Heart Gallery Alabama July Newsletter

"There are no unwanted children.
Only unfound families."

Heart Gallery Alabama Newsletter

July 2009

Volume 2, Issue 7

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Exhibit

I sincerely hope you had a chance to go by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute over the last few weeks - the Heart Gallery exhibit was truly stunning in the Woolfolk Gallery and we are so thankful to all at BCRI for making the event possible.

Also a big thanks to Janine Hunt-Hilliard for her words and personal perspective on adoption:

And to Michelle Smith and her sons (you may recognize them from the Heart Gallery website!) Raylen and Nicholas for sharing their story on becoming a family:

Heart Gallery Alabama would love to bring our exhibit to your town! If you'd like to learn how, please e-mail jessica@heartgalleryalabama.com.

Meet Dwan
Photographed by: Angela Karen

Dwan, born December 1996, is a handsome young man. He loves dogs and enjoys playing with them. He takes pride in his appearance and likes to dress nice. He will be entering the 7th grade in the (09-10) fall. His favorite subject is spelling. He love sports with basketball and football being his favorites. One day he hopes to be able to go around the world on an airplane - he would especially like to go to Paris and Africa. He longs to be adopted by a loving, happy family.

To inquire about Dwan, or to see his video, click on his photo above.

Meet Ashlyn
Photographed by: Donna Hovey

Ashlyn, born July 1995, is a very friendly and outgoing child. She is full of energy and loves to meet new people.

Ashlyn loves listening to music, playing with her dolls, jumping on the trampoline and riding her bike. She also likes to play with makeup. Ashlyn has a special love of animals and babies and is very good with both. She loves to watch the Disney Channel. Her favorite show is Hannah Montana. She does well helping with chores around the house especially those that she can do along side others.

Ashlyn needs some extra help in school with reading but is otherwise a good student. Her favorite subject is Spelling. Ashlyn needs a family that is willing to learn about the emotional and behavioral issues she has and maintain her therapy and medication that helps control them.

She is a very bright child and has potential for a great future. Ashlyn would love to visit Disneyland. She is very excited about the idea of being adopted and having a forever family.

To inquire about Ashlyn, or to see her video, click on her photo above.

Meet Jonathan, Joseph and Paul
Photographed by: Bill Crow

Jonathan, born July 1996, is the oldest of this sibling group of three boys. He receives extra help at school with his educational efforts. He works very hard on his school work and maintains passing grades. Jonathan enjoys the outdoors, especially camping and fishing. He is a curious young man who likes to take things apart and put things together. He participates in regular church activities. Jonathan is physically healthy and wears glasses for reading.

Joseph was born in August of 1998. He is a bright boy who loves school, especially reading. He regularly makes the honor roll. Joseph reads well above his grade level. Joseph is very energetic and enjoys the outdoors. He has recently taken an interest in horseback riding. He is physically healthy.

Paul is the youngest brother. He was born in October of 2000. He also likes to read. Paul is energetic and enjoys fishing and working with farm animals. He is very close to and protective of his older brothers. Paul is physically healthy, but is currently receiving orthodontic treatment.

To inquire about Jonathan, Joseph and Paul, or to listen to their interview, please click on their photo above.

Meet Freddie
Photographed by: Michelle McCullough

Freddie, born September 1995, is a creative child who likes to draw, write rap songs and read. He enjoys watching basketball and other sports. Some of his favorite foods are ribs and root beer floats. He has a smile that will warm your heart and a good sense of humor. That is just one side of Freddie.

Another side of Freddie is the academic side. His grades are good and he is intelligent. He struggles with math a little bit, but he had a "B" average in his other subjects during the 2008-09 school year. He has stated that he would like to go to college. Of course, like most children his age, what he wants to become when he grows up changes regularly.

Basically, Freddie is like most children his age except he has suffered both physical and emotional hurts. He still feels a deep sense of emotional pain that sometimes manifests itself through the emotion of anger. He is working with a therapist on appropriate ways to express his anger. He has been separated from his brothers who have already been adopted. He maintains contact with them and he is really happy that they have found a forever family, but he still misses being with them all of the time.

Freddie has said that he wants to be successful. When he says this, he isn't talking about becoming rich or powerful as an adult. What Freddie means is that he wants to have a family that he can call his own when he is loved unconditionally.

To inquire about Freddie, or to see his video, please click on his photo above.

Heart Gallery Alabama is a 501c(3) non-profit organization based in Birmingham, AL. HGA promotes adoption for children in Alabama's foster care system. Our hope is for all 290+ of Alabama's Waiting Children to find a permanent, loving family to call their own.

To see and hear more of the Heart Gallery Alabama children, please visit our website.

"There are no unwanted children. Only unfound families."

Heart Gallery Alabama
1801 Oxmoor Rd, Ste 101
Homewood, AL 35209

p: 205.445.1293 f: 205.445.1294 e: info@heartgalleryalabama.com

In This Issue

BCRI Exhibit

Meet Dwan

Meet Ashlyn

Meet Jonathan, Joseph and Paul

Meet Freddie

Upcoming Exhibit

Support HGA

Upcoming Exhibit - Ferguson Center at UA

The next Heart Gallery exhibit will go up at the University of Alabama's Ferguson Center in October. Stay tuned for details and dates!

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