We’re so excited to finally announce our new partnership with Ronnoco Coffee Company. They’ve adopted the Angels’ Arms house in Ballwin and will provide ongoing support to the family including everything from birthday parties to home maintenance, holiday adoptions and more. We’re so grateful to Ronnoco for their commitment to our children. 💗

Thanks to a nomination by Congresswoman Ann Wagner, Angels’ Arms is a 2018 Angels’ in Adoption Nominee.  The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which coordinates the Angels in Adoption® Program, honored Angels’ Arms Founder and Executive Director, Bess Wilfong, at an awards ceremony on September 26 in Washington, D.C. Bess is joined by former foster youth and current Angels’ Arms Junior Board Member, Javon Coleman.

Javon and Bess at the Angels’ in Adoption Welcome Ceremony.

This year, more than 100 Angels were honored through the 20th Annual Angels in Adoption® Program. The Angels in Adoption® Program is a unique annual opportunity in the nation’s capital to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the power of adoption and the unspoken heroes who have made the dream of a family a reality for children.

Angels’ Arms was recognized for creating a one-of-kind non-profit organization that engages the community to support foster families in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the last 18 years, Angels’ Arms homes have been a safe haven to over 500 foster children, many of whom were part of a sibling group.

The Angels in Adoption® Program is CCAI’s signature public awareness event 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 children in the United States and abroad.

Founded in 2001 by the active co-chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, one of Congress’ premier caucuses, CCAI works with the Coalition to eliminate policy barriers that hinder children from realizing their basic right of a family and more effectively raise congressional and public awareness about adoption.

The Angels in Adoption® Program was established in 1999 as a congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals. Since then, the program has developed into a yearlong public awareness campaign, culminating in an extraordinary advocacy training program and celebratory gala in Washington, D.C.

We’re happy to announce that we have eight Life Launch youth who are enrolled at a local college or trade school and begin classes in mid-August. To help them start the school year on the right foot, we would like to make sure each youth gets a care package filled with the essentials.

Here are some care package ideas:

• A note of encouragement
• Reusable water bottle
• Snacks/granola bars/candy/gum
• Self-help books for young adults 
• Gas Gift Cards to help them get to and from school
• Fast Food Gift Cards for those late night study sessions
• Target and/or Walgreens Gift Cards to help with school supplies and urgent needs

Below is a short bio about each college youth in our homes:

1. Jake, 22, is starting his 3rd year at Meramec where he will be taking classes in Construction Management. His plan is to transfer to a university next semester or in the fall of 2019. He is also working full time while he is in school. 
2. Josh, 20, is a sophomore at Meramec. He is taking his general education requirements before transferring to a university next fall. His plan is to get a degree to become a youth counselor.
3. Alan, 19, is starting the Dealership Automotive 2-year program at Ranken Technology. 
4. Jason, 18, is a freshman at Meramec. He plans on completing his general education classes before transferring to a university to pursue a medical degree.
5. Alex, 19, is starting the HVAC program at American Trade School where he will become a fully certified HVAC technician. 
6. Hannah, 19, is a sophomore at SEMO. She is pursuing a Nursing Degree.
7. Jaa’Kena, 19, is enrolled in the Crave Beauty Academy’s full-time cosmetology program. 
8. Faith, 19, is a sophomore at St. Charles Community College. Faith want’s to become a family lawyer. If you would like to send a care package to a youth, email Cassady@angelsarms.org.

You can now proudly “wear your support” for Angels’ Arms! Check out our latest branded tees and hats for ladies and gents. And ALL for only $20 with 100% of the net proceeds benefitting our foster families.

SHOP HERE: 

https://squareup.com/store/angelsarms

Currently we have 8 young adults ranging in ages from 19–22 who are interested in finding an internship opportunity for the summer, all of whom are enrolled in school and ready for real world experiences related to what they want to do with their future.

We are looking for paid internships in the following fields:

• Construction Management
• Real Estate
• Nursing (youth has CNA credentials)
• Camp counselor, working with youth with disabilities or a profession involving helping people
• Teaching (music or choir), anything related to work with youth in this field
• Film Production or anything related to work with film or media and
• Auto Mechanics/Maintenance

If you work for a company that could use a hardworking and dedicated young adult related to any of these areas of interest, please contact Cassady Lesniak with Angels’ Arms Life Launch Program at cassady@angelsarms.org.

To learn more about the 8 individual youth eligible for the Life Launch Internship Program, see below:

• Jake (22) just finished his Sophomore year at St. Louis Community College and is currently studying Construction Management. He plans on getting his Associate’s Degree in Construction Management and moving on to a Bachelor’s Degree related to his field. Jake is a very hard worker and has never had a problem holding down and exceeding in a job. He is very reliable and dedicated. He has held jobs in the food industry, moving companies, IT, labor, and is currently a line supervisor at Security Systems Manufacturing.
• Jeff (22) just finished his second year at St. Louis Community College working towards a degree in Marketing. Jeff has recently changed his focus to Real Estate and is looking for an opportunity to work in the field to learn more about obtaining his license. Jeff was born to sell, is a natural speaker and is very outgoing.
• Josh (20) just finished his freshman year at St. Louis Community College with excellent grades. Josh is a natural born leader and is very talented at everything he puts his mind to. He is hard working and responsible for his age. Josh is currently working at Walmart. While Josh likes his job and is comfortable, he would like an opportunity to experience other fields to expand his resume. Josh thinks he would make an excellent camp counselor over the summer and would like to work with youth with disabilities. Josh is very patient and would work well at anything related to this type of work. While Josh is undecided about his major at this time, he is open to any available opportunities that could introduce him to new ideas and career paths.
• Hannah (19) just finished her freshman year at Southeast Missouri State University studying nursing. Hannah is already a Certified Nurse Assistant and successfully completed a medical internship last summer. Hannah is interested in finding an internship in the nursing field that could give her more hands on experience.
• Abby (19) finished her freshman year at St. Louis Community College and is studying to become a music teacher. Not only is Abby a very talented singer and pianist, she is also an extremely loyal and a hard worker. Abby is looking for any internship opportunities in the field of teaching, music, choir, or anything closely related.
• Jason (19) will be graduating from Lindbergh Senior High School at the end of May. He is enrolled to start his Freshman year at St. Louis Community College in the fall. Jason is a very talented and charismatic teen who has a lot of passion. His dream is to go to film school in Toronto his Junior year of college. Jason is looking for any internship opportunities in the field of film production or related to media production.
• Alex (19) graduated from high school in 2017 and started taking general classes at Ranken Technical College last semester. This fall he will officially start Ranken’s two-year Automotive Mechanic Program. Alex has worked on cars and motorcycles his entire life and is excited to start putting the knowledge he has learned to use. Alex would love the opportunity to get hands on experience while he prepares for his upcoming semester. He is passionate and very thorough. He would make an excellent addition to any garage setting that could help him master his craft while in school.
• Alan (19) will be graduating from Lindbergh Senior High School at the end of May. He is enrolled and will start a two-year program at Ranken Technical College in the fall in the Automotive Technical Program. Alan is a hard and reliable worker. He has worked food and retail jobs throughout high school. Alan is interested in an internship in the Automotive field to jump start his skill set and be the best student in his class.

Angels’ Arms is thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected as the Anders 2018 Charity of Choice. This year-long partnership will include numerous opportunities for employees of the firm to support Angels’ Arms though events and volunteer days.

In March, Anders hosted their annual Hoops for Hope event, raising over 15,000 in support of Angels’ Arms foster families. We’re grateful to the 700+ participants and dozens of sponsors who made this event a success.