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2003
Press Releases |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Annual Holiday Event Will Bring Attention to Adoption
Sacramento - Sierra Adoption Services will join forces with KTXL FOX40 to raise
awareness about adoption through their annual Celebration of Hope event. Celebration
of Hope will take place December 18-21 at the newly remodeled Country Club Plaza.
The event will benefit Sierra Adoption Services and the KTXL FOX40 Helping Hand
Fund.
Contributions made at Celebration of Hope will help find homes for California's
waiting children. Placing a paper ornament on a beautiful holiday tree will
honor each donation made throughout this special 4-day celebration. Adoption
information, as well as posters of children seeking adoptive homes will be on
display. This year, a large artist's canvas will also be on display for all
ages to paint and express their holiday cheer.
The Celebration of Hope is an event presented by Sierra Adoption Services and
the KTXL FOX40 Helping Hand, a fund of the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation,
which supports Sierra Adoption Services and other charitable organizations.
The Fund was established to address the health and well being of children and
families. Through the FOX40 Helping Hand Fund, the McCormick Tribune Foundation
will add significant dollars to those raised at the Celebration of Hope.
Sierra Adoption Services, now celebrating its 20th year of providing families
for waiting children, is a private nonprofit adoption agency with a unique mission.
Unlike traditional private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least
likely to be adopted, children with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. The
agency is built on the firm belief that no child is "un- adoptable."
For more information about Sierra Adoption Services' Celebration of Hope please
call (916) 368-5114, or visit www.sierraadoption.org
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Congressman Matsui Honors Sierra Adoption Services with Angel in Adoption
Award
NEVADA COUNTY - Sierra Adoption Services was selected by U.S. Congressman Robert
T. Matsui (D-CA) to be one of approximately 200 Angels in Adoption honored nationally
by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). The awards ceremony
will take place on September 30th in Washington, DC.
For the past 20 years, Sierra Adoption Services (SAS) has been an active force
working on behalf of children. A private, nonprofit adoption agency with offices
in Sacramento, Nevada, and Butte Counties, Sierra Adoption Services' mission
is to break the cycle of abuse by providing permanent adoptive families to California's
orphans, and especially those with special needs. In its lifetime, SAS has moved
nearly 1,000 of these children out of foster care into permanent loving homes.
The Angels in Adoption event boasts the most congressional participation of
any child welfare event in the country, with more than 100 members of Congress
participating each year. It also brings attention to the 126,000 children in
the U.S. foster care system in need of adoptive families.
Gail B.D. Johnson, Executive Director of Sierra Adoption Services, is honored
to attend the Angels in Adoption awards ceremony in Washington on behalf of
the agency. "Since Sierra Adoption Services has been making miracles happen
for 20 years, it feels quite wonderful to have 'angel status' conferred upon
us. Nothing is more satisfying than to watch the bond of love develop between
a child who once had so little hope and his or her new family. I hope this award
will inspire more families to come forward to help."
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption is a bicameral, non-partisan alliance
of 149 members of Congress, dedicated to improving adoption policies. Through
Angels in Adoption, the coalition presents a unique opportunity for members
of Congress to recognize individuals and groups from around the country that
have improved the lives of children through adoption. Since the program's inception
in 1999, members of Congress have awarded over 400 Congressional Angels in Adoption
from all 50 states, and invited them to attend this extraordinary event in their
honor. Additionally, National Angels in Adoption are selected for raising awareness
about children in need of safe, loving homes on a national level. This year,
the coalition will be honoring Bruce Willis and Muhammad and Lonnie Ali as National
Angels in Adoption.
For more information, contact Larisa Bryski at 916-368-5114.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Local Attorney Becomes New Board President of Sierra Adoption Services
Grass Valley - Sierra Adoption Services is proud to announce that they've recently
installed a new president of their Board of Directors. Mr. Gregory M. Finch
assumed the position of Sierra's board president in July.
Mr. Finch was a Partner and practicing attorney with Booth & Finch in Sacramento,
CA for 5 years, and is now directing the litigation department for Cohen Durrett.
He has over 22 years experience as a civil litigation attorney and throughout
the last 10 years has prosecuted and defended scores of discrimination cases.
He has served as a Mediator in dispute resolution and also practices in the
area of probate law.
Mr. Finch is actively engaged in a number of community activities, is presently
a member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento, and has served 2 years as a member
of its Board of Directors. He is on the YMCA Board and has served as President
of the Board of Directors for three years. He also serves on the Medical Affairs
Committee and the Community Benefit Committee for Sutter Hospital. He was the
former National President for Active 20-30, serving as the General Chairman
for the United States, Canada, Mexico and various Central American nations as
the American Regional Chairman for the World Council of Service Club. He has
served six years on the Board of Child and Family Institute." Sierra Adoption
Services is very privileged and honored to have Mr. Finch at the board helm.
Sierra Adoption Services-now in its 20th year of finding loving families for
the children who wait-is a nonprofit adoption agency with a unique mission.
Unlike traditional private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least
likely to be adopted, children with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. The
agency is built on the firm belief that no child is "un-adoptable."
For more information, please call Larisa Bryski at 916-368-5114 ext 237, or
visit Sierra Adoption Services online at www.sierraadoption.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
THREE GENERATIONS TO HIKE FOR CHILDREN'S FUTURES
GRASS VALLEY - On Friday, July 11th, Chuck Horton (42), his father Phil (72),
and three of his nephews, Nick Stober (16), Casey Stober (19), and Gabriel Tello
(18) will set out on a 4-day, 51-mile hike across the Pacific Crest Trail to
benefit Sierra Adoption Services' Champions for Adoption program.
This will be the 2nd annual fundraising event for Sierra Adoption Services hosted
by Chuck Horton, who, along with his wife Brenda, hosted a sustainable workshop
on home building at Luna Sagrada last year-an event that raised approximately
$6,000 for children waiting for permanent adoptive homes.
The hikers, who've dubbed themselves the "Tres Generations Trekkers,"
will begin their journey at the base of the Sierra Buttes, and will pass English
Mountain, Old Man Mountain, Basin Peak, and Castle Peak, finishing up at Boreal
Ridge on Monday, July 14th. The overall elevation change will be approximately
14,527 feet, with the highest point at 9,100 feet. The group will carry lightweight
backpacks (20-25 lbs), and will sustain themselves along the way with fresh,
organic foods, and by using water filtration methods.
Sierra Adoption Services' Champions for Adoption program is an innovative way
to involve family, coworkers, or friends in the process of raising the funds
needed to place a child in a permanent adoptive home. The program relies on
the creation of teams-a family, group of individuals, a company, or service
club-willing to pledge and raise $5,000 (Sierra Adoption Services' cost to place
a child or sibling group) over a 12-month period.
Chuck Horton is dedicated to the mission of the Champions program. "Our
family is very close-very tight-knit. We all know how important it is to have
parents. Participating in Champions for Adoption is our family's way of showing
support to kids who don't have what we have. We do this to show our commitment
to raising the funds needed to place a child. We've been fortunate in our lives,
and we want to be able to share this fortune with others."
Sierra Adoption Services (SAS) is a nonprofit adoption agency that works to
find loving families for children without permanent homes. Unlike traditional
private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least likely to be adopted-those
with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. Founded in 1983, SAS is currently
celebrating its 20th year of success in finding adoptive families for California's
waiting children.
For more information, please contact Sierra Adoption Services at 530/272-9600,
or visit www.sierraadoption.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
NEW SERVICES ANNOUNCED TO HELP ADOPTIVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RECEIVE
THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT AND CREATE STABLE, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS
SACRAMENTO - Sierra Adoption Services is set to begin a new program to provide
specialized behavioral health treatment services for former foster youth and
their adoptive families in Sacramento, Placer, Nevada and Butte counties. With
a two-year, $439,855 grant from The California Endowment, a private, statewide
health foundation, Sierra Adoption Services' Adoptive Family Resource Center
(AFRC) will be able to help children with traumatic histories of abuse and/or
neglect, and provide their adoptive parents with support services such as training,
referrals, support groups and counseling.
At least 60 percent of youth adopted from the foster care system have serious
mental health needs due to abuse, multiple foster home placements, domestic
violence, lack of medical care, exposure to alcohol or drugs, and other factors.
In addition, many of these children have behavioral problems, and without the
specialized skills required to effectively treat them, adoptive parents can
become overwhelmed.
Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) is a unique therapeutic treatment model
that is founded on social learning principles. PCIT provides an intensive, positive
interaction- training component, incorporates both parent and child in the treatment
session, and provides a mechanism for positive-change child behavior. PCIT uses
a bug-in-the-ear device to provide live coaching from an observing therapist
behind a one-way mirror to a parent interacting with his/her child.
Bryan Shragge, Manager of the Adoptive Family Resource Center commented, "This
grant from The Endowment allows us to expand the range of therapeutic services
to children and families and provide a critical behavioral intervention for
children whose behaviors have not responded well to other therapies or interventions."
The Endowment funds will be used to develop a PCIT model sensitive to the unique
needs of adoptive families. Sierra Adoption Services will work in collaboration
with University of California Davis Medical Center in developing and implementing
the services. The project will create PCIT treatment sites in Sacramento, Auburn,
Grass Valley and Chico.
For more information on the Adoptive Family Resource Center and PCIT, please
call Bryan Shragge at Sierra Adoption Services, at 916-368-5114, or visit Sierra
Adoption Services online at www.sierraadoption.org.
The California Endowment was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable,
quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote
fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered
in Woodland Hills, The Endowment has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Sacramento, Fresno and San Diego with Program staff working throughout the state.
The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit
the health and well-being of the people of California. For more information,
visit their Web site at www.calendow.org
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2003
Contact: Larisa Bryski
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
lbryski@sierraadoption.org
"Golf for Charities" Tournament Benefit Children Waiting To
Be Adopted
Sacramento - Soroptimists of Sacramento North, Wendy's, and the Dave Thomas
Foundation for Adoption are teaming up to hold the 7th annual "Golf For
Charities" at the Teal Bend Golf Course Wednesday, May 14th. A portion
of the proceeds from the event will benefit Sierra Adoption Services, a private,
non-profit adoption agency that works to find permanent adoptive homes for children
who wait in foster care.
Wendy's and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption are proud sponsors of "Golf
for Charities." In 1992, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was established
to make adoption work for children and parents. The Foundation formalized Dave
Thomas and Wendy's commitment to finding families for waiting children across
the United States. The Foundation serves as an active voice for the more than
150,000 children in North America's public child welfare system who are waiting
for permanent homes and loving families. These kids may be older; part of sibling
groups who want to be adopted together; from minority cultures, or physically
or mentally challenged. Ben Mansoor, Director of Area Operations for Wendy's
International Inc. expressed these thoughts: "Wendy's is happy to follow
in our founder Dave Thomas' footsteps in finding permanent homes for children
waiting to be adopted."
Soroptimists International of Sacramento North (SISN) are hosting this special
annual event. SISN are part of a worldwide organization for women in management
and professions through service to advance human rights and the status of women.
Soroptimists International works for positive change through awareness, advocacy
and action, joining together for the betterment of our communities, with a major
focus on issues affecting women and children. Sheila Jefferson Ross, coordinator
of the event, is happy that the "Golf for Charities" has garnered
much success in the past, and is still going strong. "Soroptimists International
of Sacramento North is pleased to be partnering with Sierra Adoption Service
for the 3rd year in a row, supporting their mission to help adoptive children
and their families."
Sierra Adoption Services (SAS) is a nonprofit adoption agency that works to
find loving families for children without permanent homes. Unlike traditional
private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least likely to be adopted-those
with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. Founded in 1983, SAS is currently
celebrating its 20th year of success in finding adoptive families for California's
waiting children.
For more information, please contact Sierra Adoption Services at 916-368-5114,
or visit www.sierraadoption.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2003
Western Sierra Bank and Sierra Adoption Services Partner to Care for Local Orphans
Cameron
Park, California - Western Sierra Bank, a subsidiary of Western Sierra Bancorp
(NASDAQ:WSBA), a multi-bank holding company, headquartered in Cameron Park,
California, announced that they've joined with Sierra Adoption Services to create
the "Caring for Kids" partnership. The "Caring for Kids"
campaign will be raising money through June 30, 2003, to find adoptive homes
for local orphans and bringing attention to the number of children in our community
waiting to be adopted.
"Our commitment is to serve people. Western Sierra Bank is honored to be
partners with Sierra Adoption Services, Caring for Kids Campaign. Together we
can make a difference in the lives of local kids," stated Kirk N. Dowdell,
President/CEO of Western Sierra Bank.
Campaign posters and brochures are on display and individuals wishing to make
donations to "Caring for Kids" may do so at any of the eleven Western
Sierra Bank locations throughout El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties.
In the Sacramento region, there are over 2,700 orphans who have lost their parents
due to situations of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or death. Through no fault
of their own, they're waiting in our foster care system for families who are
willing to adopt them and love them forever.
"Once again, Western Sierra Bank is demonstrating their commitment to the
community. Staff at each branch has been touched by the plight of these forgotten
children. Imagine the hope that gives them. We are honored to have Western Sierra
Bank as a partner in this important work," stated Gail Johnson, Executive
Director, Sierra Adoption Services.
Sierra Adoption Services is a nonprofit adoption agency with a unique mission.
Unlike traditional private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least
likely to be adopted, children with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. The
agency is built on the firm belief that no child is "un-adoptable."
Western Sierra Bancorp is comprised of Western Sierra Bank, Lake Community Bank
and Central California Bank and has assets exceeding $720 million. The Company
operates in the counties of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Lake, Stanislaus,
Calaveras, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, and Butte. In addition, Western Sierra Bank
opened a branch in Folsom, California, on April 14, 2003, bringing the total
number of locations to 23.
Contact:
Mary
Jane Lewis - Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Western Sierra Bancorp 530-677-5600
www.wsnb.com
Larisa Bryski - Sierra Adoption Services 916-368-5114
www.sierraadoption.org
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2003
CONTACT: Larisa Bryski, (916) 368-5114 ext 237,
E-mail: lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Sierra Adoption Services to Celebrate its 20th Anniversary-20 Years
of Finding Permanent Adoptive Homes for Children in Foster Care.
Nevada County - Thursday, May 1st marks a landmark anniversary for Sierra Adoption
Services (SAS), which was founded in Nevada City, and is recognized for finding
permanent adoptive homes for nearly 1,000 foster children since 1983.
For 20 years, Sierra Adoption Services has given new hope to children without
parents. Far too many children, tens of thousands in California alone, have
lost their families through the tragedy of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. A
private, nonprofit adoption agency, Sierra Adoption Services' mission is to
break the cycle of abuse by providing permanent adoptive families for California's
waiting children, with an emphasis on those with special needs, and to promote
a climate which supports successful adoptions through services and advocacy.
Since its early days as a small adoption agency in Nevada County, Sierra Adoption
Services' impact has spread throughout Northern California, providing post-adoption
therapy for families as well as specialized adoption services.
Services can be found in the following areas:
· Sierra Adoption Services, Sacramento (916-368-5114)
· Sierra Adoption Services, Grass Valley (530-272-9600)
· Placer Kids, Auburn (530-887-9982)
· Adoptive Family Resource Center, Sacramento (916-368-5114)
· Adoptive Family Resource Center, Chico (530-879-3861)
· Adoptive Family Resource Center/CDSS Warm Line, Sacramento (800-268-2967)
Gail Johnson, Executive Director of Sierra Adoption Services, has been with
the agency for nearly all of its existence, and strongly believes in its future.
"When we look back in another 20 years what will we see? Here is my vision:
an agency that continues to show that nothing is impossible when you believe
in the children."
For more information, please call Larisa Bryski at Sierra Adoption Services
916-368-5114 ext 237, or visit Sierra Adoption Services online at www.sierraadoption.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2003
CONTACT: Larisa Bryski, (916) 368-5114 ext 237,
E-mail: lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Sierra Adoption Services Receives $100,000 from the Thomas P. Raley Foundation
To Aid Children in Foster Care
Sacramento - Sierra Adoption Services (SAS) is pleased to announce they've been
awarded a $100,000 grant from the Thomas P. Raley Foundation to help find permanent
adoptive homes for children in the foster care system.
The generous grant from the Thomas P. Raley Foundation, whose vision is to "Enhance
the quality of people's lives," will allow Sierra Adoption Services to
find permanent adoptive homes for approximately 20 children who currently reside
in foster care. SAS specializes in finding homes for children who are considered
more difficult to place - those with tragic histories of abuse, neglect, and
abandonment.
"Once again Raley's has demonstrated their commitment to the community."
Said Gail B.D. Johnson, Sierra's Executive Director, "This company cares
so deeply about the children we serve and holds them in great respect. We are
proud to have their support in this important work."
The late Thomas P. Raley was the founder of the Raley's chain of supermarkets
that have garnered much success in Northern California, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Always dedicated to its customers, Raley's is deeply involved in the communities
it serves. In the arts, in education and in community service, Raley's is a
leader in encouraging strong family values and community responsibility.
Joyce Raley Teel, Co-Chairperson of the Raley's Board of Directors expressed
these thoughts: "It is hard to imagine growing up without a family, especially
when I think of the love and stability I enjoyed as a child. I realize now how
fortunate I was. As a mother and head of a large company, I understand how important
the work of Sierra Adoption Services really is -- for the children and for our
community."
Sierra Adoption Services is a private, nonprofit adoption agency. Its mission
is to break the cycle of abuse by providing permanent adoptive families for
California's waiting children, with an emphasis on those with special needs,
and to promote a climate, which supports successful adoptions through services
and advocacy.
For more information, please call Larisa Bryski at Sierra Adoption Services
916-368-5114 ext 237, or visit Sierra Adoption Services online at www.sierraadoption.org.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2003
CONTACT: Larisa Bryski, (916) 368-5114 ext 237,
E-mail: lbryski@sierraadoption.org
Sierra Adoption Services Receives $50,000 from the Haigh-Scatena Foundation
To Aid Children in Foster Care
Sacramento - Sierra Adoption Services is pleased to announce they've been awarded
a $50,000 grant from the Haigh-Scatena Foundation to facilitate Sierra Adoption
Services' (SAS) Statewide Adoption Assistance Education Project (AAP).
The unique project, now in its 10th year, is California's only comprehensive
service to assist adoptive families with children formerly from foster care
by providing access to resources that meet the specialized needs of the children.
The project also aims to assist county child welfare workers through direct
assistance and regional trainings. AAP attorney, Helen Cavaugh-Stauts is nationally
recognized as an expert in adoption subsidies, and is the author of Understanding
AAP-a Parent and Worker Guide, which was developed under the project. In addition,
the generous grant from Haigh-Scatena will support Sierra Adoption Services'
adoption advocacy activities. SAS Executive Director Gail Johnson was the 2001
recipient of the Adoption Advocate of the Year Award presented by the North
American Council on Adoptable Children. Her advocacy activities center on positive
change to California's adoption system, working to ensure that no child will
leave foster care without a permanent connection to a committed and loving adult.
The Haigh-Scatena Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that promotes
positive social change for disadvantaged children in Northern California.
Sierra Adoption Services is a nonprofit adoption agency with a unique mission.
Unlike traditional private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least
likely to be adopted, children with tragic histories of abuse and neglect. The
agency is built on the firm belief that no child is "un-adoptable."
Adoptive parents and others wishing for more information on the AAP Education
Project may contact 1-800-227-8044, or visit Sierra Adoption Services online
at www.sierraadoption.org.
###