The Concordia Team is comprised of many talented and compassionate employees who have graciously served our mission in a variety of ways – and we are excited for you to meet these fantastic individuals. Let us introduce you to Anthony Giammarco!
Anthony joined the Concordia family as a Spiritual Care Counselor for Good Samaritan Hospice in March of 2016. He told us that he is blessed to have the honor and privilege to care for the spiritual welfare of our hospice patients and their families.
Anthony describes Concordia using the word “hope.” He told us why he chooses to work for Concordia and the path that led him here.
“I had worked in differing fields for over 20 years prior to starting at Concordia. In 2010, I decided to go back to school and get my Masters in Theology. This decision was based on an overall longing within myself to work for God. Although I had always enjoyed working, every job prior had something missing. After a while, I was finally able to determine that the aspect missing was direct involvement in work for God. I wanted to work in a field where I could tell someone about Jesus and not feel like I was going to get fired for doing so.”
He continued, “I longed for a position that was based specifically on God and serving His people. I wanted to help people in a spiritual way. I longed for a chance to be able to share the joy, peace and hope that I had experienced from God with those around me and to do so at my place of employment. Concordia has been, and continues to be, a perfect fit. When I first started working here, I immediately felt as if the journey that I began long ago to work directly for God had finally begun. I now could work in an environment in which our faith is put into our caring. Concordia is a well-known and well-respected organization for basing its care on the Gospel of Christ; for putting others first and making a lasting impact on their lives.”
Anthony told us that while Concordia has many benefits that show the company’s appreciation to their team, for him, the most important benefit is being able to express and live out his faith.
“Being able to serve God is honestly the aspect I cherish the most. Concordia and Good Samaritan Hospice have given me the blessed opportunity to walk with people in a very important stage in their journey to God; to show them love now as they prepare to meet love Himself.”
In additional to his Spiritual Care duties, Anthony is also on Good Samaritan Hospice’s Bereavement team, which has provided him with a favorite memory that he holds dear.
“I had the opportunity to speak to someone who was having a very difficult time grieving the loss of someone very close to them. This person did not come from a faith background of any kind and did not believe in God. Yet there was something within, that inner desire for God that God has infused into each of us that led this person to be open to new possibilities. In a desperate search for meaning and answers, this person was open to any prayers or suggestions that I could offer. After a powerful conversation including Scripture and prayer, this person appeared to walk away with a new sense of hope. God works in amazing ways. This is a memory I hope I never forget.”
Outside of work, Anthony enjoys spending time with his wife Megan and their family and friends. About six years ago, Anthony and Megan discovered that there are over 120 Pennsylvania state parks.
“We got the crazy idea of trying to go to each one. Although we have yet to see all of them, we are able to say that we have now been to over 70. Still a long way off from the goal though! Hiking to new and exciting places is an amazing way of enjoying God’s creation and we are blessed by such a beautiful state.”
Anthony told us he is motivated to succeed by meeting the challenges Christ sets before him.
“I feel that God is constantly opening doors for us and it is our job to simply walk through them. I feel motivated by Christ who is always challenging me to be better and better but also empowering me with grace so that this can be accomplished. I’ll always be a work in progress, but the more open I am to Christ’s lead, the closer I will be to the goal.”
We’d love to hear your future story! Find your next career by visiting www.concordiacareers.org.
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