2004 Recipient: Evelyn White
Evelyn White
One word says it all about Evelyn – Wow! She is no shrinking violet and I bet no one who has met her has ever forgotten her. Intense, thorough, and thoughtful come to mind when you consider her work as a CASA and development volunteer for ProKids.
Evelyn has faced some tough challenges and people as she has advocated on behalf of our children. Despite the obstacles, she has sought and obtained better lives for children who were severely physically abused, sexually abused, and neglected --20 children in all.
Evelyn is known as a charming bridge-builder, but also a tiger for her children, fighting for what they need. Evelyn’s actions are taken with the ever-present thought of what is best for this child, whether it is:
Frequently, the most difficult aspects of a case are the adults. No matter how difficult the adults on her cases are, Evelyn treats them with respect. After overhearing a phone conversation Evelyn had with a father who beat his little girls and is believed by many to have sexually abused them, a staff member asked Evelyn, “How can you stand to talk to him and why do you take so much time to listen to him and how can you be so respectful?” Evelyn’s response was, “He’s a human being.” As respectful as Evelyn is, she is also known for being very direct. Even in her straightforwardness, Evelyn has thought very carefully about what she will say, how she will say it, and why it needs to be said.
As much as I would like to, there simply is not enough time to tell you about every child Evelyn has helped, but I want to tell you about one beautiful little girl. Tonight’s theme is home, but Mykayla did not understand what it meant. She was not safe, Mykayla and her younger siblings were continually exposed to brutal violence and drugs. Mykayla was not settled, she had lived in 13 residences by the time she was 3 years old. She was not secure, waking up with night terrors as result of the violence and chaos that was her life.
Unfortunately, Mykayla’s parents did not find a way to live differently. Evelyn was assigned as Mykayla’s CASA and was determined that Mykayla would. Evelyn advocated for services for the parents to give them the opportunity to parent their children, but when they failed, Evelyn ensured that Mykayla and her brothers would have a home. Evelyn knew there were wonderful relatives to care for Mykayla and her siblings and Evelyn gathered evidence and advocated strongly for custody to be given to the relatives capable of providing these children the safe, permanent, and nurturing home they desperately needed.
Now when I say Evelyn gathered evidence, that included: talking to everybody and their brother to find out how the parents were living, checking with numerous professionals to find out if the parents were making progress in any of the services offered, determining if court orders were being followed, and visiting the children and relatives frequently to make sure MyKayla and her brothers had everything they needed.
Evelyn's evidence gathering also included, quite frankly, a stake out. Mykayla’s mother and her boyfriend were living together with a new baby and she continually requested that Mykayla and her brothers be returned to her. No one seemed to have much current information about the living situation of Mykayla’s mother, so Evelyn repeated tried to visit her home. Evelyn was unable to gain access, until one day when she waited outside their home until the mailman delivered the mail. The mother opened the door and there was Evelyn asking to come in. She found the mother beaten, the home littered with empty beer cans and dirty diapers. Evelyn called the county caseworker to investigate.
With Evelyn’s help Mykayla’s mother and baby brother were placed in a shelter. Unfortunately, Mykayla’s mother continued her relationship with her abusive boyfriend, despite court orders, and return to the shelter drunk at night. Evelyn provided this information to the court and asked the court to award custody of Mykayla and her brothers to the relatives. Evelyn’s request was granted the children are thriving, “blossoming” as Evelyn would say. Thanks to Evelyn, Mykayla now knows what home means, she is safe and secure, and finally can sleep peacefully.
As heartbreaking as the stories of these children were when Evelyn began working with them, the endings of their cases have been the ordinary happiness we wish for every child. Not long ago Evelyn stopped by the ProKids office with photographs of her ProKids children. One role of film told the story of three sets of children who are now cherished, due in large part to the fact that Evelyn cherished them and every detail of their little lives. The pictures showed brothers and sisters relaxing together, kids playing in a yard, a small boy sitting in his bedroom, decorated just for him.
As busy as Evelyn is as an advocate, she also devoted countless hours and her boundless energy to acquire a huge number of amazing items for ProKids 2003 Auction. Evelyn played a crucial role in making last year’s auction the most successful ever.
All we can say in conclusion is WOW!