Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award
The “Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Community Service Award” is an honor presented by The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment (TMI). Named after Dr. Suzanne L. Keeley, a co-founder of TMI and a dedicated advocate for community service and violence prevention, the award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to their communities in the field of violence prevention and treatment.
Recipients of the Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award demonstrate a commitment to promoting safety, resilience, and well-being through their efforts to address and prevent violence in various forms, including gun violence, interpersonal violence, community violence, and self-directed violence. These contributions may encompass direct program development, service provision, advocacy, research, education, policy development, or community mobilization efforts aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of violence.
The award serves to honor the legacy of Suzanne L. Keeley and to inspire others to continue her work in promoting peace, safety, and healing within communities. It highlights the importance of community service and recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to creating safer and healthier environments for individuals and families affected by violence.
2024 Winner - Sandy Hook Promise
2024 Winner - Sandy Hook Promise, This year’s recipient of the Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award is Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Based in Newtown, Connecticut, our intent is to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. By empowering youth to “know the signs” and uniting all people who value the protection of children, we can take meaningful actions in schools, homes, and communities to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life.
The mission of Sandy Hook Promise is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Through our proven, evidence-informed Know the Signs programs and sensible, bipartisan school and gun safety legislation, we teach young people and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others.
The mission of Sandy Hook Promise is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Through our proven, evidence-informed Know the Signs programs and sensible, bipartisan school and gun safety legislation, we teach young people and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others.
2023 Winner - Start Off Smart, Inc.
2023 Winner - Start Off Smart, Inc., This year’s recipient of the Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award is Debbie Lyew, the Co-Director at Start Off Smart, Inc., in Homestead. Start Off Smart, Inc. has played an integral role in addressing the needs of children and families impacted by violence and introducing evidence-based programs like the Group Violence Intervention Program to the Homestead area. Their team serves as a crucial link connecting various entities, including Law Enforcement, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, DCF, the Court system, community-based organizations, social service agencies, and health providers. In her role as Co-Director since 2001, Debbie continues to lead a dedicated team, emphasizing compassion and empathy in providing crucial support to individuals and families in crisis, leaving a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
2022 Winner - GANG ALTERNATIVE, INC.
2022 Winner - GANG ALTERNATIVE, INC., This year’s recipient of the Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award is Gang Alternative, Inc. (GA), was created in 2005 to provide positive alternatives to youth in South Florida living in areas that are plagued by violence and crime. GA’S programs are focused on prevention and intervention approaches under five “Pillars of Service” that include positive youth development, family strengthening, health and wellness, workforce development and community upliftment and partnerships. These programs employ community violence intervention strategies that focus on reducing gun and gang violence by meeting the community “where they are at.” GA serves as a catalyst to introduce programs and activities that the community believes will benefit its residents while building capacity within those communities for program sustainability and community ownership.
2021 Winner - Guitars Over Guns
2021 Winner - Guitars Over Guns, This year’s recipient of the Suzanne L. Keeley Community Service Award is Guitars Over Guns. Founded in Miami by Dr. Chad Bernstein, Guitars Over Guns creates safe spaces for youth to express themselves through music and empowers them to make positive choices at school, at home and in their communities. The award recognizes Guitars Over Guns’ goal of giving students the opportunity to use the arts as a way to build the life skills they need to thrive in school, at work and, one day, as adults with families of their own and as community leaders.
2020 Winner - Wayne Rawlins, Miami-Dade County’s Anti-Violence Initiative
2020 Winner - Wayne Rawlins, project manager for Miami-Dade County’s Anti-Violence Initiative, was the recipient of the 2020 Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D. Community Service Award. The award recognizes Mr. Rawlins’ outstanding leadership in preventing gun violence and assisting victims in the county. The Anti-Violence Initiative includes the Group Violence Intervention and Walking One Stop programs —nationally acclaimed programs changing the paradigm on how to deter gun violence and deliver trauma-informed services in Miami-Dade’s most challenged neighborhoods.
2019 Winner - Kristi House, Project GOLD
2019 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Project GOLD at Kristi House for providing outreach and services to children exploited in sex trafficking to help them escape dangerous lives at the hands of traffickers and predators.
2018 Winner - Family Resource Center of South Florida, Inc.
2018 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Family Resource Center of South Florida, Inc. for championing the rights of children to grow up in a healthy and safe environment, and for its dedicated service to prevent violence and promote safer communities.
2017 Winner - South Miami Children’s Clinic
2017 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to South Miami Children’s Clinicfor providing high-quality medical care and health education to help South Miami’s children build healthier minds and bodies, and for its dedicated service to prevent violence and promote safer communities. View Dr. Tina Scott's speech
2016 Winner - Love in Action
2016 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Love in Action for its outreach ministry to make a difference in the life of a child by sharing God’s love with foster children and foster home parents. This organization’s dedicated service helps prevent violence and promote safer communities.
2015 Winner - Urban Promise Miami, Inc.
2015 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Urban Promise Miami, Inc. for programs that equip Miami’s children and young adults with life skills and their dedicated service to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.
2014 Winner - enFAMiLIA, Inc.
2014 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to enFAMiLIA, Inc. for innovative programs that help improve and preserve migrant families’ well-being and their dedicated service to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.
2013 Winner - Julia da Silva
2013 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to
Julia da Silva, Director, Violence Prevention Office, American Psychological Association, for her enduring leadership of the and her dedicated service to prevent violence and promote safer communities through education and application of research-based knowledge.
Community Service Award
2006 Winners
Mary Cagle, J.D., Executive Director, CHARLEE Program
Jacqueline Gonzalez, J.D., Executive Director, Children’s Home Society of Florida
Trudy Novicki, J.D., Executive Director, Kristi House
Jacqueline Gonzalez, J.D., Executive Director, Children’s Home Society of Florida
Trudy Novicki, J.D., Executive Director, Kristi House
2005 Winner - Daniella Levina, J.D., MSW
2005 Winner - Daniella Levina, J.D., MSW, Community Service Award presented to Daniella Levine, J.D., MSW. Executive Director, Human Resources Coalition of Dade County.
2004 Winner - Modesto Abety
2004 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Modesto Abety, President and CEO of The Children’s Trust of Miami Dade.
2003 Winner - Walter F. Lambert, MD
2003 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Walter F. Lambert, MD , Medical Director of the Child Protection Team and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Miami.
2002 Winner - Pat Morris
2002 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Pat Morris, Chairman of Hands On Miami and Vice President of Community and Public Affairs, VISTA Healthplan.
2001 Winner - Judge Tom Petersen
2001 Winner – Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D., Presented to Judge Tom Petersen, retired from the Juvenile Division of Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
Educator Recognition Award
This award brings recognition and financial support to an individual who is working in the school setting to reduce the incidence of violent behavior in Miami-Dade County schools.
2006 Winner - Evelyn Langlieb Greer, J.D.
2006 Winner – Evelyn Langlieb Greer, J.D., Miami-Dade County School Board.
2005 Winner - Helen Lieblein, LCSW
2005 Winner – Helen Lieblein, LCSW, Snapper Creek Elementary School.
2004 Winner - Julie Astuto
2004 Winner – Julie Astuto, Counselor at Palmetto Elementary School, Miami, Florida.
2003 Winner - Beth Davis
2003 Winner – Beth Davis, Sponsor/Founder of Kids4KidsClub Inc., teacher at Jack Gordon Elementary School and Adjunct Professor, Barry University
2002 Winner - Centennial Middle School – Elvoyd Fischer, Principal, and Carol Brown, Assistant Principal
2004 Winner – Centennial Middle School – Elvoyd Fischer, Principal, and Carol Brown, Assistant Principal. Centennial was recognized for creativity, dedication and leadership for the “Youth Conference on Bullying” held in November 2001.
Norma Bossard Award
This award was named in memory of Norma Bossard, who supervised language arts and reading programs for Miami-Dade County Public Schools for many years. The award is given to a reading professional for outstanding efforts to promote student and family literacy in Miami-Dade County.
The Norma Bossard Award includes $500 from The Melissa Institute and $500 in books provided by a publisher for the recipient’s school. A plaque is presented in recognition of the individual’s commitment to children, dedication to literacy and actions that support the motto, “A book in every child’s hands.” The selection is made by the M-DCPS Language Arts Department.
2006 Winner - Maria Carlo, Ph.D.
2006 Winner – Maria Carlo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Miami
2005 Winner - Ana Pazos-Rego, Ph.D.
2005 Winner – Ana Pazos-Rego, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of Miami
2004 Winner - Dale M. Willows, Ph.D.
2004 Winner – Dale M. Willows, Ph.D., University of Toronto
2003 Winner - Theresa O’Donnell
2003 Winner – Theresa O’Donnell, Homestead Middle School
2002 Winner - Marilyn Wolfson
2004 Winner – Marilyn Wolfson, Milam K-8 Center
2001 Winner - Libby Miller
2001 Winner – Libby Miller, Claude Pepper Elementary School
2000 Winner - Lois Magnus
2000 Winner – Lois Magnus, Milam K-8 Center
Special Award
The Institute’s Board of Directors may, at their sole discretion, bestow awards on individuals or organizations who have made a significant impact on the Institute and/or the community. These awards are meritorious, and are not given every year.
In 2004, The Institute honored R. Kirk Landon, President of the Kirk Foundation, with the Special Angel Award. Mr. Landon was recognized for “his commitment to children, his philanthropy in support of many worthwhile human endeavors, and his unwavering support for The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment.”
In-kind sponsor
