Gaining Ground
Cynthia Wright Named 2024 Darlene Kamine Advocate of the Year
7 years | 16 kids | 5 families
As someone who’s commuted by bus her whole life, Cynthia Wright was no stranger to ProKids’ vision. She saw it — a safe, permanent, and nurturing home for every child — again and again on bench ads throughout the city.
Now a CASA Volunteer of 7 years, Cynthia catches the bus to home visits, to court hearings, and to the ProKids office to pick up gifts, resources, and even cakes for her kids — the most recent being “Lily,” in kindergarten at the start of her case.
Because Lily had missed out on earlier schooling, by the end of kindergarten, she was behind on fundamentals. Lily couldn’t read, count, or even write her own name.
On trips they took to the library, Cynthia witnessed Lily struggle. She spoke with Lily’s teachers, wanting to know if repeating the grade would be beneficial. It took discussion and coordination with Lily’s caregivers, but ultimately, thanks to Cynthia’s prompting, all involved could see the plan was sound. After her second go at kindergarten, Lily knew her numbers up to 50. Today, she can count to 100!
According to Cynthia, she’s gained “humongous ground, ” but education remains a major focus. Each month, one of her two scheduled visits is devoted to time spent learning with Lily. Sometimes, Lily reads her a book. Other times, they work through Barbie-themed pattern matching cards, which Cynthia found in ProKids’ CASA Resource Closet.
On Cynthia’s second monthly visit, they get up to something fun — like going round and round on a carousel or seeing fireworks downtown. It’s a practice — a balance — that Cynthia credits to her own mom, who always valued education just as much as fun. Cynthia recalls reviewing flashcards as a child just as readily as a time she saw Disney on Ice.
“I’m a big proponent of just allowing kids to be kids because sometimes that takes them away from what they’re going through,” she said.
Always eager to use the resources available, she’s made sure Lily’s birthdays in the system have been special. Last year, using ProKids partner For Goodness Cakes, she ordered and delivered a cake with Minnie Mouse ears. This year, she opted for a Lilo & Stitch-themed cake — Lily’s latest obsession — complete with a wearable lei.
It helps that Cynthia is a “kid at heart” herself. In fact, the first time she ever met Lily, Cynthia met her stuffed animal collection as well, even helped her to name a teddy bear.
“Getting on their level” can be a trust builder, Cynthia said, but so too is consistency.
According to Brenda Gray, her CASA Manager, Cynthia never misses meetings, court hearings, or visits, and she shows up to each as a true team player — connecting patiently and professionally with caregivers, service providers, caseworkers, and notably, Brenda herself! In their current case, Brenda sees Cynthia, herself, and the JFS caseworker as “the three musketeers.” ProKids is proud to uplift Cynthia’s work as an exemplary advocate and teammate.