Angels in - Pound Pup Legacy

Ukraine, the Finkels finally were able to formally
request his adoption, the Ukrainian court approved
their adoption request, and they were able to bring
their beloved son home to the United States.
Suzanne Faske and Karen Hall
Representative John Carter
This past July, when Suzanne Faske and Karen Hall
learned that Orphans Overseas, an Oregon adoption
agency, had lost their funding to bring children ages
5-15 from Kazakhstan to America, they immediately
went into action. Their church, The First Baptist
Church of Brenham, had expressed an interest in
expanding their orphan ministry to include a
hosting program which Orphans Overseas was
experienced in doing. By the time Suzanne and
Karen connected with Orphans Overseas, they had
only three to four days to meet the deadline for
passports, tickets, and visas in order to have the
children travel on the designated date in August.
They were told that there might still be time to raise
the required $1,500 per child. Using their network
of church and other friends along with a foundation
called ICARE, they began calling for donations and
for volunteers to act as host families. Suzanne and
Karen worked almost 20 hours a day making phone
calls and working tirelessly to interview families. In
about four days enough host families were found
and 30 children from two different orphanages
were able to come to America. Over $46,000 was
donated to cover the expenses. Half of the
volunteer families came from First Baptist Church of
Brenham alone. Working tirelessly, not only were
Suzanne and Karen able to raise a large amount of
money, but this dedicated team made assignments
to the host families and coordinated meetings for
the required training by agency professionals.
Nineteen children from Kazakhstan arrived in the
first group. The next group of 11 is scheduled to
arrive in late September to new families these
women have located. Almost all of these orphans
have a family that wants to adopt them. Suzanne
and her team are praying that when all is said and
done, they will have homes for all these children.
Driven by the needs of children in an age bracket
that is so often forgotten, they have been able to
connect these Russian-speaking children with loving
Texas families. These children will now know what it
means to have a mother and father and be
surrounded by family and friends who love them
and really want them as a part of their family and
their community. These ladies have truly been
Angels in Adoption .
Anna James
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee
Anna James is diligent public servant committing many
hours of personal time to help others and, as the
mother of two boys who joined the family through
adoption, has instilled in them the value of community
service. Partnered with her corporation, Southwestern
Bell, Anna began convincing her corporation that
giving back to the community was the right thing
to do. Her 25+-year tenure at Southwestern Bell has
made her the “go-to” person when people are in
need of funding for community projects.
Anna and her husband, A.D., adopted Anthony
and Adam as babies. The boys often accompanied
their mother on weekends to various community
service events and as a result have acquired the
same commitment to helping others. For her
steadfast support to the community and for passing
on this value to another generation, Anna is the
epitome of a truly deserving Angel in Adoption .
Dorothy Le Pere
Representative Lamar Smith
Dorothy Le Pere has devoted her professional life to
strengthening families joined by adoption. As an
adoptive parent herself, she understands the
complexities of the adoption experience which
makes her dedication stronger. Dorothy is an
untiring advocate for responsive services designed
to help families cope with the challenges they face.
Evidence of her professionalism and dedication to
adoptive families is demonstrated through her 14
years with the Texas officials through the Texas
State Post-Adoption Program where she works to
provide services to families throughout the San
Antonio region who have adopted children through
the foster care system. She ensures families have
the tools, services and support they need to assure
success for each and every family member. Her goal
is to see all family members are enriched and
positively impacted by the adoption process.
Dorothy Le Pere is devoted to adoption and those
whose hearts and lives are forever changed by
adoption. Her devotion is deserving of recognition
through the Angel in Adoption Award.
Lutheran Social Services
of the South
Representative Tom Delay
Since Lutheran Social Services of the South was
established in 1926 in Round Rock, Texas, this faithbased
agency has sought to provide loving homes
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