This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wendy’s for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Adoption is a cause that is close to my heart. My mom and stepdad adopted their granddaughter. I was 14 at the time and it was exciting to get the little sister that I had dreamed of having when I was younger but thought I would never get because my mom couldn’t have any more children of her own. My sister is now 12 and I am 24, so our sibling relationship is certainly unique from the relationship that I have with my older siblings who were little at the same time that I was. However, I don’t feel like my unique bond with her has much to do with her age or the adoption, but more from the person that she is. As a baby and toddler she was so cheery all the time, and coming home from middle and high school to her silly and precocious personality was the highlight of most of those days. Now that she’s entering middle school herself I love that I can talk to her about what I went through 10 or 12 years ago and feel a little less outdated or out of touch as most of the adults in her life because it hasn’t been quite as long since I was in her shoes.
I can’t imagine how different my life would be if she hadn’t been adopted by my mom. Adoption has been such a gift in our family even though my sister was never left in foster care. For children who do get left in the foster care system for any period of time, the gift can be so much greater.
Right now, Wendy’s is selling limited edition cups that discuss adoption. There are four different cups, each tells a “family first” story by a child who has been adopted. I stopped by my local Wendy’s and got a medium drink that included the Richard’s First Zoo Trip story. The cup was hand-designed by a boy named Richard who was adopted at age 9. He had never been to a zoo while he was living in foster care, so his first trip with his family was a special moment that he decided to draw for his cup.
Wendy’s supports adoption in part because the founder, Dave Thomas was adopted so he knows first-hand how important family is. Wendy’s passionately supports the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption which works to find permanent, loving homes for more than 130,000 children waiting in the US foster care system. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program has served more than 11,500 children and has helped more than 4,500 children be adopted. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program focuses on children who have been waiting the longest in the foster care system. Wendy’s Wonderful Kids assigns special recruiters with caseloads of children so that each child can get as much attention on their case as it deserves to find them a family that suits their personal needs. The program has been shown to increase the odds of a child being adopted by up to three times. Dave Thomas has been quoted as saying that children in foster care “aren’t someone else’s responsibility, they are our responsibility.”. Wendy’s is continuing to support this belief system by sharing adoption stories on the beverage cups through November. The cups also encourage people to visit the www.wendys.com/adoption site (the Wendy’s adoption page) which will let you listen to and watch animated illustrations of “family first” moments like the animated version of my cup, Richard’s First Zoo Trip.
Has your family been impacted by adoption? I’d love to hear your story.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
I haven’t been to Wendy’s in a while but know the story about Dave, the founder, since I grew up in Ohio,and lived many years in Columbus. He’s always supported adoption for as long as I can remember–what a great cause.
My family has been impacted by adoption in both a negative and positive way. Someone close to me had to put a child up for adoption, it was by choice and the family was pre-chosen and the adoptie knows who his birth family is, and all is well and good, but the birth family has missed out on knowing this child, which leaves a void in your heart.
This is an amazing campaign to open the eyes of people that do not understand adoption. I can not personally relate but I know this has to be a subject that is not discussed enough. So heartfelt, thank you.
I like Wendy’s because of their food, but I love them because of their support for foster care adoption. It’s such a wonderful initiative! I love the work that Wendy’s Wonderful Kids does and they’ve changed the world for so many kids. Kudos to Wendy’s!
This is such a great campaign. I think adoption is such a wonderful thing and we need to get the word out to more people about all the kids out there that need families.
This is an amazing campaign. I feel sorry for children who are stuck in foster care or in and out of the system. Hopefully, this campaign will put adoption on someones heart. I wish I could adopt another child but with my own health issues it’s not feasible at the moment.
Thats so great. I didnt know Wendys did that. I am 29 and my youngest sister is 13 so I completely understand your relationship. It’s different, in a motherly sort of way.
I have a few friends that had gone the adoption route. It was so fascinating to see the process take place. To see the bonds formed long before the adoption was finalized. It is such a great route to go I’m glad so many have done so.
Dorothy Hubbard
Robin Rue (@massholemommy)
Bonnie @wemake7
Rosey
CourtneyLynne
kathy downey
I haven’t been to Wendy’s in a while but know the story about Dave, the founder, since I grew up in Ohio,and lived many years in Columbus. He’s always supported adoption for as long as I can remember–what a great cause.