Heart Gallery
Founded, formed, and managed a 501C3 to raise awareness of the need to adopt children who were over 8, or in a minority, or sibling group from foster care through the use of soulful orphan portraits and a traveling art show. Recruited board, developed collaborations, recruited and managed volunteers. Recruited celebrities, local, state and national leaders to host and speak at events and in legislative sessions. Developed and managed multi-dimensional budgets. Researched, wrote, acquired and managed private and state funding through federal and foundation grants.
Created media releases that were picked up in hundreds of media outlets. Over 100 articles and broadcasts were shared in every form of media throughout 23 counties and Nationwide.
Over 100 public and private events were planned and hosted, multiple events were executed simultaneously throughout a number of counties for public, private and elected officials from judges to United States Representatives.
“In four weeks I planned, developed and managed a fully catered, complimentary “Polar Express”
Christmas train ride for 36 orphans, 30 social workers and 50 volunteers. A NFL player, a Hall of Famer
and the Marines entertained the children. After the train ride, Santa delivered 2 king size gift bags
stuffed with donated items to each child from a horse-drawn carriage.
Everyone cried, even the media.”
Through our events and outreach, families were selected for over 50% of the children represented.
Synopsys
Raised awareness of the need to adopt from foster care, found families for children over 8 or in a minority or sibling group through the use of photojournalistic style photography and improved biographies of children, improve effectiveness of Department of Family and Protective Services in regards to working with available families.
Scheduled display events, booked live entertainment, scheduled group and individual photo events, interviewed and thoughtfully documented children, arranged fundraisers with wine tastings and catered food, coordinated the use of hundreds of venues, gathered tables, chairs and display lighting and sound equipment, photographed over 250 children across 7 counties, had families selected for over half of them, spoke at judicial conferences, recruited heads of state to speak and represent, managed and planned multiple National Adoption Day events simultaneously.
Printed and mounted 3’x4’ full-color, donated portraits of adoptable children, created free-standing displays for full-time display in malls, churches and the capital. Acquired local and national media coverage, spoke to heads of state on behalf of children. Often children who had previously aged out would join us to share their stories and encourage support. We recruited celebrities and created a current website with available children and their “happy” profile listed, linked directly to the state website. .
Established a non-profit, raised funds, wrote grants, gathered donations, required state employee attendance to acquaint the worker with the child they represented, encouraged best practices, recruited volunteers, insured safety and privacy of children, wrote multi-dimensional budget, managed board of directors, developed relations with judges and child welfare boards, helped state employees to better utilize resources, created how-to book filled with resources for adoptive and foster families.
Collaborative Partners:
Child Advocacy Center, East Texas Council on Adoptable Children, Getting together Safely, 3 in 1 Trinity Services, Hearts in Harmony Animal Assisted Therapy, Child Protective Services, Boys & Girls Clubs, Parents Anonymous, Parent Services, Graduation Party, Preparing for Adult Living, Department of Family & Protective Services, Buckner Children and Family Services, Azleway, Lutheran Social Services, Texas Baptist Home for Children, CASA, Texas Foster Family Association, State Network of Child Welfare Boards, Rainbow Room, Emancipation for Graduates, Budweiser, The Army, The NFL, Every City, Every business, CBS, NBC, ABC.
Fundraising –
Assisted in successful foundation and federal grants, created crowd source funding campaigns and live virtual auctions, solicited donations, aggressively shared needs by picking up the phone, writing a letter or giving a presentation.
One grant allowed me to receive non-profit management training from the United Way Non-Profit Development Center and grant writing training from the Fisch Foundation.