Press
Women of Excellence: Eight outstanding nominees to be honored at annual dinner
/Santa Maria Times | March 12, 2015
by Jennifer Best
Read the article here.
Santa Maria Valley Women of Excellence Honored at Annual Dinner
/Santa Maria Times | March 15, 2015
by Staff
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Lucy Ortega: A Gift for Balance
/GoodHealth Magazine: A Healthcare Journal from Sansum Clinic | January 1, 2015
by Adele Menichella
Read the article here.
Angels Foster Care Special Selection
/Santa Maria Sun | July 31, 2014
by Angels SB
Read the full article here.
Just a Little Push Blog
/May Days - Volume 22 | June 3, 2014
by Ali Azarvan
Read the article here.
Competing for Cash, Nonprofit Leaders Deliver Their Best ‘Fast Pitch’
/Noozhawk | May 28, 2014
by Gina Potthoff
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Angels Foster Care Always Needs Families
/Santa Barbara Independent | May 22, 2014
by Kelsey Brugger
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Spreading Awareness, Providing Care
/CASA | May 2, 2014
by Jeanette Casillas
Article from the May 2, 2014 CASA Magazine
email: info@angelsfostercare.org
Angels Al Fresco
/Montecito Journal | May 1, 2014
by Richard Mineards
A mélange of magnificent millinery was out in force when Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara held its third annual Al Fresco Afternoon on the Riviera on the perfectly manicured lawns at the Biltmore.
The charity, which has placed 153 babies in homes in the last seven years, had 220 guests, helping raise more than $30,000 for the cause, founded by Meichelle Arntz.
Event Co-Chairs were Holly Murphy, Marsha Kotlyar, Michele White, and Sue Bickett.
Ali Azarvan and Tom Adams emceed the bash, while Keith and Margot Clarke, who have adopted two daughters as well has having four adult daughters, received Volunteer of the Year awards, and the J.S. Bower Foundation , the first to fund the charity, got the Foundation Award.
Mac's Fish and Chips Donating Pie Sales to Foster Program
/KEYT-TV | December 5, 2013
by John Palminteri
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Judy Foreman: Allora by Laura Serves Up a Haute Launch for Fashion Fans
/Noozhawk | September 16, 2013
by Judy Foreman
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Legal News: Angels Working In Santa Barbara
/Santa Barbara Lawyer | August 1, 2013
by Susan McCollum
Read the article on page 6, here.
Angels Al Fresco
/805 Living | July 1, 2013
by Mark Langton
Al Fresco Afternoon on the Riviera to support Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara (angelssb.com) took place at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara in May, which is National Foster Care Month. Guests shopped at a boutique filled with jewelry, home goods, fashions, food and flowers. An outdoor luncheon featured European-inspired gourmet fare from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. The entertainment included live music and a fashion show. Angels Foster Care of Santa Barbara provides care and placement services for infants and toddlers born in Santa Barbara County, In 2011, after only five years in operation, the organization placed its 100th child with a permanent family and to date has placed 129 babies in local homes.
On the Town: Angels Foster Care is Heaven for Foster Babies
/Santa Barbara News-Press | June 16, 2013
by Erin Graffy
Read the article here.
Al Fresco Afternoon On the Riviera
/CASA Santa Barbara | May 17, 2013
by Jeanette Casillas
Read the article here.
Mineards’ Miscellany: Al Fresco Afternoon
/Montecito Journal | May 9, 2013
by Richard Mineards
Read the article here (page 30).
On the Town: Montecito Bank & Trust
/Santa Barbara News-Press | May 5, 2013
From left, Michelle Richardson, director of management information systems at Montecito Bank & Trust, and Gerald Parent, bank board member, meet with Meichelle Arntz and Susan McCollum, both with Angels Foster Care. The nonprofit was one of 10 receiving $1500 Anniversary Grants from the bank at a March 13 reception at its downtown branch. Employees decided who would get the grants.
Angels Foster Care mother helps heal child’s heart
/Santa Barbara Family Life | May 1, 2013
by Angels Foster Care
Madeline, a foster infant from Santa Barbara County, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and other congenital heart defects to a 16-year-old mother who, herself, was a foster child. This precious baby underwent open heart surgery the day she was born. Because of limitations in the foster care system, she was left alone to recover at the hospital with just the nurses to care for her. All alone for six weeks with no family.
Then Angels Foster Care stepped in. Little Madeline was released from the hospital and was in need of a stable home. It quickly became clear that she would need two adult parents who were committed to caring for a medically fragile child. The Sprague Family was in the process of becoming foster parents through Angels when they found out about Maddie. Their desire was to provide this little girl with a loving environment where she could heal and grow without changing caregivers, which coincided perfectly with the Angels fostering philosophy.
“When she first came to our home, she wouldn’t look at us. If we tried to get in her field of vision, she turned her head away. She didn’t smile or coo at us like other babies her age. But just a few weeks later, all that changed,” said Jeannie Sprague.
At three months old, Maddie’s first surgery repair began to fail and she was rushed down to the hospital for a second open-heart surgery. The family stayed with her at the hospital for a month where they got the opportunity to talk to and thank the nurses who took care of her the first time around. Jeannie’s husband took his work on the road and they stayed at the Ronald McDonald house with their little 4-year-old son. The nurses and doctors remembered her and were so happy that Maddie had someone with her this time.
Their bonding with Maddie increased tenfold with this experience. In the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit post-surgery, despite being heavily sedated and the nurses telling the family she wouldn’t be able to react much, she responded to their voices. She turned her head in their direction. By the time they got home from the hospital she was already so attached she would cry if they started to walk away.
Maddie needed extra care and a temporary quarantine to avoid illness. Their commitment to have one parent at home with the children provided that care and she was able to heal faster.
Had Madeline been placed in a traditional foster setting, it is unlikely she would have received the attention she needed to heal. The Angels model is set up to support both the foster child and family that bring her into their hearts.
“I believe that Madeline is now a thriving, happy baby because she knew that a mom and a dad and a brother were finally there to love her. Angels Foster Care made that happen,” says Jeannie. “I hope if you learn more about the incredible stories of the many Angels families that have given so much that you will feel the impact of the work that is being done to change babies’ lives. There is a way to make a difference in foster care. Angels Foster Care makes a difference. I’m just grateful that we could be a part of it.”
To learn more about the Angels program, visit them on the web at www.angelssb.com or call (805) 884-0012.