November is National Adoption Awareness Month and with our work through Lane County Heart Gallery we want to share with you some previously run 'Heart Gallery stories in hopes that a family will see this child or these children and want to bring them home.

   THESE TWO SISTERS THAT I MET LAST JUNE ARE ANXIOUS TO FIND THEIR FOREVER FAMILY.
  LET ME RE-INTRODUCE YOU TO CHELSEA AND KAYLA....TWO VERY SWEET GIRLS.

   I MET 10 YEAR OLD CHELSEA, AND 9 YEAR OLD KAYLA AT THE GIRL SCOUT OFFICE IN EUGENE.
   BOTH OF THEM ARE GIRL SCOUTS....AND DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH THEIR TROOP.
   EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW HOW TO SEW, THEY'D NEVER TAKEN LESSONS ON A MACHINE.
   SHEILA LOGAN TEACHES GIRL SCOUTS HOW TO SEW ALL THE TIME. 
   SHE AND MARY ANN LABRASSEUR VOLUNTEERED TO TEACH THE GIRLS AND GIVE THEM A PROJECT TO DO.
   SOON THEY WERE READY
[Lydia Casas\Case Worker]

(kayla is very excited about everything. She is the one quick to respond.")

("Chelsea is a little more laid back, looking at it, surveying the area, looking at what her part will be.")

   THE GIRLS SELECTED THEIR FABRIC...WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME....THEN SAT DOWN TO SEW!
   CHELSEA AND KAYLA HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS. 
   THEY HAVE 4 SIBLINGS WHO ARE ALREADY LIVING WITH ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER.
   CASE WORKER LYDIA CASAS WANTS THE GIRLS ADOPTIVE PARENTS TO HONOR THAT RELATIONSHIP.

[Lydia Casas\Case Worker]

("A home that would keep them involved with their siblings would be the optimum.  We're hoping for an in-state family sometimes that doesn't always happen but if they could get them involved with cards, gifts, e-mails, that kind of stuff.")

   THE GIRLS HAVE SOME SCHOOL CHALLENGES AND MAY NEED PARENTS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM, BUT THEY ARE VERY SOCIAL AND GET ALONG WELL, WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR FRIENDS.
   CHELSEA WANTS A FAMILY THAT WILL LOVE BOTH OF THEM

("I want them to love and care about me.  My favorite food is breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I don't like white rice (laugh)  I just don't.")

(do you like white rice?" "yes I do!")
(I eat everything,  The only thing I don't like is sushi.")

        THE GIRLS TOLD ME THEY LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, IN FACT THEY HAD LONG LISTS....BUT ONE THING THEY'RE SURE ABOUT.... IS STICKING WITH GIRL SCOUTS....IT'S SOMETHING THEY CAN DO NOW AND AN INTEREST THAT WILL STAY WITH THEM, WHEN THEY FIND THEIR NEW HOME.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CHELSEA AND KAYLA, CALL THE HEART GALLERY AT 954-9626....OR YOU CAN CALL THEIR CASE WORKER, LYDIA....AT (541) 756-5500.