The Heart Gallery NYC Event
(Photo Credit: Linda Grant/NYC Single Mom)
During this November’s Adoption Awareness month, the Heart Gallery NYC kicked off an incredible exhibit showcasing the beautiful faces of children from New York foster care who are available for adoption and hoping to find loving “forever families” Utilizing the talents of celebrity and award-winning photographers, the children, ranging in age from 8 years old to 18, had the opportunity to participate in a one of a kind photography experience that could capture their true spirit. The event was produced in collaboration with Casey Family Programs and ACS
www.casey.org; www.nyc.gov/html/acs.
Heart Gallery, NYC is a unique not-for-profit organization that combines the artistic talents of notable photographers with children in need of families and a place to call home. The project is dedicated to raising awareness of children living in foster care and encourages New Yorkers to make a difference in the life of a child.
At the event held at the Times Square Visitors Center, all the incredible images were brought to life in massive billboard style photos that will be exhibited throughout the five boroughs – stopping first at Penn Station where it will be displayed from November 11-18 in the Amtrak Rotunda. Additionally, Clearchannel, the organization’s Heart of Gold sponsor will display the gallery photos in Times Square as well as billboards in the tri-state area.
Laurie Sherman Graff, the Executive Director for the Heart Gallery NYC event spoke about the importance of helping foster children find permanent adoptive families and hopes that the organization’s efforts will continue to raise awareness to these incredible kids.
The organization’s initiatives also include mentoring, internships and scholarships for children who are at risk of aging out of the foster care system without finding a home.
During the event, I got to meet a soft spoken young teenager named Jasmine who told one reporter that she “felt like a star” when she was being photographed. When asked what she hoped would happen from people seeing her photo, Jasmine said “I hope I find a family who will love me.” If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I don’t know what will.
At another point in the evening, rap superstar Darryl McDaniel from Run DMC took to the stage to talk about the moment he found out he was adopted (he first learned the news at age 35) and emphasized the importance of finding adoptive parents for foster kids.
In addition to Penn Station, the pictures will also be showcased in traveling gallery exhibits and via the Internet to reach prospective adoptive parents and encourage them to open their hearts and homes to the children.To find out more about the children featured in the exhibit, visit the Heart Gallery NYC.
The organization’s initiatives also include mentoring, internships and scholarships for children who are at risk of aging out of the foster care system without finding a home.
During the event, I got to meet a soft spoken young teenager named Jasmine who told one reporter that she “felt like a star” when she was being photographed. When asked what she hoped would happen from people seeing her photo, Jasmine said “I hope I find a family who will love me.” If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I don’t know what will.
At another point in the evening, rap superstar Darryl McDaniel from Run DMC took to the stage to talk about the moment he found out he was adopted (he first learned the news at age 35) and emphasized the importance of finding adoptive parents for foster kids.
In addition to Penn Station, the pictures will also be showcased in traveling gallery exhibits and via the Internet to reach prospective adoptive parents and encourage them to open their hearts and homes to the children.To find out more about the children featured in the exhibit, visit the Heart Gallery NYC.
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Turkey Dance
Do the Turkey Dance with friends and family!
Happy Thanksgiving Baby to Kids Boutique
Your Four-Point Plan For Holiday Hosting Success
Do Your Homework
Endure 14 hours of labor? Check. Nurse throughout the night, forgoing months of sleep? Check, check. Serve a Thanksgiving meal for your family — with everything just the way everyone loves it? Help!
Let’s face it: This task can be daunting, even after you’ve mastered motherhood, the toughest job around. After all, how do you get the bird on the table, juicy and piping hot, before the candied yams and green bean casserole go stone cold? Rest easy. We talked to moms to find out how they worked though the hiccups of hosting their first Thanksgiving to help yours go smoothly.
Sure, hosting means you don’t have to travel, but it also means you’ll probably have some houseguests. That can be great (think extra sets of hands to hold the baby), but it also means getting your house ready. One month before Thanksgiving, LaShaune Stitt-Clemons, of the Bronx, New York, begins tackling tasks: “I start working on a color scheme for the table, the guest list, and the number of courses I’ll serve.” You might need to dig out a good tablecloth from storage. As the mother of four kids (Darren Jr., 16, Alexis, 5, Taryn, 21 months, and Tariq, 3 months), this mom has learned that hosting overnight guests properly requires advance thought. “Start working on sleeping arrangements no less than three weeks before the big event,” Stitt-Clemons says. “This helps you figure out what you don’t have enough of — such as towels, linens, and extra toothbrushes — and you can determine if you have enough dishes, glasses, and serving trays.”
Take Sides
“You’re a new mom with lots to do, so this is not the time to prove that you’re Betty Crocker,” says Sandy Jones, coauthor of Great Expectations: Baby’s First Year (Sterling), who is also a grandmother. “Make it as easy as you can.” That’s why Camille Bodnar, of Pittsburgh, hosts a potluck. “I do the turkey and stuffing with my mother’s help, and I ask my guests to bring something specific,” says the mom to Dominic, 1. “We also use Crock-Pots for items like the green bean casserole so we can free up some room in the oven. So far, each year has been a huge success!”
One Big, Happy Family
Many people shuttle between both sides of their family at the holidays, which can be a drag. The year her first son was born, Lisa Shenton, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, put an end to that exhausting tradition: “We were really tired of eating two turkey dinners, so we invited both sides of the family and planned a dinner for 20!” says the mother to Cole, 3, and Luke, 1. To make it work despite having only one oven, Shenton and her husband invested in a turkey fryer: “We fry one turkey and bake the other.” Since she asks each person to bring something, “we never feel overwhelmed, and we don’t have to worry about everything coming out of the oven at the same time or about overcrowding the oven. It makes the day a treat for everyone!”
Visualize Success
For Fern Lehmann, of Richmond, a play-by-play plan is key to taking stress out of the holiday. What works for this mother of four boys — Brad, 24, Andrew, 19, Eric, 17, and Benjamin, 11 months — is to “sit down and write a menu of everything I plan to serve.” Next to each item, Lehmann notes who will prepare it. Then she makes her grocery list according to the menu. “Write on your calendar which days you are going to do each task,” she says. For example, if she’s serving dishes that can be prepared in advance, she notes when she’ll make them. “You can also jot down when you plan to clean, shop, and decorate your home,” she says. “Writing it down helps you visualize your schedule and plan for anything you might have otherwise forgotten.”
Copyright © 2007. Used with permission from the November 2007 issue of American Baby magazine.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
