Volunteers of the Month – July 2022
Rachel Kiley Trout
Rachel Kiley Trout is a relatively new addition to the DNAngels Volunteers, but in her short time, she has made quite an impression on both her fellow volunteers as well as clients. Born and raised in Boston, she is the youngest of a large Irish-American family. She became interested in genetic genealogy in 2018 and began working on unlocking the family secrets she found when looking at her daughter’s Ancestry DNA results. “I love how real Rachel is! The way she interacts with clients is so refreshing. She is empathetic while being “real”!”, says Intake Team Lead Enjoli DeLeon.
Her realness and empathy are just two of the qualities that make Rachel stand out. As a mother of 5 children, she has acquired a lot of talents and from sewing to plumbing, gardening to carpentry. If it’s broken, she can likely fix it. Our Jill-of-all-trades has a bubbly personality and the ability to connect with her clients on a personal level. “I knew from her interview that she would succeed with DNAngels,” says Associate Director of Staffing Aimee Rose Haynes. “She was already working in a way similar to how we train. She has also taken on extra tasks and made suggestions that will help DNAngels grow into a better and stronger non-profit organization.” For those that don’t know, Rachel is the person who closes the rooms on a weekly basis. It’s not a glamorous job, but she does it cheerfully. “Rachel has such a sweet personality”, says Executive Director and Founder Laura Olmsted, “her clients can feel the genuine heart she has.”
Team Lead Monia Pezzi says of her “She has been jumping in and knocking out cases, she’s not afraid to tackle the tough ones either!” Assistant Team Lead Heidi Billingsley Keuper admits that Rachel is her “go-to” if she gets stuck on a case and needs a second set of eyes. “She’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She is always available to take cases no matter how hard they are. I’m thankful to call her a friend and a colleague.”
Whether it’s tackling a difficult case as a search angel, repairing a malfunctioning toaster, or patching up a scraped knee, Rachel gives it her all. “She does everything with a smile on her face, and she never complains,” says Associate Director of Administration Kelly Grace.
Rachel currently lives in the Midwest where she spoils her first grandchild rotten. She loves sewing, crocheting, documentaries, and her dog, Gucci.
Enjoli DeLeon
A word to the wise: do not be fooled by her sweet appearance, her calm demeanor, or her Texas-sized heart; if you wrong someone that Enjoli loves, she will come for you! She is perhaps the fiercest defender of DNAngels, and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to have our backs!
Enjoli came to DNAngels in 2019 as a client. She always knew that the man who raised her was not her biological father, and after Laura found her biological family, she knew she wanted to “pay it forward” and help others along their journey. Enjoli became an Intake Specialist, but she has also served on the Paid Services Team, the Mission and Vision Rewrite Team, and was one of the founders of the DNAngels Buddy Program. “She has a huge heart and I just love her,” says Associate Director of Staffing Kelly Grace. “She always has a sympathetic ear to lend, and you know instinctively you can trust her and she’s a safe harbor in the storm.” Assistant Team Lead Heidi Billingsley Keuper says of her “she has a heart of GOLD! She has a tough job that doesn’t come with a lot of accolades. She does it with grace, kindness, and perfection. She totally supports our mission and it is obvious with the work she puts into our organization every single day.”
Being the head of the Intake Team is no easy task! Aimee Rose Haynes, Assistant Director of Staffing, describes Enjoli as “super organized, always keeping her team up-to-date” and admires her for being “patient and kind” with incoming clients. Executive Director and Founder, Laura Olmsted says, “We were blessed when Enjoli crossed paths with us! What a joy to work with! She is great at anticipating the needs of our organization when it comes to intake. She keeps the department running smoothly and makes sure to keep the SOP updated with our constant tweaks and twists.” Fellow Intake Specialist, Cindy Billingsley Arocha says, “Enjoli is simply amazing. She is compassionate and kind, but also willing to fight for what she believes in. As the Intake Specialist Lead, she has the perfect combination of empathy, skills, and knowledge to support both our clients and her team of Intake Specialists. Her commitment and dedication to DNAngels is admirable. She is truly a blessing to our organization, and I am honored to know her!”
When she isn’t volunteering for DNAngels, she loves making Dollar Tree crafts. For those wondering about her unique name, Enjoli is named for the perfume that most of us remember for the use of the song, “I’m a Woman” from the 1980s. It was described as “the 8 hour perfume for the 24 hour woman” which is a good description of Enjoli. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Advocate. She does it all with grace and a smile.
Persistence Is Key
