The Ohio County Partners in Prevention team presented its Deborah Doleski Allen Champion of Children Awards Friday to Adria DiLorenzo, from left, special education paraprofessional at Wheeling Park High School; Dorothy Matusic, homeless outreach coordinator for Youth Services System in Wheeling; and Caitlin Rodocker, who oversees the Just for Kidz program at The Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling. (Photo by Joselyn King)

WHEELING – Three women who live to help children all said they don’t want accolades for what they do.

But they received them anyway when the Ohio County Partners in Prevention team presented its 2023 Deborah Doleski Allen Champion of Children awards Friday during ceremonies at the Catholic Charities building in downtown Wheeling.

Those honored included Adria DiLorenzo, special education paraprofessional at Wheeling Park High School; Dorothy Matusic, homeless outreach coordinator for Youth Services System in Wheeling; and Caitlin Rodocker, who oversees the Just for Kidz program at The Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling.

The three were selected from nominations submitted to the Ohio County Partners in Prevention team earlier this year.

DiLorenzo was initially nominated by an anonymous person, but in recent days that person revealed themselves as Ron Scott Jr., cultural diversity and community outreach director at YWCA Wheeling. He explained to those present that he didn’t want her chances at the honor “tainted by the fact they have children together.”

“For once, I wanted the fridge to have Mom there,” Scott continued. “I wanted to make sure she got her just dues.”

He added that DiLorenzo “is the type of person that wants to make sure that every student in her program will be guaranteed to have the high school experience – the kind that ’80s comedies and John Hughes movies are all about.”

“Special in special education doesn’t mean different,” Scott said.

DiLorenzo said she had the best opportunities in life and education she could have as a child, “but I didn’t appreciate it at the time.” She wants the same for all students.

“Students may be labeled, but that doesn’t mean they are limited,” she told those present.

Matusic was nominated by Ashlie Kotson, northern regional director for Catholic Charities West Virginia, and Sierra Simeth, caseworker at the Wheeling Salvation Army.

Kotson said Matusic has “personal knowledge in the field in which she works that gives her an edge when working with homeless youth.”

“The hard work she puts in to reducing the percentage of homeless youth is by far the best I have seen in my three years in the social work field,” Kotson added.

Matusic admitted to feeling overwhelmed and undeserving of the award, and explained it was something she never would have dreamed of receiving when she was a child.

Matusic shared with the crowd some of her own experiences growing up in a household with a single mother who she termed “mentally unstable.”

The family moved every month to avoid paying the rent, and Matusic said she came to believe that was a normal way of life.The experiences of living in poverty shaped her perspective, she explained.

“What I could have realized was I was a really good kid in a bad situation,” she said.

Rodocker was nominated by Susan Hagan of Wheeling, who spoke of the work Rodocker puts into the program.

She noted that Rodocker “grew up ” in the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, where her mother Becky Shilling-Rodocker is executive director.

“Helping people is literally in her blood,” Hagan said. “No one leaves the soup kitchen feeling empty. Caitlin helps to create a sense of community there. She can even get children to try food they haven’t eaten before.”

Rodocker’s own young children are seen at the soup kitchen, and on Friday they helped welcome those attending the Champion of Children event.

“We’re watching your children grow up,” Hagan said. “They will be the next generation.”

Rodocker’s message was short and sweet.

“I love my job,” she said. “I love working with the children I get to work with. I love our Wednesday night dinners, and giving them back-to-school supplies. I love helping them out with clothes and supplying them with Christmas gifts.

“I look forward to many more years of helping to make the children’s lives a little brighter,” Rodocker added.