2002 Recipient: Kelly Gries
Kelly has been a CASA for two and a half years. During this time she has been assigned to five cases, three of which are currently active.
Kelly is a phenomenal child advocate. Much of the work a CASA does on a case involves attending meetings on a child's behalf, visiting a child in placement, and advocating in court. For Kelly, this is only the beginning. She attends parent/teacher conferences and school open houses for foster children. For one child, Kelly volunteers weekly in his classroom. For many of her CASA children Kelly has frequent contact, at times weekly. When fourteen-year-old Patricia was asked why it was Kelly she called from a phone booth at midnight after she had runaway, Patricia responded, "because Kelly is always there."
Kelly has been a ProKids volunteer in many other capacities. When Building Blocks received its grant in July 2000; Kelly was an instrumental part of program development and has been since its inception. She is responsible for bringing many advisors to the program, one of which has since become a ProKids board member. Kelly has been a bridge between ProKids and many caring, dedicated physicians in the area who are interested in working to improve medical care of foster children.
Kelly’s time, input, and creative energy have been, in part, the foundation of many good changes in the Building Blocks program and advocacy for very young children. For several years Kelly has also been actively assisting with the art auction. She has been a host and has donated beautifully decorated items she created herself.
Kelly is asked regularly, even weekly, to volunteer for other projects or organizations. She always carefully considers how other commitments will affect the time and efforts she gives to ProKids. Her loyalty to ProKids and our children is remarkable and very worthy of the Leslie R. Jaffe volunteer of the year award.