Safe Kids Greater Valley honors volunteers at Griffin Hospital in Derby

Contributed photo

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett presents Ansonia Police Officer Michael Barry with the Volunteer Excellence Award.

Contributed photo

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett, left, presents Michele Holovach, of TEAM, Inc. with the Volunteer Excellence Award. Jamie Peterson, also of TEAM, Inc., won the award, but was unable to attend.

DERBY - Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition recently marked its fifth anniversary and honored its dedicated volunteers with a dinner at Griffin Hospital.

Operating within Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach Program, Safe Kids Naugatuck Valley is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries.

The local program became a chapter 2004 and developed into a coalition under Safe Kids CT. In 2013, the program grew to include many Naugatuck Valley towns and became its own stand-alone coalition.

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition educates children and adults on variety of health and safety programs to reduce unintentional injuries among children. Program topics include anti-bullying, germ protection, teen distracted driving, bicycle and wheeled sport safety, anti-tobacco use, child passenger safety, exercise and sports safety, and Internet safety.

Ansonia Police Officer Michael Barry, and Michele Holovach and Jamie Peterson, of TEAM, Inc., received the Volunteer Excellence Award.

Barry has volunteered with Safe Kids since 2006 and has been very active in programs involving child passenger safety, teen driving, pedestrian safety, poison prevention, and anti-bullying.

“At any given community health fair, program at Griffin Hospital, or in one of the Ansonia schools, Officer Barry offers his guidance, support, expertise - and most of all his time - to bring quality programs to our community to ensure safe, happy, and healthy children and families,” said Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett.

Holovach and Peterson have been essential in coordinating with Headstart classrooms in Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, Seymour, and Beacon Falls, to bring Safe Kids’ health and safety programs to more than 250 students every month throughout the school year. 
Additionally, they support major grant projects to fit every child with a new car seat and bike helmet, provide concussion protocols and water safety programs, and educate parents and caregivers at regular dinners throughout the year.

“Their collaboration is instrumental in keeping Safe Kids constantly moving forward,” Kellett said. “They are a vital part of our success.”

For more information about Safe Kids Naugatuck Valley, visit griffinhealth.org/safe-kids or contact Kellett at 203 732-1337, or ckellett@griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.