“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
–Edward Everett Hale
Celebrating Coach-Monitor Pat Spalding – A 2018 Los Angeles County Volunteer of the Year
If you ask people acquainted with Pat Spalding to come up with adjectives to describe her, “warm,” “compassionate,” and “reliable” consistently make the list. So it should come as no surprise to learn that Pat has been honored by the County of Los Angeles as a 2018 Volunteer of the Year. A ceremony commending her and other volunteers for their service was held on Monday, April 23 at the 36th Annual Volunteer of the Year Awards Luncheon at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. This year’s theme was “Volunteers: The Power of One,” a compelling reminder of the capacity of every individual to make a difference.
Pat began participating as a volunteer for All Saints Church Foster Care Project a little more than a year ago. As a Coach-Monitor in the Family Connect Pasadena visitation program, Pat’s role consists of monitoring court-ordered visits between children and their parents–in support of the ongoing efforts of the Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS) to reunite families separated because of neglect or abuse. Visits take place in one of seven conveniently located visitation sites, each featuring comfortable surroundings and a wide array of games, toys, and art supplies designed to help children and their parents enjoy positive experiences together.
As a volunteer Coach-Monitor, Pat helps ensure an atmosphere of safety and support–a key part of the reunification process. Joanna Grasso, Program Manager of Family Connect Pasadena, notes, “Being a valued Coach-Monitor means creating a physically and emotionally safe space for families going through the tumultuous process of reunification.” Pat has been monitoring the same family for over a year. Her goal is to help the mother and child enjoy some fun and rewarding time together. When asked to describe a moment when she knew she’d been accepted, Pat said, “I realized I’d been accepted when I was asked (or perhaps told) to join in a game by the child. The rules seem to change a great deal, but the one constant is running. These old legs don’t really like to run, but the chant of, ‘Oh, come on, Pat’ gets a few more paces out of me.”
The role of Coach-Monitor is a demanding but rewarding one, filled with opportunities for personal growth and lessons for all. Pat says, “Experiencing the emotions of parent and child in these extraordinary circumstances has caused me to reexamine the concept of family.” Visits with Pat’s current family are expected to end in a few more months, but she is ready for whatever her volunteering future may bring: “I’ll start over–new faces, new expectations and, who knows, maybe more running.”
The Foster Care Project salutes Pat Spalding for doing “the something that she can do” and for her ongoing commitment to helping broken families reconnect and heal.
For more information on the All Saints Foster Care Project visit their webpages or stop by their table on the lawn on Sunday, May 6. For information on how to become a volunteer Coach-Monitor in the family reunification process contact: inbox@fostercareproject.org
