We are honored that our very own Samantha Callaghan has been named on City and State’s NY 2022 Nonprofit 40 under 40 list. Below is an excerpt from the 2022 Nonprofit 40 Under 40 List found on the City and State NY website.

“In our 2022 Nonprofit 40 Under 40 list, City & State, in partnership with its sister publication, New York Nonprofit Media, showcases a group of young, diverse leaders in the nonprofit world who are making a difference in New York. These rising stars – all under the age of 40 – bring passion and professionalism to their work providing everything from health care services to housing support and advocacy. In the following pages, we highlight their journeys and successes.”

Samantha Callahan

Director of Adoption and Kinship Support Programs, New Alternatives for Children

Samantha Callaghan understands the challenges that face many of the families she works with at New Alternatives for Children. Her mother and father had to raise and care for two relatives after the deaths of their parents – a shared experience that helps drive her passion for helping children and families.

But the New Jersey native initially had very different life plans. Through high school and college, Callaghan had planned on joining the military or law enforcement, staying in the Air Force ROTC for seven years. Instead, she found a job with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.

“I realized that becoming a social worker was my calling,” she says. “I really wanted to do more direct practice with communities, especially underprivileged communities and families impacted by the child welfare system.”

Callaghan has been working in child welfare for about 14 years now. At New Alternatives for Children, she manages the organization’s adoption and kinship programs and connects families to needed support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her team helped families in financial need get essential resources.

One of her proudest accomplishments has been mentoring people of color on staff and helping them reach leadership positions.

“Sometimes there are barriers to making those leaps in leadership,” says Callaghan, who is Puerto Rican and Filipina. “And I’m really proud of myself for breaking those barriers and making it to where I am today. But I would like to provide my experience and guidance to those that are striving to do the same.”