Dear Friends of the Heart Gallery, 

My heart is full as my husband and I finalized the adoption of our three beautiful children Kadence, David, and Brody on March 17th. We found our family through a tremendous partnership between the Heart Gallery of Tampa and Forever Family before I came to the Heart Gallery of Broward. They told the story of these extraordinary siblings in a way that captured both of our hearts. This shows the power of the Heart Gallery and Forever Family missions and how they change the lives of our youth and our families, and I am thrilled that we have this same unique partnership locally.  

While this news is a personal highlight of 2023 for me, the Heart Gallery of Broward has had an amazing year so far. We have held meaningful Heart Days that allow the youth we represent to go out together and enjoy a day of fun in the community. We have helped facilitate the match of 13 youths with prospective adoptive families since the year began, which includes two sibling groups and two teenagers. We are hopeful to see adoptions finalized by the end of the year.  

We also started our new birthday buddy program and have many new plans in the works. I invite you to read our kick-off to our new Heart to Heart Newsletter below to learn about all that is happening in our community!  

Thank you for your continued support of our organization and for joining us on this incredible journey. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children and build a brighter future for all. 

Regards, 

Dr. Mary Kinirons 

Executive Director, Heart Gallery of Broward County 

Board Retreat

The Heart Gallery of Broward Board of Directors and staff kicked off the year by coming together for a highly engaging and future-focused board retreat.

We have big plans in the works to further our mission and enhance our programs.

A big thank you to Cloud Nine Nonprofit Advisors for facilitating!

Our Annual TruHearts Event Raises Over $73,000

& Awareness for Adoption from Foster Care

Heart Gallery of Broward County's annual TruHearts event presented by Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club was a night to remember, honoring Stephanie Toothaker for her unwavering commitment to the organization and the Fort Lauderdale community. The event, in its 5th year, successfully raised over $73,000 and shed light on the Heart Gallery's mission to find forever homes for youth in foster care.

Stephanie Toothaker has been a steadfast supporter of the Heart Gallery of Broward and an advocate for our communities most vulnerable youth. She was recently recognized as a 2023 Women Trailblazer and uses her voice and connections to give back to the community. Her longtime friend Sigrid McCawley presented Stephanie with her award saying, “...what makes Stephanie really special is her ability to connect with people – Stephanie has a unique talent for relationship building and she is always willing to help someone in need. That is why it is really fitting that tonight we are honoring her as the True Heart of our Community.

A heartfelt thank you to our event chairs Sigrid McCawley, Lisa Duke, and Debbie Banks-Snyder, and all of our generous sponsors!

Meet Folashade aka Lala!

Meet Folashade aka Lala!

Folashade enjoys coloring 🖍 listening to music 🎶 watching movies🍿 being outside in the playground 🛝and playing basketball🏀. Folashade enjoys tickles and patty cake handshakes.

She is a sweetheart who will need lots of love and attention to get through daily challenges.

Thank You, True Hearts Giving Circle Founding Members

KC & Tabatha Cross

Mike Robbins

Joe & Barbara Sloboda

Ben & Anna Sorensen

Click the button below to learn more about the True Hearts Giving Circle and how you can make a lasting impact in the lives of foster youth.

Youth Events and Heart Days

In February, the Young Lawyers Section of the Broward County Bar held their annual YLS Holiday in February event at the Museum of Science and Discovery. On this day approximately 40 foster youth attended along with 6 prospective adoptive families and 15 volunteers from the YLS/Broward Bar, Heart Gallery of Broward, and ChildNet. The youth that attended had a wonderful time decorating gingerbread houses, meeting Santa, and receiving gifts collected by the YLS team. We are so grateful for their continued partnership and the joy they bring our youth year after year.

In April, the Heart Gallery of Broward sponsored and produced a Heart Day at Xtreme Action Park in partnership with ChildNet. We had 10 foster youth attend along with 4 prospective adoptive families. The foster youth had a blast competing against each other in Mini Golf, posing for fun headshots for our gallery with volunteer photographer Jorge Parra, and playing arcade games.

Announcing our Birthday Buddy Program!

The Heart Gallery of Broward County launched its new Birthday Buddy program in January. This program is focused on celebrating our youth while in care by sending them birthday cards with Visa gift cards giving them the unique experience of shopping for whatever their heart desires. One such card delivery was made by a ChildNet caseworker and she shared with us the following message.

 “Bianza was very thankful for the gift card ❤️.. she did a little dance while she read the card and saw how much money she had.”

To date, we have purchased 25 gift cards for youth in care, gifting them the ability to ‘treat themselves’ as they celebrate this key milestone in their lives.

Learn how you can support a child's birthday by clicking the button below!

Our mission is to provide innovative programs that help to promote the adoption and enrichment of Broward's foster youth.