongside me. They deserve as much credit as anyone and I appreciate that County Executive Neuhaus has recognized our efforts.”
Neuhaus introduced his Citizen of the Month Award, which acknowledges outstanding Orange County residents, in January of 2017. To nominate someone for the Citizen of the Month Award, please email ceoffice@orangecountygov.com or mail a letter to “Citizen of the Month” at 255-275 Main Street Goshen, N.Y. 10924. Be sure to include the nominee’s name, hometown, a list of their accomplishments, why you are nominating them and any other pertinent information. Nominees must be from Orange County.
For more information, contact Justin Rodriguez, Assistant to the County Executive for Communications and Media Relations at 845.291.3255 or jrodriguez@orangecountygov.com.
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