Donley Awards honor advocates of children in Lehigh Valley

ALLENTOWN – Community Services for Children will present three awards April 19 to individuals and organizations who have significantly improved the quality of life for children in the Lehigh Valley.

Dr. Deborah Campbell, Dave and Kathy Leber and Junior League of the Lehigh Valley are the 2018 winners of the Inez and Edward Donley Award for Children’s Advocacy. The annual award recognizes those who advocate on behalf of children locally, regionally and nationally. The Donley Awards luncheon is noon, April 19, at DeSales University. Tickets are $35, and are available at www.cscinc.org/events.

Dr. Deborah Campbell, of Lehigh Valley Health Network, has partnered with CSC’s Head Start and Early Head Start program since 2013, donating her time to provide dental screenings and exams to pregnant women and children birth to age 5. Over the past three years, she has provided 600 dental screenings to the most vulnerable families in Lehigh and Northampton counties. She educates families on oral hygiene and the importance of routine exams, and her gentle approach helps children overcome a fear of the dentist.

Dave and Kathy Leber chaired the capital campaign for SafeStart, raising $2.7 million for CSC’s specialized Early Head Start center-based program that provides a therapeutic classroom setting for babies and toddlers impacted by drugs and alcohol. Kathy also serves on CSC’s board and Children’s Ball committee. Both are very involved with United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and were instrumental in helping to establish the Safety Net Effort, an emergency relief fund for families that slip through the cracks of social services.

The Junior League of the Lehigh Valley focuses on improving health and reducing the education gap among children in low-income communities. They partner with elementary schools on programs that teach the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. They also get students excited about learning through special summer enrichment programs and book blasts, and provide parents with resources such as summer learning and camp opportunities and information on registering for kindergarten.