At the beginning of 2023, Charlie came to our Heart Gallery, hoping to find a new family to call his own. His heart and boyish charm were captured in a beautiful photo taken by one of our volunteer photographers, bringing to life his story, which was written to be shared with families in our gallery. While Charlie waited, he began attending our Heart Days, enjoying community outings with other youth with whom he could form a connection and not feel so alone. At one of these events, he met a fun couple who played with him, making a special connection that, unbeknownst to all of them at the time, transformed them into becoming his new family.

As Charlie went through the process of getting to know the family with the help of more Heart Days, we were able to continue to enrich Charlie’s life through our Birthday Buddy program, where he received a gift card to be able to pick out his own birthday presents based on his own interests. He also participated in our back-to-school shopping day, where he received a $500 Visa gift card, and spent the day shopping with his new family.

On November 18th, 2023, National Adoption Day, Charlie's adoption was finalized, marking the beginning of a new chapter filled with love and belonging.
It’s through the dedication and generosity of our community that stories like Charlie’s are possible. Thank you for supporting our mission to find forever homes for foster youth.