Three Ohio County women who have dedicated their careers to bettering the lives of children will be honored for their work later this month.

The Ohio County Partners in Prevention team has announced its three recipients of the 2023 Deborah Doleski Allen Champion of Children Awards. The trio will be honored Friday, April 28, at a 2 p.m. ceremony at the Catholic Charities Ballroom. It also will be streamed live on the Ohio County Family Resource Network Facebook page.

This year’s recipients are Adria DiLorenzo, Dorothy Matusic, and Caitlin Rodocker. DiLorenzo is a special education paraprofessional at Wheeling Park High School who has worked with youth in Ohio County for more than 15 years. The anonymous nomination submitted for DiLorenzo described her as, “the type of person that wants to make sure that every student in her program will be guaranteed to have the high school experience.

“If there is any student at Wheeling Park High School who feels unwelcome or out of place, the only reason I can see that being true is, they must not have met Ms. D yet,” the nomination continued.

Rodocker oversees the Just for Kidz program at The Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling. Susan Hagan, who submitted the nomination, said Rodocker spends countless hours planning the Wednesday family dinners held at the Soup Kitchen, as will as other family activities.

“Kids are given back-to-school supplies, clothes and so much more,” Hagan said. “Caitlin makes sure no child is left out. Over the years she has helped countless children have happy days and to show them they are loved and cared for.”

Matusic is the Homeless Outreach Coordinator for Youth Services System in Wheeling. Prior to arriving at YSS, she founded Lift Up OV, a grassroots movement focusing on promoting diversity, anti-racism and addressing local issues.

Ashlie Kotson and Sierra Simeth both nominated Matusic for the award.

“Dorothy dedicates her time round the clock to the homeless youth of the Ohio Valley,” they said. “Dorothy is a caring, loving, and just a genuinely beautiful person.”

Nominees were submitted by the public and voted on by the Partners in Prevention Team. Winners are recognized for their commitment to helping children in Ohio County have happy, healthy, safe lives.

In addition to presenting the Champion of Children Awards, the ceremony will include guest speaker Dr. Judy Romano who will highlight the importance of child abuse prevention efforts and the impact on wellbeing.