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For Members of Congress Guide to Selecting your Angel in Adoption™ Examples of “Angel Stories”
For Members of Congress Guide to Selecting your Angel in Adoption™ Examples of “Angel Stories”
| Examples of Angel Bios |
Use these examples as a guide as you write your 300-word (or less) bio about your Angel!
Bryant A. Whitmire, Jr.Senator Jeff SessionsFor several years, Bryant A. (Drew) Whitmire, Jr., has been considered by many in Alabama as its premier adoption attorney. Those who work with him have praised him for going beyond the call of duty and opening his heart to the adoptive parents that he seeks to help. Drew is described as a man who “goes to work every day with a desire to help a child and a family find each other–and a determination that he will do whatever it takes to bring them together.” Drew’s dedication to this practice is admirable–not only is he a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and several other organizations that benefit families, but he literally helped draft Alabama’s adoption code. Drew Whitmire’s dedication to adoptive parents and their children makes him an outstanding choice for Alabama’s Angel of Adoption. Eggleston Family ServicesRepresentative Maxine WatersEggleston Family Services, an agency serving abused and neglected children, was created in 1994 as a division of Eggleston Youth Center, Inc., founded in 1974 to assist teenage males ages 12 to 18 who require out-of-home placement. Eggleston Family Services is a licensed, non-profit Foster Family Agency dedicated to finding nurturing and therapeutic foster homes for children including infants, siblings, teenage mothers and their babies and young people who are approaching adulthood and need intensive and supervised training for independent living. These children are the victims of child abuse and neglect and are under interim supervision of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The foster family program works intensively with the child, the birth parent (or legal guardian) and the certified foster parent, encouraging a positive working team thus facilitating an early and successful return of the child to the birth parents, whenever possible. Eggleston Family Services’ mission is to make a difference in the lives of children by providing quality, comprehensive services to children and their families, thus creating an opportunity for healing and family reunification. Jerry and Connie HazeltineSenator Dianne FeinsteinJerry and Connie Hazeltine became foster parents in 2003 to Yvette, a bright-eyed three-year old girl who quickly bonded with Connie Hazeltine. Both Connie and Jerry were very mindful of the cultural differences that existed in their family. Since Mrs. Hazeltine was an immigrant from Germany, she understood thetransition to a new culture and ensured that Yvette maintained a connection with her Hispanic heritage. The Hazeltines made sure that Yvette had regular contact with her birth mother. Mrs. Hazeltine took the initiative to be a mentor to Yvette’s birth mom and maintained regular contact with her. When it became apparent that Yvette could not be returned to her biological mother’s care, the Hazeltines decided to adopt her. But shortly after the adoption process began, Connie Hazeltine was diagnosed with breast cancer and died after six months of aggressive treatment. Jerry Hazeltine now had sole care of a young child. It was very difficult for him to tell Yvette about Mrs. Hazeltine’s death but when he told her, Yvette responded that Connie had told her that she is the “first star that she sees at night.” After many conversations with Yvette, he decided to go ahead with the adoption process. Mr. Hazeltine and Yvette have grown closer and have adapted well despite the loss of Mrs. Hazeltine. Jerry Hazeltine continues to make sure that Yvette maintains consistent contact with her birth family and he honors her cultural background by attending local events and strengthening her cultural identity. Lola LevoyRepresentative Henry WaxmanCongressman Henry A. Waxman is delighted and honored to select Ms. Lola Levoy as his 2007 Angel in Adoption. Congressman Waxman is particularly pleased to select Lola because she was nominated by her former foster daughter, Agnes Barrios. Lola has been an active and passionate advocate for foster youth for many years. In addition to working full-time as the CEO of Beverly Hills Escrow, she is the President of Children Uniting Nations, an organization created to bring attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth. Each year the group sponsors a “Day of the Child,” an all day event for foster youth that pairs them with mentors. Lola is instrumental in matching mentors and mentees each year. Lola is also a valued Board Member with Aviva Family Services. She is active with the United Care Foster Agency as well. Lola is known by all of these agencies for her generosity and heart of gold. In addition to all her work with organizations, each year she organizes and runs her own Christmas Toy Drive. She collects more than 8,000 gifts annually for Foster Youth in Los Angeles and provides hundreds of the gifts herself. Lola has made a difference in countless lives of foster youth through her involvement with these programs. But perhaps her most remarkable achievement is the commitment and love she has shown to her own foster youth. Lola took Agnes into her home just as Agnes was being emancipated from the foster care system in Los Angeles. Agnes told my office, “If it weren’t for Lola, I would be not only parentless, but homeless. Lola informally adopted me and gave me all the support I needed (including giving me tutors for my SAT’s and dropping me off at Brown University and buying all my dorm stuff-she is my best friend, seriously.” I am delighted to echo Agnes’ gratitude in selecting Lola Levoy as the 2007 Angel in Adoption for the 30th District of California. Deborah N. Silverstein, MSW, LCSWRepresentative Dana RohrabacherI want to honor this extraordinary professional in adoption and children’s mental health care. Deborah Silverstein’s respected work in Orange County includes 30 years as an advocate and therapist with specialization in both supporting children whose lives were affected by trauma and loss and helping foster and adoptive parents to achieve success in their parenting journey. In the early 90’s, Deborah joined Kinship Center® in creating adoption and developmental and mental health programs that served more than 3,000 foster and adopted children. Recognized nationally as a respected adoption and mental expert, Deborah has been published in professional journals and developed numerous educational curricula and training videos for parents and adoption professionals. The Adoption Clinical Training that she coauthored has been used to train more than 5,000 permanency professionals, primarily in California. Further, an adoptive parent education program that Deborah also created has been replicated in two other California counties. Deborah’s vision inspires others to excel in their work with children and families. As a result, Kinship Center has achieved consistently positive outcomes for children and youth leaving the child welfare system and for the families who receive them. She is a valued member of Kinship Center’s Executive Management Team as a Vice President and the driving force behind the development and sustainability of critical social services in Southern California. Along with her husband of 40 years, Deborah is an adoptive parent of four special needs youth. Tami WessenRepresentative Ken CalvertWhen I contacted Tami Wessen to let her know that we would be selecting her as our Angel, she suggested that we look for someone else. “I just feel there are many people out there who have done more for adoption than I have.” This attitude is exactly why Tami is the perfect person for the honor. Working at a pro-life pregnancy counseling center in Riverside, California, Tami advises pregnant women who are considering abortions about adoption. “Yes, there is still loss, but there is life for the baby. I try to show them the love of adoption and that adoption is putting the baby first. Adoption is completely selfless.” Speaking from her personal experience, Tami is able to share the story of her own family. In 1997 Tami and her husband were blessed with adopting a 2-year-old son. Tami’s husband had also been adopted. “Our lives became complete when our son joined our family.” Tami had always dreamed of being a mom, but when she and her husband realized they had an infertility problem, they knew that being parents meant so much more than having a biological child. “The second time we saw him he ran to us, calling us Mommy and Daddy. He knew that we were his parents, and he had been waiting for us...just as we had been waiting for him.” Thank you - Tami, for your commitment to life, and your daily contributions to the community |
