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Congressman Peter Welch Nominates Lund as
2009 Angel in Adoption™

Representatives of the Adoption Staff Pictured with Lund Executive DirectorCongressman Peter Welch has nominated Lund Family Center as a 2009 Angel in Adoption™ for their outstanding advocacy of adoption or foster care issues.  The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption™ program, will honor Lund Family Center, along with more than 190 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, September 30, 2009.

Lund Family Center (LFC) is Vermont’s oldest and largest adoption agency and turns 120 years old in 2010.  Wanda Audette, an adoptive mother and licensed foster parent has directed the adoption program at LFC for 15 years and has overseen placements of 1,372 children.  Since its founding in 1890, LFC has completed over 8,600 adoptions

“The Lund Family Center has a long and successful history of connecting children in need with caring families. I commend its philosophy that every child deserves to be part of a strong family and that communities flourish when children and families thrive,” Welch said. “I was honored to nominate them for an Angel in Adoption award.”

Wanda and staff work tirelessly with enormous personal commitment and professional savvy on behalf of families and children.  Their work is guided by the philosophy that "there are no unadoptable children, just unfound homes.”   

Hallmarks of LFC’s adoption program include a sliding scale to assure that money is not a barrier for children to unite with loving families in permanent homes.   Families who meet rigorous home study requirements are eligible to adopt regardless of age, marital status or sexual orientation.
In 2000, a partnership between LFC and VT’s Child Welfare Agency was created and awarded a $2 million federal grant to establish Project Family, a program that finds homes for children up to 18 who are in state custody.

On any day in VT, about 100 children in foster care await adoption.  Most are school-aged with physical, emotional or behavioral challenges related to abuse or neglect.  Some are part of sibling groups who want to stay together.  Since the founding of Project Family, more than 250 children previously considered “unadoptable” have found permanent homes. 

LFC offers free services to Project Family participants including counseling, adoption finalization and post-placement visits.  Home studies are free if used to support adoption of a VT foster child.  Research indicates it is optimal for private nonprofit agencies like LFC, with reputations for excellence, to manage adoptions as opposed to state systems which can feel intimidating and bureaucratic. 

Statewide, Project Family has reduced costs associated with supporting children in foster care and residential treatment.  The positive economic spillover effects of the program save money and help VT comply with federal mandates to place children within two years of becoming freed for adoption, effectively avoiding loss of federal revenues for being noncompliant with Federal regulations.

When the Project Family grant ended, the state continued this important program. While state funding for human services is tight, the fact that the legislature level funded the program in 2009 speaks to its enormous success under Wanda’s leadership.  For example, in 2000 eight state workers completed 60 adoptions in one year.  Today, seven workers finalize an average of 200 adoptions annually.  Time from from entry into the child welfare system to adoption has decreased from four and a half years in 2000 to an average of two years in 2009.

LFC is actively engaged in statewide and national initiatives including VT Adoption Consortium, VT Kin as Parents, VT Foster Parent Association, Child Welfare League of America and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.  LFC has earned a national reputation for excellence.   Wanda Audette received an Angel in Adoption Award in 2002; the adoption program was awarded a Federal Adoption Excellence award in 2004.  Other agency awards include the March of Dimes Lifetime Achievement Award and GlaxoWellcome Child Health Recognition award.

The Angels in Adoption™ program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad. 
“The Angels in Adoption program is unlike any other program in the Nation’s Capitol. Because of it, over 1400 “Angels’ have come to share with Washington their adoption experience and left with a renewed excitement of all that adoption makes possible,” said Kathleen Strottman.  “I learned one simple lesson from my time on the hill, knowledge is power.  Angels in Adoption is meant to give Members of Congress the knowledge they need to use the power they have toward making the dream of a family a reality for every child.” 

In addition to the more than 190 local angels from around the country, several National Angels will also be recognized at the ceremony and gala for their dedication and commitment nationally and internationally to child welfare on a grand scale.  Former “National Angels” include First Lady Laura Bush, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Muhammad Ali, the late Dave Thomas, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bruce Willis, Alonzo Mourning, and Marcus Samuelsson.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes through adoption.  CCAI’s goal is the elimination of the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family. 

CCAI was created in 2001 by the active co-chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) to more effectively raise Congressional and public awareness about the issue of adoption. 

The Angels in Adoption™ program was established in 1999 as a Congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals and agencies. Since then, the program has developed into a yearlong public awareness campaign culminating in an extraordinary awards Gala and celebration in Washington, D.C. 
CCAI does not receive any government funding and they rely on the generous support of foundations, corporations, and individuals to accomplish their mission.  For more information visit http://www.ccainstitute.org/

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2009 United Way Hometown Hero Update

Mother's Day Ride 2009 Head  Spruce Logodenise

On September 3, 2009, Lund Family Center was recognized in front of a gathering of hundreds of non-profit representatives and media with the presentation of a check for $500 from the United Way Hometown Hero celebration.  The award was inspired by the efforts of Denise Vignoe and her team of volunteers who introduced LFC’s Inaugural Mother’s Day Ride to the community on May 9, 2009.  Under Denise’s creative, efficient and dedicated leadership, LFC realized $50,000 from this first time event in the Spring of 2009.

Denise and Spruce Mortgage were recognized for excellence in packaging, delivering and effectively managing LFC’s family friendly event—a fantastic day for riders, volunteers, sponsors, staff and contributors.

Please take a moment to acknowledge the Hometown Heroism of Denise Vignoe and Spruce Mortgage by contacting Denise Vignoe (denise@sprucemortgage.com) and Gene Richards (generichards@generichards3.com). 
Thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers, riders and supporters for making the event so  successful.  The ride, press coverage and subsequent awards have provided outstanding visibility for Lund’s mission to help children thrive while showcasing our sponsors and friends.

And..please be sure to save the date for our reunion ride on May 9, 2010 as part of Lund Family Center’s 120th anniversary celebration in 2010.  The event is once again being spearheaded by Denise Vignoe and presented by Spruce Mortgage.

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Kit Stone Humanitarian Award Presented

Each June, Lund Family Center holds a ceremony honoring the young moms we work with and their academic achievements for the year. During the ceremony, the Kit Stone Humanitarian Award was presented to Kayana Pearson.  The Kit Stone Humanitarian Award recognizes a young woman who has taken the opportunities presented to her and made them work for herself, her family, her peers and her community.  Kayana recently completed her GED and plans to pursue further education.

Kim Coe, Director of Residential and Community Treatment Services made the following remarks at the presentation:

"Today is about honoring all of you and your outstanding contributions to your own success.  Your achievements in your academic advancement and your achievement on your life’s journey.   Today my hope for all of you is that your hearts be filled with pride and joy for each other and for yourselves.  You have done great things in order to be sitting here today.  What those things are vary from person to person and you are all at different places on your journey, but nonetheless you are here.  You chose to work toward advancement; you chose to move forward, to persevere to put a positive mark on the road map of your life.  Congratulations to all of you.  Congratulations and thank you.  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of that process and to walk beside you for this part of your journey.

It has become our tradition each year to present one recipient with an award we have named the Kit Stone Humanitarian Award.  This award began as a way to honor the life of an amazing woman that has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others through her generosity, kindness, wisdom and determination to never give up, never lose hope has inspired us all to keep doing this work.  Kit Stone has long been time supporter and believer in all you.  Even though she may not know you by name, you can trust that she believes in you and all the possibilities of what you can do.

Nominations are accepted for this award that must meet the following criteria:

This year’s recipient is a perfect example of the intention of the award.

Recognizing the value in using what you’ve been given to blossom in life means:  that although life isn’t always fair and in fact sometimes it can seem downright unfair…we all have gifts and sometimes being able to find those within yourself is the greatest way to ensure success.  This year’s recipient has survived and in fact thrived through great hardships and struggles in her life and have arisen from that to not only find her own strength and wisdom but to also be positive and future focused.  She uses her past as the stepping stone to move forward rather than the block that stands in her way.

The young woman will take the opportunities presented to her and make them work for herself, her family, her peers and her community.  This young woman has dedicated countless hours to giving back to her community and peers.  Her willingness to be completely vulnerable in order to assist other in understanding, learning and healing has already touched the lives of thousands of people, with no end in sight.

The young woman will demonstrate a commitment to her education.
This young woman just completed her GED and plans to begin her secondary education at Community College.   Her goals are lofty and those that know her well, have no doubt that she will not only succeed in meeting these goals, but we are sure that it is only the beginning.  This year’s recipient has made it clear that her goal is to give back and she demonstrates this through her amazing generosity of spirit and self regularly

The young woman will demonstrate compassion, kindness and goodwill for others.
To say that we are proud of this young woman is truly an understatement.  She has become an outstanding citizen and community member, she is a champion of women and young mothers, she is good friend, a loving mother, a wise teacher, a pillar of strength and an ambassador for Lund Family Center.  Her compassion and kindness are inherent in her interactions.   She makes us smile with her good humor, she makes us cry with her story, she encourages us all to dig deep within ourselves to find those magically moments that present themselves for us to really make a difference in the lives of our children, our family, our friends and our community.

For all that she is and all that she will be it is our honor to recognize this year’s recipient of the Kit Stone Humanitarian Award:  Kayana Pearson

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An Enchanted Evening at Grosse Pointe 2009

An Enchanted Evening at Grosse Pointe was held on June 6th, 2009.
It was a truly magical evening with music, fine food and dancing.

Thanks to the Hoehl Family,
event co-chairs Mary Pat Scarpa and Johanna English
our sponsors, donors, friends and volunteers
who helped to make it so wonderful.

Photographs of the event and a video can be seen here.

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