Children Services honors families, volunteers, donors

Photographer Diana Lynn Teachout and Delphi Packard engineers also were honored.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Jessica Dillworth was in a tough spot. She was an unemployed single mother with three children. But because of personal problems, the children were with foster families.
That's when she made what the Trumbull County Children Services Board believes was a difficult but necessary decision -- to give up her two youngest children for adoption.
"She knew she wasn't able to do it financially, and their dad was a substance abuser and eventually died," said Kay Brandt, who was a CSB social worker handling Dillworth's case at the time.
In the 18 months since then, the Warren woman has straightened her life out and bought a home. Last September, she regained custody of her oldest son, 15-year-old Justin. He had lived in foster homes and with relatives for four years, living in six homes during that time.
Thursday at the St. Demetrios Banquet Center, the CSB recognized Dillworth and two other families who have demonstrated the ability to "Rise Up and Move On" and demonstrate the type of success story the agency hopes will inspire others.
What's unusual
CSB officials say something unusual about Dillworth's decision to give up the 2- and 3-year-old boys is that she has maintained a close relationship with the foster parents who now rear the boys. She keeps in contact through letters, pictures and occasional visits, officials say.
Also recognized was Megan Hartford, who endured traumatic times when she learned of the sexual abuse of her 6-year old daughter, Alexandria. Starting in 2004, a caseworker helped Hartford. The Warren woman eventually found stable employment and independent housing and regained custody of her daughter.
Niles McKinley High School senior Michael Warg was placed in the foster home of Ben and Lorraine Bowers of Fowler last month after living in the CSB boys group home in Warren for about seven months.
Warg, an accomplished artist and painter, has been honored for his artistic abilities in numerous competitions.
The CSB also honored community volunteers who have done extraordinary things for children. Diana Lynn Teachout of Warren was honored for volunteering money and thousands of hours of her time for children. One such project was the "Open Your Heart" campaign, for which she took photographs of children up for adoption to help find homes for them.
Another community service award went to the Application Engineering Group at Delphi Packard, which has annual donations of more than $12,000 to CSB. Robert Kubiak, CSB executive director, said the group holds raffles two times per year to provide donations to the Trumbull and Mahoning County CSB agencies.
Shelley Taylor, incoming president of Trumbull 100, was guest speaker, explaining that the philanthropic group has changed its focus recently from government- and business-related issues to recreational opportunities such as the Warren Community Amphitheater and Western Reserve Greenway bicycle trail.