on Boys & Girls AidSummer 2011focus

Consider the milestones of your life. First there are the ones you probably don’t remember – your birth, first steps, eating solid foods. Now move forward to music recitals, sports games, graduations, a wedding, and maybe even the birth of your own children and grandchildren. Look back at who was present for each one of those significant events. The faces you envision are most likely those of your family or those adults that were stable and consistent in your life. These are people you can depend on, through thick and thin, to be a supporting presence in your life. But now think of a child that has never had that kind of support in his or her life. Never knowing the permanency and stability of “family”.

The security and love provided by a permanent family cannot be undervalued. It is the consistent backbone that provides a child with the support and care to grow into a healthy, happy and considerate adult. Boys & Girls Aid’s history and original purpose is tied closely to the reality of a permanent family for every child. Our founders did not want to continue the institutionalized orphanage model for Oregon’s children when we were founded in 1885. They believed children should be in permanent homes with families to call their own.

This belief has been part of the essence of our adoption programs throughout our history. No group within the Agency deals with the making a permanent families more than our adoption clinicians. With both the adoption of babies through the infant adoption program and the adoption of children from the state foster care system, our clinicians work tirelessly to provide children permanent, loving homes and families. They are the people that build relationships with birth parents, the children needing a family, adoptive families, caseworkers at the Department of Human Services, and so many others. Our adoption clinicians travel throughout the state at a moment’s notice, ensure birth mothers receive the best medical care, spend hours in hospital waiting rooms, present potential adoptive families in front of state adoption committees – and truly do whatever it takes to form permanent families for children in need.

Throughout our 125 years of finding families for nearly 20,000 children, we have had many amazing adoption clinicians. In this issue, we will pay tribute to one of those adoption clinicians, Martha Rosacker. During Martha’s tenure with Boys & Girls Aid she helped find permanent homes for hundreds of Oregon’s infants and children. She is a wonderful example of all our clinicians!

WHAT’S INSIDE...

2 Letter from the Executive Director Connections of Families

3 Honoring Martha Rosacker Martha Rosacker’s impact on children

& families

4 Auxiliary Spotlight Profiles on volunteers that support

the Agency

5 A Growing Family Tree Our Adoption Family Tree

6 Stories & Celebrations A day at the ranch for a TLP client

7 Program Updates Learn what’s new at Boys & Girls Aid

Permanent Families for All Children

board of directors

To impact the lives of children in need.

CRITICAL THINKERS We regularly analyze ideas and data new and old to improve our outcomes.

CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND CHANGE To be the best in the field, we challenge the status quo for the best possible solutions.

AUTHENTICALLY VALUE OTHERS We interact with people in a manner that authentically demonstrates the high value we place on others.

DO WHAT IT TAKES We do what it takes to serve our children and families, and to support each other.

DESIRE TO EXCEL We do the best possible job with passion and attention to detail.

Dear Friends,

It is a pleasure and honor to once again share updates from Boys & Girls Aid with you. This newsletter is especially meaningful to all of us because it centers on the core of our work. This issue is a tribute to family in all its forms and those adults that help create loving homes for children.

When thinking about family, I thought I’d see how the dictionary defines this complex union of people. Family, by definition is a “basic social unit consisting of parents or adults and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.” While technically accurate, it’s missing the true essence of family – that feeling of belonging that family can give. I heard someone once say, “Other things may change us but we start and end with family.”

When I think of my own family and the traditions that were created and those I chose to carry on with my children and the ones I chose to leave behind – I’m amazed at how families actually work. We may be a “basic social unit”, but we are a set of tender relationships, each with different personalities, each trying to find our place in life. As I reflect, family, even on its worse days, can make life richer and fuller.

But what about those children who are without a family to call their own – where do they fit? Who will be there for their starting and ending? Boys & Girls Aid believes that permanent families are in the best interest of every child. Permanency in a child’s life creates the opportunity for stronger and more stable growth. They are able to give back to the community and maybe one day, create their own families where they will pass on the healthy traditions they have learned.

At the basic level, our work is helping to create permanent families and provide young people’s lives with stable relationships. We are honored to have the privilege of being involved with these family’s lives. We are grateful that you have a commitment to children and their deserving to have a family to call their own.

From the Boys & Girls Aid family to yours, thank you!

Warmest Regards,

Michael H. Balter Executive Director

2010-2011

President B. Gabe Nachand

Executive Committee Kris Gorriaran Kent J. Holce Jim Harbolt

Libby Hartung Gaylyn Sher-Jan Tom Szambelan Michael H. Balter

Board Members Deana Freres

David G. Grano Everett Jack, Jr.

Chris L. Johnson Jennifer Kinkade Donald Klotter

Dawn McMaster Orlando Medina

Mike Nyland Mike P. Thayer

update

core purpose

core values

“A woman can be strong, yet selfless; giving to others, yet ask-ing nothing in return.” —Stefanie Wass

m artha Rosacker cherished this quote. To those who knew Martha, the quote symbolized Martha and

described the way she felt about the birth mothers and families she worked with throughout her 38-year-career as an adoption clinician with Boys & Girls Aid.

Martha began her career at Boys & Girls Aid in 1948. The post- World War II era brought significant changes to the world of adoption. The shifting norms and social trends created an increase in the number of children available for adoption as well as the number of families looking to adopt. Martha worked with older children for her first five years with the Agency. She noted that during this time Boys & Girls Aid shifted its approach in serving children, “(The Agency) moved from the concept of perfect babies to meet-ing the needs of all children.” This move was necessary to keep up with the changing times.

As the number of birth mothers and infants available for adoption grew, the focus of Martha’s work shifted to preg-nancy and infant adoption. It is through this work that Mar-tha became widely cherished by her clients.

“Martha could find strengths in all people,” said Barbara Hodgen, a Boys & Girls Aid adoptive parent, former adop-tion outreach clinician, and longtime friend of Martha. “She honored the precious gift birth mothers were entrusting her with, and worked tirelessly to place children in loving, caring families.”

Martha was known throughout the agency for her spunky personality and determined, brisk walk. This resolve car-ried through to her work. Martha estimated that she helped make more than 600 permanent families throughout her tenure at Boys & Girls Aid. Martha did whatever it took to meet the needs of her clients and create families. Much of this work meant traveling to Oregon’s rural areas. This com-mitment is detailed in Martha’s own words:

“In my early years, I went over to Joseph, Oregon in January. The Gorge was frozen up, but it was an emergency, so I took the train to La Grande. The mailman came early the next morning to take me to Joseph. I was picking up a nine-year-old child I had never seen and who had never seen me. This mailman waited for me for about three hours while I picked up that little girl and got her ready to go. He drove us back to La Grande where the streets were all iced up, but he got us back in time to catch the train back to Portland. I never have forgotten how frightened she was. She was eventually able to go into an adoptive home.”

While Martha retired from the agency in the 1980s, she still kept in touch with many of the families she helped com-plete. We are sad to say Martha passed away in December 2010. Martha was determined to make sure every child found the right, permanent and loving family. This is a true testament to the work we do at Boys & Girls Aid.

lived to honor children and familieshonoring the life of someone who

Martha Rosacker, Boys & Girls Aid

Adoption Clinician

focus on Boys & Girls Aid Summer 2011 | 3

Boys & Girls Aid has five auxiliaries located in Salem, Wilsonville, McMinnville and Portland. All of our auxiliaries work hard to raise awareness and contributions for Boys & Girls Aid. Below are two profiles of members from our Cypress Branch Auxiliary located in Wilsonville. Cypress was founded in 1990, has 115 members, and has raised more than $400,000 for children in need.

Dianne McMichaelLENGTH OF TIME WITH AUXILIARY: 11 years

REASON FOR JOINING: Dianne and her husband John moved to Charbonneau 12 years ago. Dianne looked for a way to meet people within the community, and after trying a couple other organizations she found the Cypress Branch Auxiliary. Her passion for helping children was an instant match with Boys & Girls Aid’s work.

ROLES HELD WITH AUXILIARY: Dianne is a former president and next year’s co-president of the Cypress Branch. She has served on the Crab & Rib Dinner since the beginning of the event.

WHY BOYS & GIRLS AID: “I really see kids like flowers. If you water them, feed them, and do whatever you can to take care of them, they will blossom into beautiful flowers. Children will develop in the same way. But at the same time, if you neglect a flower, it may still grow; but it will never reach its full potential. Boys & Girls Aid is providing love, support and direction to children so that they can grow into strong, productive adults.” Dianne believes if everybody just contributes a little bit of time and effort, we can have a huge impact on the children served at Boys & Girls Aid.

spotlight

Jodee BarnesLENGTH OF TIME WITH AUXILIARY: More than a year

REASON FOR JOINING: After moving to the Charbonneau community, Jodee began taking painting classes. Jodee’s art work, along with pieces by other students, is featured annually in the Art Showcase event held in Charbonneau. Each year a portion of the proceeds from this event are donated to Boys & Girls Aid. Through Jodee’s participation in this activity she learned more about Boys & Girls Aid and the Cypress Auxiliary. Impressed by the work of both, Jodee was quick to join the Branch.

ROLES HELD WITH AUXILIARY: Jodee has chaired the Charbonneau Art Show, and is active in the Crab & Rib Dinner and Pettygrove Holiday Event planning.

WHY BOYS & GIRLS AID: Most notable for Jodee was Boys & Girls Aid’s 125-year-history, experienced leadership, stable programs and plans for the future. Jodee knows this work is meaningful because the children of today are our future. “I believe in children, and that anyone who believes in kids should be investing time in them. I know there is always a chance for kids and that there will always be hope.”

4 | boysandgirlsaid.org

Adoption is a unique way of building a family that may not otherwise exist if not for our birth parents and adoption clinicians. In 2008, a former board member of Boys & Girls Aid was generous to underwrite the creation of Our Family Tree, located in the lobby of the Agency. This tree, an original artwork, was designed to show the creation, meaning, growth and differences of family. Each leaf on the tree is unique and no two leaves are exactly alike – much like how no two families are exactly alike.

In honor of Martha Rosacker, all of our adoption clinicians, and families created from selfless love, we would like to invite you to honor your own family by adding a leaf to Our Family Tree. Adding a leaf to this artwork is a testament to your commitment to children. We display this tree publicly to show our commitment to children. It is a constant reminder that every child deserves a family to call their own – forever.

Use the attached envelope to make your donation and tribute. New leaves added to the tree will be unveiled in November during National Adoption Month.

For more information about having your leaf on Our Family Tree, please contact Maddy Abulencia at 503.542.2305 or

mabulencia@boysandgirlsaid.org

honoring family a special tribute

focus on Boys & Girls Aid Summer 2011 | 5

Personal Connections

Making the DifferenceJake wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to spend a beautiful spring afternoon

with amazing horses on a ranch in the Willamette Valley. His experience with the animals that day is something he will not soon forget.

From time to time opportunities arise for the youth in our programs to have special experiences because of individual’s relationships with Boys & Girls Aid. When Lesley, who was adopted through Boys & Girls in the 1960s, heard about Jake’s love of animals, she knew she had to invite him out to her ranch where she breeds and trains show horses.

“This was just a little something I could do to give back to the youth served through Boys & Girls Aid,” said Lesley. “The organization has given me so much

throughout the years.”

Jake is a client of Boys & Girls Aid’s Transitional Living Program (TLP). The program serves young people who have experienced homelessness or unstable living

environments. It provides housing, education, and assistance to young people as they move towards living on their own.

“Experiences like this are very valuable for the TLP youth on so many levels. The majority of them rarely leave Washington County, and it’s great to be able to let them experience different

settings and ways of life”, said Jill Kornelis, Jake’s TLP case manager.

Lesley was able to provide Jake a chance to have one-on-one interaction with her horses. They spent the afternoon playing with the horses, touring the farm’s facilities and numerous gardens, and discussing good reads on animals.

“I am really grateful that Lesley invited me out to her farm,” said Jake. “I had a fun time.”

While their time together with the animals passed quickly, the experience had a lasting impact on Jake and Lesley.

“It’s so good for TLP clients, such as Jake, to know adults that can be positive role

models in their lives. Lesley had a vision for her property, and has put

in the time and the hard work to make that vision a reality. She is a “can-do” kind of lady, and a great example for the youth,” said Jill.

stories and

Names and pictures in this newsletter have been changed to protect confidentiality.

STEP Shelter, Transition, & Evaluation ProgramThe STEP program serves girls and boys in the guardianship of the state system. At full capacity, this program serves 20 youth daily. The boy’s program has a location at the Agency, called the Summit Annex – where they follow a curriculum called Power Source. This curriculum is designed to help youth identify strengths and take control of their lives, while increasing their understanding of the emotions and beliefs driving their behaviors.

The girl’s program is located off-site and their house is called Seneca House. Much like the boy’s program, a unique curriculum is followed and the girls are thriving. An accomplishment of both programs this spring is the decreased number of youth running from the programs and ending back on the streets or in unsafe environments. Additionally, we have increased the access to immediate mental health support services which has proven very beneficial. As these young people work through our program curriculum it is our hope that when leaving Boys & Girls Aid they have a stable transition. Special Needs Adoption

The Special Needs Adoption Program focuses on the adoption of children from the state foster care system. In the past few months, several new families have started the process of adopting a child through this service available at Boys & Girls Aid. Three families in our program were recently selected by birth parents in the Infant Adoption Program. Families prepared to parent special needs children are a strong resource for infants who may present more risk factors. Through the Special Needs Adoption Program we also offer a support group for families waiting to adopt. We find that this group offers an opportunity for families to share experiences, ask for help, and seek support from other families in the adoption process.

program updates

focus on Boys & Girls Aid Summer 2011 | 7

Boys & Girls Aid018 SW Boundary CourtPortland, OR 97239

Saturday, August 6, 2011

5:30 pm – Midnight at The Oregon Golf Club

Live Music Food & Drink Casino Disco Live Auction

Discounted tickets available now at boysandgirlsaid.org/events

P R E S E N T E D B Y :

We are proud to announce that this year’s event raised more than

$200,000 for children in need.