The Claire Miles Award has been awarded to Roberta Collier, president of the CALM Auxiliary.
Ms. Collier has been recognized for leading the auxiliary during the pandemic and for serving a rare third term as president in 2021-22. She and her Executive Committee are known for their tireless work during the past three years to encourage raising funds and friends for CALM.
Under her tenure as president, the CALM Auxiliary has increased its annual giving and established a new event, CALM on the Course.
Ms. Collier , a member of the CALM Board of Trustees, and her husband, Matt, moved to Santa Barbara seven years ago and immediately became involved community volunteers.
“With a background in education, and years of experience as an elementary school principal, Roberta brings organization, innovation, and determination to every volunteer opportunity,” according to a CALM news release.
“We thank Roberta for her tireless effort to move forward CALM’s mission of preventing childhood trauma, healing children and families, and building resilient communities through Santa Barbara County,” CALM said in the release.
The Claire Miles Award is named for local nurse Claire Miles, who in 1969, learned that an overworked and emotionally stressed father had, in a moment of desperation, shaken his infant son to death. Ms. Miles took immediate action, put a phone in her living room, then took out classified ads in the News-Press, urging parents in need to call for help. The phone rang almost 40 times that first month. She and her friends took turns answering the calls, with the hope of helping stressed parents before they hurt their children.
“From there CALM’s evidence-based programs have grown to represent a continuum of care that addresses the safety and wellbeing of children and families across Santa Barbara County,” according to the CALM news release.
CALM said the Claire Miles Award recognizes the qualities embodied by CALM’s founder: bravery, persistence, compassion, and a spirit of community volunteerism.
For more about CALM, call 805-965-2376 or visit calm4kids.org.
email: dmason@newspress.com
