Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to Host Annual Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) May 15, 2018 -- The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced today that more than 550 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) adoption recruiters and supervisors will attend its annual Summit in downtown Columbus, May 22-24.
The Foundation has one mission: to dramatically increase adoptions from North America’s foster care systems. Its signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, grants funds to local private and public adoption agencies that hire specially-trained adoption recruiters to serve children and youth who are most at risk of not being adopted, including older children, children in sibling groups, and children with physical and emotional challenges. The program, which started in 2004 in seven cities with seven recruiters, has grown to nearly 400 recruiters across the United States and into eight provinces in Canada. More than 7,000 children have been adopted through the program to date.
The annual Summit brings recruiters and their supervisors together for three days of critical training in the Foundation’s Child-Focused Recruitment Model. Recruiters say they leave the event feeling a renewed sense of passion for their work. This will be the largest gathering in the Foundation’s history.
“If I had to choose one word for Summit I would choose inspiring,” said Melinda Williams, WWK recruiter from Maine. “To come together with so many like-minded individuals is an amazing experience. Through the sharing of ideas and stories we are reminded why we do what we do. We get filled up so we can get back out there and continue fighting for the incredible children we have the honor to serve.”
“At the core of each Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter, is an intense commitment and dedication to finding a forever family for every child they serve,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “These men and women passionately and tirelessly pursue this life-changing work and we are so proud. The expansion of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program is transforming how the United States and Canada serve children in foster care and how we move them into permanent, loving families.”
The First Lady of Kentucky Glenna Bevin, an adoptive mother herself, is so moved by the work of the Foundation she plans to attend the event. “What an honor to attend the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit. It will be so exciting to meet the recruiters and supervisors who work tirelessly every day to make sure our children find permanency in loving homes,” said Mrs. Bevin. “Thank you to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for all you do to make a difference in Kentucky and in the lives of foster children.”
Mary Schell, chief public affairs officer for The Wendy’s Company and chair of the Foundation’s board of trustees, will welcome the group and share an inspiring message. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is Wendy's charity of choice and foster care adoption is the brand's signature cause.
About us: The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 150,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.
Kristen Adams, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, http://www.davethomasfoundation.org, +1 6147648449, [email protected]
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