Thinking Outside the Big Box

After 30 years in retail, Daniella Amos found renewed purpose supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Daniella Amos

After three decades working in the retail field, Daniella Amos started to feel like she was ready to take a leap and explore different careers that excited her and gave her purpose.  

In the 18 years she spent with BJ’s Wholesale Club managing two store locations and 12 years with Lowes, her responsibilities ranged from customer service to inventory control. In the appliance and paint departments she supervised, moving heavy equipment and 20-gallon paint cans were regular requirements of the job. 

People were always telling Daniella what a “sweetheart” she was. Her customers loved her and would often stop her on the street or at a local event to tell her what “a kind and giving heart she had.” 

One day she was approached by a man who was shopping in the paint department at Lowes. He watched how she helped a customer and asked her if she had ever thought about counseling children. “We could use someone like you in the Baltimore County School District,” he said.  

While she had never thought of working in support services, she knew that the physical demands of her current job were starting to take a toll, not to mention the stress to continually increase sales, open new credit card accounts, and resolve customer complaints involving anything from damaged products to expired coupons.  

Daniella Amos and a person supported take a selfie.

It must have been fate that while scrolling her Facebook feed, she saw an ad for Penn-Mar Human Services hiring Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). “Something pulled me in,” she said. 

Daniella was hired in April 2022, and her supervisor Rhonda Morano said, “From day one, Daniella immersed herself in her work and quickly demonstrated strong commitment and capability.” 

Daniella admitted that when she first considered the DSP position, she thought “support” meant doing everything for people. She soon learned that Penn-Mar’s person-centered approach gives people with IDD a voice to articulate their own wants and needs.  

“Our job is to give them the support and independence necessary to achieve their dreams,” she said. 

Daniella began her career in the Penn-Mar Central Day Program as a DSP group staff before transitioning into one of the Community Direct Support (CDS) groups. Currently, she supports four individuals in the community each day, consistently seeking meaningful, engaging experiences and volunteer opportunities. 

Rhonda praises Daniella for her flexibility and dedication, noting that in addition to her regular 40 hour week in the Day Program, she has stepped in to support 11 residential homes as a substitute. 

During her first year at Penn-Mar, Daniella felt “blessed” to be selected to attend the DSP Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) Conference where she took advantage of the “eye opening” training workshops and informal discussions with fellow DSPs from Penn-Mar and other human services organizations.  

Daniella Amos and a person supported take a selfie.

She is a 2024 Professional Development Program graduate and a Leaders in Our Midst award recipient. She is also currently enrolled in the Career Ladders Program to enhance her learning and to eventually mentor the next generation of Penn-Mar DSPs.   

Daniella says that her community trips with the people she supports to places like the African American Museum and Negro Baseball League Museum have even connected her to her own culture. And her participation with Penn-Mar’s advocacy group has increased her understanding of the many advancements that have been made over the years to promote equality and inclusivity for people with IDD. 

“I definitely found the right career,” Daniella said. “I want to help everyone feel their worth. It takes a strong person to do what DSPs do, to find ways to overcome challenges and form meaningful relationships. In many ways, my retail experience prepared me for this, and there’s no question I have gotten more out of my career here at Penn-Mar than what I signed up for.”