Jeannette Kelley

“The way we treat children — all of them, not just our own, and especially those in great need — defines the shape of the world we’ll wake up in tomorrow.”
— Barbara Kingsolver, American author

If indeed civilization comes to a land when a man plants a tree under which he will never sit, then surely those who work for the benefit of today’s children are ensuring the future of that same civilization because they are helping shape and nurture tomorrow’s leaders.

Jeannette Kelley has spent her professional life working in education helping to shape tomorrow’s leaders from the classroom. After retirement she went on to serve as a Belton School Board trustee. There can be no doubt that her professional life has been devoted to ensuring that future.

But the recipient of the 2004 Frank W. Mayborn Humanitarian Award has gone far beyond the classroom with her tireless devotion to the well-being of children, especially those who are less fortunate through no fault of their own. One of those nominating her this year for the Frank W. Mayborn Humanitarian Award said:

"Many citizens talk about children representing the future and describe our communities as valuing children above all else. However, few of us act on behalf of children every day, especially those in need. Jeannette Kelley bridges the gap between word and deed and motivates the public to act on behalf of children through her creation and leadership of projects Apple Tree, Angel Tree, Bundle of Joy, Crisis Comfort Bags and Head Start.”

Jeannette Kelley sees a need and works to meet it.

As an educator and school board member Mrs. Kelley no doubt can confirm the National School Board Association’s assessment: “Children bring more than educational needs to the classroom. And for a growing number of children, the conditions they face outside the classroom have a dramatic impact on their ability to learn.” It is specifically Jeannette Kelley’s work with Project Apple Tree and Project Angel Tree for which she has been chosen the recipient of the 2004 Frank W. Mayborn Humanitarian Award. Those two projects have touched the lives of more than 9,000 children in the past five years.

Project Apple Tree began in 2000 with a goal of providing good quality clothing and school supplies at the opening of school to Belton Independent School District students who had a need.

In the first year the project reached less than 300 children with new clothes and supplies. By 2004, the number of children helped had risen to more than 1,000 and the aid given had expanded to include haircuts and dental checkups. In 2004 the total number of children aided since the inception of the project rose to more than 4,000.

Project Apple Tree is coordinated through the Helping Hands Ministry. With Project Angel Tree, Jeannette Kelley was responsible for bringing the project to Bell County. This national project touches the lives of children who have at least one parent serving a sentence in prison or in the county jail.

Project Angel Tree, coordinated through the J.A.I.L. Ministry provides Christmas gifts for the children of prison or jail inmates. In the past five years, 5,000 children have received more than $84,000 in gifts.

In 2003 Project Angel Tree involved the participation of 28 area churches, 15 businesses, schools and civic organizations.

There were 1,286 project Angel Tree children, ages birth through 17, who received three gifts each — a clothing item, a toy or fun item, and a gift depicting the true meaning of Christmas.

In a 2003 Letter to the Editor in the Temple Daily Telegram Jeannette Kelley explained, “Statistics indicate that children of parents who are in jail or prison are six times more likely to enter a life of crime than are children whose parents have not been incarcerated, unless some meaningful intervention occurs. Project Angel Tree, . . . was created to help break that cycle.” Her nominator points out that in addition to the children served by the projects, more than 1,500 adult and youth volunteers have become involved in the projects she has started. This kind of commitment helps to ensure the good works which she has started will continue long after her involvement has ended.

Jeannette Kelley has helped to provide countless Bell County children with important positive reinforcement — positive reinforcement that in some instances may well be the difference in succeeding or failing in their early childhood. She is helping to put these youngsters, who are our future leaders, on the road to tomorrow and a successful adulthood.

- - from award program Wednesday, November 10, 2004