“Being a social worker means helping to support others, being a guide during difficult times, and helping to celebrate when they overcome their challenges.”
Some people are born with the instinct to care for others. For Amanda Fontaine, that instinct was gently passed down through generations. Her journey to becoming a school social worker didn’t begin in a classroom or office, but in her family’s kitchen, in the rows of her grandmother’s garden, and in the soft rhythms of a home that made space for others in need.
“I always knew I wanted to help people,” Amanda says. “It was part of who we were. My grandmother and mother taught me that helping others wasn’t something you waited to do, it was something you lived.”
Her family didn’t have much, but they shared what they had. Whether it was fresh vegetables from the garden, homemade clothes, or simply time and attention, Amanda saw firsthand how simple acts could mean the world to someone else. Those memories stayed with her, tender moments of quiet generosity that shaped her understanding of service.
That early foundation eventually led her into the field of social work, where she’s now spent the past seven years walking with students and families through some of their most complex and challenging seasons.
A New Beginning at Milestones
As of March 26, Amanda is stepping into a new role at Milestones, a transition that comes after years of serving students and families at Carter & MacRae. Though excited for what’s ahead, she carries with her a deep gratitude for the connections made and the lives touched in her previous role.
Amanda’s first connection to SDoL came through her work with Ponessa, where she provided school-based mental health support across the district. It was there that she saw something different in how SDoL approached education.
“I fell in love with how the district looked at students, not just academically, but holistically,” she recalls. “Their emotional needs, their family situations, their cultural identities… all of it mattered. That approach made me want to be part of this community in a deeper way.”
Now, as she begins her next chapter at Milestones, Amanda is carrying those same values forward, continuing to serve with thoughtfulness, warmth, and care.
A Moment She’ll Never Forget
In social work, you often don’t get to see the full arc of a person’s journey. You meet people at hard points in their lives, offer support, and then life moves on. But every now and then, a moment comes that reminds you just how lasting your presence can be.
“There was a client I used to work with, and we had lost touch,” Amanda recalls. “Years later, we crossed paths again. The moment they saw me, they gave me this huge hug and said, ‘You saved me.’”
Amanda was caught off guard not because she hadn’t cared deeply, but because she hadn’t realized how impactful their time together had been. The person shared that, during their work together, they had been silently struggling with suicidal thoughts and overwhelming pain. Amanda’s steady support conversations that may have felt simple at the time had helped shift something within them. Over time, they started to see things differently. They found a sense of hope.
“That moment left a mark on me,” she says. “Because in our field, we don’t always get to see what happens after we say goodbye. But sometimes the smallest things, listening, showing up, sitting with someone through the hard stuff can change a life.”
It reminded her that the work doesn’t always show its results right away. Sometimes it unfolds years later. But it matters just the same.
The Joy That Keeps Her Going
Amanda doesn’t sugarcoat it, social work is hard. There are days filled with heavy stories, difficult decisions, and the pressure of being someone others depend on. But there’s one thing that makes every day worth it:
“The kiddos,” she says, smiling. “The hugs. The way they run up to you in the hallway, or draw you pictures, or say your name just to make sure you’re still there.”
Being trusted with someone’s child, being the adult a family turns to when things are uncertain, is something Amanda doesn’t take lightly. “To be one of the people families trust to look after their babies, to be there through good days and bad, is an incredible honor.”
She finds joy in these moments of connection, and those small rituals of care keep her grounded even on the toughest days.
Care Starts at Home, Too
After work, Amanda returns to her own children, the ones who know her not as a school social worker, but as Mom. Spending time with them brings balance. They go outside. They play. They plant flowers and vegetables in their backyard garden, just like Amanda did with her grandmother.
“Nature is my place of peace,” she says. “Gardening, being outside, spending time with my little ones that’s how I take care of myself.”
She knows that in order to keep showing up for others, she has to take time to be still, to breathe, and to reconnect with what matters most.
What It Means to Be a Social Worker
For Amanda, social work is more than a profession. It’s a way of being in the world.
“Being a social worker means helping to support others, being a guide during difficult times, and celebrating with them when they overcome their challenges,” she says. “It’s about walking alongside someone not fixing them, but helping them build the support they need in their own life.”
This philosophy shows up in every conversation, every check-in, every referral, every hug. It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about being there long enough, gently enough, and consistently enough for people to start believing in their own.
When Recognition Aligns with Purpose
When the district officially transitioned the title from SFRS to School Social Worker, Amanda saw the shift as more than symbolic.
“SFRS or social worker, we were all working hard to support families and students,” she said. “But having our roles formally recognized as ‘social workers’ helped people better understand what we do and why we’re here.”
For her, it created more transparency with families and offered clarity for staff and school leaders. It helped make her work feel acknowledged.
A District That Celebrates Story and Culture
One of Amanda’s favorite parts of working in the School District of Lancaster is the opportunity to learn from families across many cultures, backgrounds, and lived experiences.
“We have so many families with different traditions, languages, and stories,” she says. “Every time a family shares a part of their journey with me, I feel lucky. It’s beautiful.”
It’s that richness that fuels her curiosity, deepens her empathy, and shapes how she approaches her work as someone always willing to listen and learn.
The Woman Who Started It All
If you ask Amanda who inspired her the most, the answer is immediate: her grandmother, Grammy Berkey.
“She was fearless, independent, an advocate, and full of love,” Amanda says. “She inspired me to follow my dreams. She taught me to garden. She taught me how to love people deeply, and how to stand up for what matters.”
Those lessons live on in Amanda’s work every day. They’re in the way she greets a student who’s having a hard morning. In the way she shows patience with a frustrated parent. In the care she gives to her coworkers. And in the soil she tills each spring, teaching her own kids how to grow things with care.
Supporting Girls to Grow Stronger Together
Amanda’s commitment to supporting others doesn’t end when the school day does. She also serves as a Girl Scouts Leader, mentoring young girls as they discover their strengths, values, and confidence.
“I love helping girls grow into strong, smart, and independent young women,” she says. “We talk about community, character, kindness, and courage. It’s a space where girls learn how to lift each other up.”
It’s an extension of Amanda’s purpose, another space where she gets to be a guide, a listener, and a steady presence for young people on their journey.
Thank You, Amanda
To Amanda: thank you for the patience you extend, the warmth you share, and the seeds you plant, both in your garden and in the lives of others. Thank you for staying present in the moments that don’t always offer immediate answers, and for offering comfort even when the path forward is uncertain.
Your story reminds us that kindness is never wasted, and that showing up, fully, authentically, and with a willing heart can change the course of someone’s life.