By: Cindy Piggott
Meg Harlow’s mother used to tell her that “You may be one person in the world, but to one person, you can be the world.” Meg takes those words to heart.
Meg Harlow was honored March 25th as the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award recipient for her volunteer work at Boulder Voices for Children.
The Boulder Voices for Children website notes that, “There is perception that all parents in Boulder County are well educated, wealthy, progressive and healthy. This is not the entire story. Nearly one in ten children in Boulder County live below the poverty line and more than 700 children will be involved in a court case this year. Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers (CASAS) are amplifying the voices of abused and neglected children in Boulder County.
For the past 10 years, Meg Harlow has served as a CASA. As a retired early childhood educator in Boulder for 34 years, Meg’s passion and energy for children were undeniable. After retirement, she began her next chapter. For the past three years, she has served one very special case. This was a unique child welfare matter involving a young boy. Meg has been the only consistent, loving and supportive adult in this boy’s life since he was removed from his family. When other welfare professionals gave up on him, Meg persisted. She continued to fight on his behalf. She saw a young person with innumerable skills, assets and strength of character. She fought to help him recover from the trauma he had endured. She let him know that he was worthy of being loved and of being treated with kindness in his life.
According to Dana Walters, Program Director for Boulder Voices for Children, “Meg does not seek recognition. She has done one of the hardest things to do in the child welfare system. She has spoken truth to power and called out a system when it was truly letting a child down. Due to her refusal to let an unsafe situation pass under the radar, this child was moved out of harm’s way and is beginning to heal.”
Meg continues to fight for the best interests of children. She asks the hard questions. She thinks through the difficult situations and goes above and beyond. She recognizes and appreciates the staff with whom she works. Meg not only works as a CASA, but she also incorporates ideas for training other volunteers as a Peer Coordinator, a leadership role in which she mentors newer advocates.
Katie DePoy, Development Director for Boulder Voices for Children concluded, “As a retired educator, Meg helps us to understand how to advocate for the kids we serve in the community and in the schools. We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated, unflappable volunteer, and we hope to work with her for another 10 years.
Boulder Voices for Children serves as an advocate for those children in need, in the hopes of changing the trajectory of their lives, one child, one family, one future at a time.
Meg’s years of experience, her compassionate heart and her generosity make her a most deserving candidate for the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award. She donated the $2000 cash award to Boulder Voices for Children.
The Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award recognizes and celebrates extraordinary volunteers in our community that make a difference. As a program of Spark the Change Colorado, we hope to inspire a movement of good through the power of volunteerism, service and engagement. Our sponsors include Don and Liza Kirkpatrick, Lanny and Sharon Martin, Benjamin and Jill Piggott, Ireland’s Finest Painters, About Time Awards, Cherry Creek Fed Ex Team and the Minoru Yasui Committee members.
If you would like to donate to this award, nominate an extraordinary volunteer or learn more about us, please visit our website.
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