TULSA, Okla. — "I was put in foster care at the age of six, and I was bounced around from home to home, with nothing really to have," Melissa Gilkey said, "I had no clues, and shoes and things like that."
Leaders at her church noticed Melissa’s sad situation.
They reached out to Melba Gilkey. Without hesitation, Melba and her husband welcomed Melissa into their home.
Melissa said her life improved greatly. The relief of joining a family was overwhelming, but it’s not a perfect life.
Melba Gilkey says she’s trying to catch up on the development she missed from the ages of one to five.
During those years, Melissa was outside on the streets, trying to share food with her sibling and trying to get to school on her own, so she missed a lot of early childhood development.
With the help of the Gilkey family, it’s been easier for Melissa to adapt and grow.
"They made an effort to keep me and make sure I was safe. They provided for me, and they just made sure I was comfortable and was able to be who I was," Gilkey said.
Unfortunately, Melissa is just one Oklahoma child who faced issues in their home life. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services reports they investigated nearly 37,000 cases of child abuse or neglect between July 2020 and June 2021.
"It’s not just Oklahoma, it’s everywhere," said Angela Henderson, director of CASA of Northeastern Oklahoma.
- RELATED >>> CASA Tulsa in need of volunteers
Henderson hopes her work is creating better situations for Oklahoma’s kids. She said some parents in Oklahoma are not equipped for the job. Her organization encounters cases of parents experiencing drug addiction or alcoholism.
"Or, they’ve got untreated mental health issues, so then you throw a kid into the middle of that, and you can see pretty quickly that things go downhill," Henderson said.
Melissa is among other foster children who got help from CASA. Her mom says Melissa could sulk around and turn inward, but instead ...
"Melissa reaches out and makes a difference in others’ lives," Melba Gilkey said.
Melissa Gilkey is looking to recruit more kids her age to help with CASA for kids.
Specifically in Rogers, Mayes, Craig, Ottawa, Delaware, and Washington counties.
CASA of Northeast Oklahoma can be reached at (918) 923-7276 or info@casaneok.org
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
