February is Parent Recognition Month. Strengthening Families Washington, of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State, believes there is no better way to recognize a parent, grandparent, foster or adoptive parent than by acknowledging the numerous and impressive things they do to strengthen their family and those around them in their community.
Seattle's Child is proud to sponsor the Washington Unsung Hero Awards, recognizing our everyday heroes and honoring the important role caregivers play in children's lives. There are 28 nominees for the 28 days of February, and Seattle's Child will highlight each and every one.
Congratulations to the Unsung Hero for February 3:
Ginelle Nault – Everett
On behalf of the WithinReach Help Me Grow Washington program, I would like to nominate Ginelle Nault for an Unsung Hero Award. Ginelle came to our program seeking support in connecting her daughter, Chloe, to early intervention, after trying every other avenue she could think of. Following Chloe's autism diagnosis, Ginelle and her husband have demonstrated tremendous resilience, a commitment to expanding their knowledge of Chloe's development, and an outstanding commitment to building their daughter's social-emotional competence. Thanks to her parents' unwavering support, Chloe not only receives help from speech language and occupational therapists, but has also participated in multiple intensive studies through the University of Washington. The improvements in Chloe's developmental progress is truly remarkable.
In addition to the support she has provided her daughter, Ginelle has been a committed program champion, helping other families access the services that so positively impacted Chloe's trajectory. Ginelle appeared in a promotional video for Help Me Grow that was intended for a small, one-time audience. Due to Ginelle's remarkably open and relatable testimony, the video has been seen by thousands, and our national partners have used the video to demonstrate the impact of our model to major funders. In addition, Ginelle conquered major stage fright to speak in front of nearly 500 people at WithinReach's annual fundraising luncheon. Her powerful interview rose over $11,000 for Help Me Grow, enabling us to reach out to more families. We believe that Ginelle has demonstrated all five Strengthening Families protective factors, enhancing her child's success and modeling healthy behaviors for many other struggling families.
Nominator: Kate Imus Misiuda
