No unwanted children, only unfound families

An Interview with Heart Gallery Alabama's 2011 Photographer of the Year, Donna Hovey

2011-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

By Autumn, Donna’s daughter

Donna Hovey tells of her first experience as a photographer for Heart Gallery Alabama with compassion. The first time Donna took pictures of a foster child, she had no idea how much she would be blessed and humbled. She recounts the first girl she photographed, "The six-year-old girl saw pictures in my living room of my daughters and asked who they were." Donna told her that the girls in the pictures were her daughters. The little girl replied, "You have lots of girls. I want to stay with you."

After Donna photographed the sweet child, the girl left with her social worker, and Donna sat down disheartened, prayed, and wept. Later that year, it was brought to Donna's attention that the six-year-old was the first to be adopted through Heart Gallery Alabama. Because Donna believes that when one is given much, much is expected, she wants to serve and bless others. She just never realized how much these children would bless her.

[HELP] - to accomplish a task; satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to

2011-11-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am Autumn, a high school senior, and new to this blog and even Heart Gallery. Why

do I want to help? Not only is it what is right, but it is a heart striking thing to me. I am

blessed- overly blessed- and I need to share my blessings with others. There is no better way

to do so than volunteer for Heart Gallery of Alabama. Because there are over 6,000 children in

the state of Alabama without a permanent home and, most importantly, a family, I am more

than happy to lend a compassionate heart and lending hand to the organization that changes

children's lives. Changing lives should be the ultimate goal in life. That is my goal; with Heart

Gallery, it will surely be possible.

Dendrology: The study of trees

2011-10-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

People have an odd fascination with trees. We use them to describe others: “Oh, you know…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” or, “He’s as tall as an oak!” People also freak out over the idea of cutting old trees down. (There is an amazingly old oak tree at the end of my Daddy’s drive way that still stands because my Daddy “freaked out” on the power company when they wanted to cut it down to run power lines.) Family trees are particularly funny things. I’ve never traced my own genealogy, but I do feel connected to at least the past couple of generations. If asked, I could make a reasonable attempt at completing my own family tree; but children who are adopted often don’t have it quite so easy.

Sometimes children are asked to complete family trees in school and this exercise can be particularly frustrating for children who have been adopted. Who do they list? How do the branches split? How do they recognize biological histories and adoptive parents on the same tree? The task would be difficult….if not for the Joshua Tree.

The Joshua Tree is a species of Yucca that grows in the Mojave Desert. There are several things about this tree that you should know. First, the tree grows in an extremely harsh climate where water is scarce and temperatures range from 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 130 degrees in the summer. To survive here, these trees must be hardy. Second, the tree is rumored to have been named by early Mormon settlers who said the branches looked like outstretched arms that guided travelers. Third, in order for the trees to develop their characteristic branches they must produce flower blossoms. Fourth, the roots of the Joshua tree go deep into the ground and spread outward to 30 feet. Finally, although they can reproduce by seeds just like most other plants, Joshua Trees also reproduce by rhizomes. Rhizomes are horizontal extensions of the roots that produce additional trees.

Why am I giving you a lesson on Joshua Trees? Because, as an adoptive parent of a sibling pair, I think the Joshua tree is a wonderful metaphor for an adoptive family. Children waiting for adoption have been removed from their biological homes for some significant reason. While we may question the parenting skills of the biological family, we should not pretend that these children do not have a history apart from us. These children are resilient; hardy…they have been able to survive in extreme (and sometimes harsh) conditions, yet we will reach out with open arms to welcome them into our families. Every adoptive family hopes that they can help these children blossom into healthy and happy individuals. We help our children develop a deep and extensive root system that they can rely on when things don’t go exactly according to plan…and finally…the adoptive family tree will have sprung from the horizontal connection of a child’s biological family. These family trees will grow together…connected at the roots…a product of each other.

Family trees are, indeed, amazing things…especially when they have such diversity.

By Treva Dean, Adoptive Parent

Following your Heart

2011-08-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

By Angie Brown, Heart Gallery Alabama Board Member

I am lucky to be a volunteer for Heart Gallery Alabama. Every time I am able to help out the organization in some small way, I am in turn reminded of how wonderful it is to be part of something where everyone involved has the same purpose: helping Alabama’s foster children find forever families.

I felt the pull to be a volunteer with HGA because I have the great fortune to be adopted myself. I know what it means to be blessed with the unconditional love of family. And that is what is so important about HGA—they help children find families that can be truly forever families for them. Moms and Dads who will tell these kids every day how special they are, how wanted they are, how they will be there for them, always. Because that is what family is—being there for each other. Reminding your child you will cheer him on at his baseball games, his school plays, and his successful moments in life. But also you will be there for him when he gets cut from the team, doesn’t get the lead, and gets his heart broken. That’s what parenting is about, however the child came to be yours. That is what my parents taught me and what I truly believe every single child deserves—a family who is on his side, no matter what.

I urge anyone who has the desire to volunteer with HGA to do so. You won’t regret it. Because every hour you spend attending a meeting or planning an event or writing a newsletter is just one more hour that may eventually help a child and a family find each other. I am forever grateful for the way adoption has shaped my life, and I hope that every foster child in Alabama is able to say that.

Resilience = The foster child

2011-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Bearman-Wolnek, LCSW, PIP
Heart Gallery AL, Executive Director

Wikipedia defines "Resilience" as the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity. Time and again I have seen this resiliency in a foster child that I have met at one of our photo shoots. These children continue to come back year after year "recruiting" for themselves. They put their whole selves out on a limb and they usually do it with a big smile on their face. I learn so much from each one of them. I often ask myself if I was in their shoes would I be able to be that vulnerable. The answer is probably "no." My guess is that if I was in their shoes I would probably just say "No, thanks! I don't want to be adopted."

Today I had the opportunity to hear Lamar speak or more specifically rap, at the Department of Human Resources (DHR) Supervisor's conference. Lamar is a 21-year-old "graduate" of the foster care system. He had been in custody of DHR for over 18 years, was placed in over 40 different homes, and yet is in college now studying to be a Social Worker. He performed an impromptu rap about his childhood and he asked all of the social workers in the audience to not just do their job, but to be a friend to the children in their caseload. To look at them as a person, not a case number. Lamar is a walking example of resilience. He credits his success to God. I credit his success to the inner child who never gave up.

Take a moment to really get to know one child on our website. Take a moment to imagine that child's resiliency and bravery to be able to say ... "help me, find me a family!" Then take action. This can be through spreading the word to others, making a donation so that the Heart Gallery can keep telling their stories, become a foster parent, respite worker or mentor. Let's answer the call to take care of Alabama's children.

No losers. Only winners.

2011-07-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Bearman-Wolnek, LCSW, PIP

Heart Gallery Alabama Executive Director

As I sit and reflect on the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program that we just participated in, I realize that I am not all that disappointed that we didn’t win. It’s not that I didn’t want to win—believe me I did. It’s not that we don’t desperately need a new van, as my personal vehicle closes in on 100,000 miles. It’s not that we didn’t spend countless volunteer hours formulating a video and a media campaign. And it’s not that I didn’t feel that we deserved the van.

But what I realize now is that all of the above was time well spent.

We are an organization that utilizes our resources wisely and conservatively. We have two part-time staffers and numerous volunteers. As I reflect on the time spent “getting the vote out” I realize that it was valuable time. More people in the community are aware of Heart Gallery Alabama. They realize that even if they don’t have the resources to donate, they have the ability to help and support Alabama’s foster children. They have learned that the Heart Gallery is the voice for those children who have no one to speak for them. They may have met a particular child on the website that spoke to them. They may not be the ones to give that child a home, but they may be able to give him a voice.

So, although we need a van desperately, I am not sorry we lost because the way I see it, we won something far bigger than a van. We have YOU!

On Friday, July 15th you can help a foster child with just a click

2011-07-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to vote for the Heart Gallery of AL in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program. Starting at 6:00 AM (ET) until midnight (ET) you can vote on Facebook by clicking this link http://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood/. Thanks!

Heart Gallery Volunteers

2011-07-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Dunn, HGA staff

I was a career woman for a long time. I loved it, but when my kids came along, it made sense for our family for me to be a full-time Mom. I loved that too, but I needed to find ways to make friends and get out into the world. I found that through volunteering. I spent time in my church, my children’s school, and other organizations, trying to make a difference. Now that I am back at work part-time, I still volunteer my time to organizations and causes that are important to my family and to me. It started as an outlet but became a passion.

I tell you all this to let you know that I value volunteerism. I believe in the difference individuals can make to an organization. I also believe in the difference volunteering makes in the life of an individual. The time and energy a person donates through volunteering is done because of passion and commitment to a cause or mission, not for personal gain or personal need. That shared commitment and experience forms relationships that can last a lifetime.

Heart Gallery Alabama has two employees. We both work part-time, while being full-time moms. There is absolutely no way that we could do all we do without volunteers. Heart Gallery Alabama volunteers are men, women, youth, and even children who believe in our mission. They believe that HGA make a difference in the world, and they share a common goal of improving the lives of children in our state.

Whether you are a board member, a photographer, a summer intern, a photo shoot assistant, a fundraising partner, a portrait framer, or one of the many other people who volunteer with HGA, you are important to us. We value your time, your energy, your commitment, and your dedication. We know you could choose to do something else with your free time. We know that you could donate your resources to another cause. We are grateful beyond words for what you do, how much you contribute, and what a difference you make in the lives of Alabama’s foster children. HGA is a much more effective organization because of YOU!

If you are not already volunteering with HGA but want to, let us know. Our door is always open, and we’d love to put you to work for Alabama’s foster children!

Montgomery Photo Shoot

2011-07-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

By Tessa Smith, Heart Gallery Alabama Board Member

On Thursday, we were in Montgomery at the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park for one of our photo shoots. We set up camp in front of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which by the way is beautiful! Despite the lack of some much needed rain, I knew the landscape of the park would be a perfect backdrop for a day of photographing, filming, and meeting some of the coolest kids in ALABAMA—our kids! We also had the opportunity to meet and work with a new photographer, Savannah Bowden and her dog, Duchess. The kids loved Duchess, and she seemed to know she was there to work and to help make the kids feel a little more comfortable, which she did. The day ran smoothly, as the photo shoots always seem to do.

The first child soon arrived and was settled in with Michelle for his session. I sat at a picnic table under a huge shade tree, enjoying the breeze and watching as families were coming and going through the park. Some had children, while others did not. Some played ball, some brought a picnic lunch, and other families were feeding the ducks or just walking around the park. I watched and wondered if “our kids” would soon have a family to call their own—if they would have a chance to experience what most of us take for granted.

The children today were all unique in their own way. Some of them were talkative, while others were a little shy. Some may not have been very comfortable in front of a camera, but others, like Alex, will no doubt be on the cover of GQ magazine one day! What an AWESOME kid!!! The children ranged in ages, from a 5-year-old boy to a 15-year-old girl. It was a few of the children’s first experience at a Heart Gallery photo shoot, but some were back for a more updated photo.  

I want to encourage everyone to volunteer with one of our shoots; I promise you will not regret it! You will only leave with a bigger heart and a deeper passion to do all you can to help find forever homes for our children.

HGA's 100 Cars for Good Video

2011-06-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

2011-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

I first volunteered at Heart Gallery in the summer of 2008 and was very excited to get the opportunity to volunteer again this past month. Coming back this summer I have been amazed at how much the organization has grown. Our use of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and now the blog have allowed us to reach a much wider group of people than we were able to with just a mailing list. It has allowed us to educate more people not only about Heart Gallery and the wonderful things it does, but provide people with easy ways to help us improve our services as well (such as voting for Heart Gallery in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program on July 15).

I was also incredibly impressed when I saw that we had started to upload videos on our own website, whereas previously there was just a sound recording. People can now see the children speaking and interacting with others, allowing potential parents to get an even better sense of what a wonderful addition they could be to a family.

Although the Heart Gallery has done a great job of keeping up with social media and finding new ways to promote the children on the website, what I’ve been most impressed with since I’ve been back is not how the organization has changed, but how it’s stayed the same. Our goal continues to be to help the children in Alabama’s foster system get adopted. All the changes that have been made were done with the purpose of promoting this original purpose, something that Michelle and the members of the board met to discuss at last week’s Heart Gallery board retreat. At this daylong event the attendees worked to define what they’d like to see the organization do to better accomplish our goal in the next three years. Feasible plans were then developed to assure that these objectives would be accomplished. This retreat, along with many things that happen in the office everyday, perfectly illustrate that everything that is done at the Heart Gallery is done for the kids, and I am very proud to consider myself a supporter of this organization.

Mobile Photo Shoot

2011-06-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to Mobile to do a photo shoot at the Mobile Public Library. The library itself was a sight to see! It was beautiful, with gorgeous trees surrounding it, and the building itself was really pretty too. Our first child was a 3-year-old and he was so adorable! He just walked around and played in the grass and it was fun seeing him get his pictures taken. The other kids who came were cute too. There were two brothers, a little girl, and three other boys. Like at my first photo shoot, it was great getting to know these kids and it was difficult as well, because I wanted so badly to find each of them a family that loved them.

It was also interesting seeing how different each of these kids' personalities were. We had one boy who loved being in front of the camera, and he was surprised when we were done! Sometimes the children are camera-shy, so it was great to see a child so open to the camera. It was such a great day and things went relatively smoothly.

Today is my last day as an intern at the office. It has been such a great six weeks that I do not know where the time has gone! I have learned so much that I cannot even begin to recount. I could not have had better bosses (mentors?), and my time here was so much fun! I hope that when I get out in the real world my work atmosphere is just as fun and relaxed as this one was, because even though I worked hard in these last six weeks, I never felt any pressure from Michelle or Elizabeth. I was able to thrive on my own, and this made me want to do even more! I will definitely miss the Heart Gallery, and as much as I can I will try to take our wonderful cause to the world!

From a place of gratitude

2011-06-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

My time as an intern at the Heart Gallery is coming to an end. I have learned so many skills that will be beneficial to me for what I do in the future, such as:
-How to use PhotoShop
-How to start a blog
-How to contact people and try to get them excited about your cause
-What it is like to be a nonprofit in today's world
And many more that I cannot even begin to count. However, I think the most important thing I learned did not even come with what I was supposed to do here. People donate so much time, effort, money, skills, etc. when they do not even have to. The amount of people I have encountered that help out with the Heart Gallery for nothing in return has been immeasurable. It takes a lot to have an organization run smoothly, and with all the help we get from many sources, it makes our job much easier.
So I have learned that there are thousands of people out there who are doing amazing things for nothing in return, and who I would never even know about had I not worked here. For all those people, I would like to say "Thank you." Meeting some of you has been a pleasure, and even those whom I have not been able to meet, everything you are able to do counts, and it is so appreciated.
MMDXKVS8E9NA

Photo Shoot

2011-06-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was able to help with a photo shoot at the Children's Hands-On Museum in Tuscaloosa. It is one thing to work at the office, to learn what it is like in the nonprofit realm, to learn the in's and out's of working here every day. It is completely different to actually go out in the field and actually do the work that we are passionate about.
My job was basically to make sure things ran smoothly. Keep track of where everyone was at all times, make sure people got to where they needed to go, basically the logistics of the shoot. Since everything was already organized pretty well, my job was not hard. I had to keep track of the children, so many times I would end up observing them while they got their photographs taken or while they were just exploring the museum.
Meeting these children was definitely a humbling experience. They were all so great, and I just wanted to get to know each of them. Of course, I have always believed in our work, but to actually meet these kids, and to realize how much each of them deserved a forever family truly reaffirmed my belief in our work. They all had their own stories, and I hoped with all my heart that Heart Gallery would be able to change each one of their stories for the better, because that is what they deserve.
Working with Heart Gallery has opened my eyes up to adoption beyond so much more than I already knew. In the future, I definitely hope to adopt, and I believe that my work with the Heart Gallery has helped shaped my decision even more. Every child is deserving of a loving home, and after meeting these children, there could not be a doubt in my mind of what these kids truly deserve.

Happy Monday!

2011-06-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Good morning and Happy Monday everybody! We are ready to kick off a busy/exciting week at Heart Gallery!
We have a photo shoot coming up in Tuscaloosa this Wednesday that we had to reschedule due to the tornado. I am especially excited for this because this is the first photo shoot that I will actually be able to help at! I am going to get to see the inner workings of what happens at these shoots, and actually get to meet some of the kids behind the pictures!
We have also been working away for a contest that we are in where we are trying to win a car from Toyota. It's called the Toyota 100 Cars for Good contest. Basically each day for 100 days, five nonprofits compete to win a car, and the winner is determined by the amount of votes that each organization receives. Our day to compete is July 15th, and now that the day is nearing we are trying to make sure that we try to get as many people as we can to vote.
So if you have not registered to vote yet, make sure you do! You cannot actually vote until July 15th, but you can still sign up to get reminded by going to the following website: http://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood/ then clicking View Contestants and selecting Heart Gallery Alabama. It'll take less than 30 seconds to vote, but if we win it will help us so much in the long run!

The Spirit of a Child

2011-06-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

For the last few days I have been framing/unframing some portraits because we are switching to a new system of putting up photographs. Although the work seems tedious, it's so amazing because I have actually spent time really looking at each of these children's pictures, and I feel an instant connection with so many of them through the portraits that represent them.
This is why I think the work that Heart Gallery does is so great. Reading a name, age, and bio of a child may give you somewhat of a glimpse of the child, but these pictures capture so much more. I have felt a deep connection with so many of them, like I wish I could get to know the child represented in the picture even more, and I feel like these photographs have a similar effect on potential parents. And these kids deserve that. They deserve to be seen in a light that captures each of their spirits, and they do not need to be viewed just as a statistic. I am glad to be a part of a cause that makes this happen.

First post!

2011-06-01T09:02:00.001-07:00

The reason I thought it would be important for the Heart Gallery to start a blog was that I think the work we do is great, and I would love for others to see what we do and the day-to-day process of what goes on in and outside of our building.

I heard of Heart Gallery through my best friend, who interned here last semester. I needed an internship for this summer, so I decided to check out the website. What I found was something I loved, because Heart Gallery’s stand was so great. It felt like it would be somewhat of an honor to work here, to know that because of some of the work I did, a child might possibly find a forever home.

Heart Gallery’s mission is to promote the adoption of children in the foster care system of Alabama. The way we do this is by taking meaningful portraits that capture the unique spirit of each child, in addition to audio/video interviews. Then we take these pictures to different venues across the state of Alabama so that potential families can see these portraits.

I have loved the work that I have done so far in the Heart Gallery, and each day I hope that the little bit I do can help a child find a forever home. I will be blogging about my experiences and different topics each day.