This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wendy’s for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Do you have any family first moments? I do. A lot of them. I’m lucky to have had them with my parents, and now I’m lucky to have them with my kids. Family is something that we all tend to take for granted, because we’ve always had it. But there are so many kids who’ve never known what it’s like to have a family first moment.
Family First Doesn’t Always Happen for Some Kids
Did you know that there are more than 130,000 children in North America’s foster care system? These kids have no homes. They have no real family. They are wards of the state until they’re 18, and then they’re on their own. It’s a horribly sad situation. That’s why Wendy’s is showcasing the artwork of four children who’ve been adopted through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program on cold beverage and specialty drink cups. The showcased artwork shows special Family First moments that these kids would never have had if they hadn’t been adopted. Adoption was near and dear to Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas’, heart. And adopted child himself, Dave knew first-hand the importance of having a family. He also knew that there were thousands of children all across North America who had no family, and who might NEVER have a family. That’s why he started the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption in 1992. It works to find permanent, loving homes for the more than 130,000 children in North America’s foster system, so they can experience the magic of family first moments themselves. Dave Thomas used to say that children in foster care, “aren’t someone else’s responsibility. They are our responsibility.” And with the founding of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, he put his money where his mouth was. It’s an organization that Wendy’s continues to support today. In fact, to date, the Wendy’s wonderful Kids program, a partnership with the Dave Thomas foundation which focuses on children who’ve been in the foster care system the longest, has served more than 11,500 children and has helped more then 4,500 kids be adopted. Wendy’s wants to showcase the amazing impact that adoption can have on both kids and adults alike. That’s why, through November, Wendy’s is showcasing adopted children’s illustrations of special Family First moments on their cold beverage and specialty cups. These four drawings showcase the power of foster care adoption as seen through a child’s eyes and highlight everyday Family First moments that most of us take for granted. When you visit the Wendy’s Adoption page, you can see these stories come to life by listening to and watching an animated video about the importance of adoption and what it does for kids. I’m in love with this initiative. I love my three kids more than anything, and I can’t imagine them being in the foster care system. I’m glad to know that kids out there who need help have the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program. Through this program, special recruiters are hired to work on caseloads of children and give them as much attention as they deserve. These recruiters employ aggressive practices and tactics to find the children the forever homes they so deserve. In fact, children referred to the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program are up to three times more likely to be adopted.
Every Child Deserves Family First Moments
All of those family first moments that most of us take for granted aren’t in the cards for many kids in the foster care system. That’s why the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption are so important. These organizations are making family first moments a reality for thousands of kids, and I think it’s incredibly important work. I encourage you to visit the Wendy’s Adoption page Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, and watch the videos on the work that Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is doing, and how they make family first moments a reality for so many children in North America. You can also view the family first videos on Youtube by following the links below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGOJqAkdoR4&list=PLwq9_yYiQEznxgHg8DEB8P0W27C-scF8S&index=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGfpE6ytWEI&index=2&list=PLwq9_yYiQEznxgHg8DEB8P0W27C-scF8S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09_AVor7keY&list=PLwq9_yYiQEznxgHg8DEB8P0W27C-scF8S&index=3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR0KqrLvTCI&index=4&list=PLwq9_yYiQEznxgHg8DEB8P0W27C-scF8S
Share Your Family First Moments
Family first moments are important. More important than a lot of us give proper credit for. Now that you know that so many kids might never have a family first moment, and the work that the Dave Thomas Foundation for AdoptionDave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids are doing, I’d love to hear one of your favorite family first moments. Tell me about it on my Facebook page today!