Kellie credits her mother’s fine example
for her interest in pro bono activities. When she was a child, her mother took her along
when she volunteered at the nursing home filling ice buckets and reading mail; serving
Christmas dinner at church to the needy; and helping with children’s parties at a
local hospital pediatric wing.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (“CASA”) is an organization
which was created in 1977 for abused and neglected children, “to make sure that the
abuse and neglect suffered by children does not continue as abuse and neglect at the hands
of the system.”(1) CASA volunteers become a voice for abused and neglected children
in Court. Upon learning of CASA, Kellie immediately became interested and quickly enrolled
in the 30-hr course provided by CASA to receive instruction on courtroom procedures,
social service, the juvenile court system, and the special needs of abused or neglected
children. She admits that she was surprised that there were so many children that were
abused and neglected in her own community. Since these children understandably have a
right to privacy, they are not listed on the front page of the newspaper, and sadly, we
often do not realize the number of children affected.
Her experience in working for a law firm made her aware of how nervous
adults sometimes are prior to court hearings and/or depositions, and she could only
imagine how a small child might feel when taken from his or her home in the middle of the
night and suddenly thrown into a legal system which they do not understand. Kellie wanted
to make a difference in the life of a child, and she found that CASA was a good way to
accomplish that.
Volunteering through CASA has been very rewarding for Kellie. It is clear
that she recognizes it is a tremendous responsibility when you receive the trust of a
child who is hurting. Kellie also relishes the feeling of accomplishment when a child who
is hurting is safe and begins to have hope for the future.
One of Kellie’s fondest memories involves a little girl she had been
working with for several weeks. The child ran out to Kellie’s car handing her a
cutout she had made of a nurse and explaining that she wanted to go to college to become
one. This 9-year-old girl had been hurt by her family—the very people she trusted.
Prior to being rescued, she couldn’t help thinking while she was at school about the
terrible things that were going to happen to her when she got home. Now that she was safe,
she felt free to “dream” for the future. This is but one example of the positive
influence Kellie has made in many lives through pro bono activities.
In some ways, Kellie’s pro bono activities have also helped her to
become a better Legal Assistant. Appearing in Court for CASA approximately 4 times during
the duration of a case, she is usually in front of the same judges that conduct the civil
trials and hearings she attends in her job as a Legal Assistant. It also goes without
saying that through her role as a child advocate, she has developed lasting relationships
with judges, attorneys, and court personnel that carry over into her job as a Legal
Assistant. Kellie has benefited further in learning a great deal about Child Protective
Services, and often has an opportunity to work closely with a local Assistant District
Attorney in preparing cases for termination. She believes the skills she has used as a
Legal Assistant have made her a better voice for a child in Court. Rising to the level of
responsibility entailed in making Court recommendations on behalf of these children,
Kellie is also never afraid to stand up for what she believes is in the child’s best
interest.
At times, she does become frustrated with the bureaucracy she feels our
government has created to deal with abused and neglected children. Unfortunately, there
are not enough volunteers for every child in the United States. Without an advocate, these
children are often times placed with a “non-offending” parent without a home
study, or, could be sent across the country to live with relatives they have never even
met. The job of a CASA volunteer is to make sure the best interests of the child are met,
but without a voice, these children can, and sometimes do, get lost in the
system.
Kellie is married to Kenneth Early, who is the Senior Vice-President of
Commerical Lending for Century Bank in Texarkana, Arkansas. Her husband is also involved
in the community, presently serving on the board of Hospice of Texarkana, Our
Children’s First Coalition, Pleasant Grove Youth Association and Leadership
Texarkana. She has two very active and talented children: Garrett Chase Early, age 12, and
Jessica Brooke Early, age 8.
Although it’s hard to imagine how Kellie could even find the time for
any hobbies with all that she does, she does love to read and also enjoys cooking and
entertaining her family and friends. She describes her perfect vacation as one on the
beach with her family and a good book.
Kellie’s pro bono activities made her an outstanding candidate for
the Exceptional Pro Bono Merit Award, and it comes as no surprise that her favorite saying
is:
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we
give.”
Sir Winston Churchill
1 Excerpt from a CASA brochure produced with support from the Gerber
Foundation and the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation.
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