All Woman Magazine
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Jana Mallis’s father used to tell her that she had a big heart. The 48-year-old Philadelphian, a psychologist and mother of five, has proved her dad right. Mallis works full-time as director of behavioral health for a nursing home chain and sees private clients for therapy as well. Despite that schedule, in 1993 she also began offering a Friday-night interfaith spiritual group session at her church, free of charge. She calls it The Golden Heart Group. As her 40th birthday approached in 1996, the group wanted to throw her a thank-you party. That’s when she hit on the idea of the Golden Heart Awards to deflect the attention from herself – the way she thinks of it, she’s not the only person who does good things for others. The first award winner was a cashier at the local Shop and Bag who was exceptionally kind and patient with elderly customers. “I’d observed her for years,” says Mallis. “Elderly people would stay in her line, because she made them feel like their five minutes with her meant so much.” The award, a computer-generated certificate, featured a gold star and a seal that simply read, For Outstanding and Compassionate Service to the Elderly. From that humble start, an annual event was born. The |
Golden Heart Awards is now a banquet attended by hundreds, and held on or near Mallis’s August 14 birthday. Each year, Mallis grants Golden Heart Awards to those who quietly go above and beyond their job description, whether that job is paid or volunteer. At this year’s event, Mallis expects more than 400 attendees. She’ll grant 100 awards, which consist of a framed certificate and a hug and handshake of thanks for a job well done. Past winners have included two aides at a mental health facility who used their own money and time to purchase craft supplies and plan parties for patients. Mallis, who has also honored judges, teachers, and firefighters, subsidizes the awards each year. Though attendees pay a per-head fee to cover the banquet costs, Mallis lays out her own money for decorations, entertainment and other expenses. Ahd she still refuses to charge patients who attend her Friday-night Golden Heart group. “It’s a labor of love,” she says. |