Bridgeport, CT — The Center for Family Justice is pleased to announce that Debra Kovachi and Amanda Valese, both Fairfield residents, have been named its 2020 Beatrice Boucher Volunteers of the Year for their selfless dedication to the victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence the nonprofit serves.
The women were given CFJ’s highest volunteer honor on June 25 at CFJ’s Annual Meeting, which was conducted virtually via Facebook due to state social distancing guidelines associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. CFJ serves more than 4,500 adult and child victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse from the communities of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.
The award is given annually to posthumously honor the late Beatrice Boucher, a Trumbull resident, who served CFJ as a volunteer for more than a decade.
Valese, who has been a volunteer at CFJ for more than three years, first came to the agency as a prospective intern. She subsequently began volunteering at its Crisis Reception Desk twice a week. When CFJ created a new Crisis Navigator role which allows select highly-trained volunteers to work directly with clients in crisis, she was the second person to take that position. She continues to work at CFJ several hours each week, even while busy with the demands of a counseling internship at another nonprofit.
Kovachi, the former principal of Monroe Elementary School, began training for her volunteer role at CFJ before her retirement. She works two shifts a week as a Crisis Navigator volunteer, making her one of the first people to greet and support victims of domestic and sexual violence who come to the nonprofit’s headquarters seeking crisis services. Her background in social work has helped her thrive in this role and become a highly respected volunteer trusted by CFJ’s team for her exceptional skills working with traumatized clients.
Kovachi she was grateful opportunity to support CFJ. “l had contact with The Center for Family Justice during my career in education with both the Trumbull and Monroe public schools,” she said. “Upon my retirement, it was a natural step to volunteer at the center to stay involved in serving our community. This has enabled me to support CFJ’s staff as they work tirelessly to provide immediate critical safe keeping for the clients, as well as ongoing care and attention.”
Valese also expressed appreciation for the honor. “I am happy to be able to provide the additional support that our clients need during such challenging times in their lives,” she said. “My hope is to help make the first step of a difficult journey a little easier for our clients by showing respect, offering support and providing information and a smile.”