OF
OF TIME
OF TIME IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS TALKING ABOUT HOW THE
HOLIDAY SEASON IS
GOING TO BE VERY
DIFFERENT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL
BE MISSING THEIR
FAMILIES.
STILL, OTHERS SAY --
DESPITE THE WARNINGS
-- IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE
WITH FAMILY THIS TIME
OF YEAR ESPECIALLY
THIS YEAR. -- AND
THEY'LL RISK WHATEVER
THEY HAVE TO TO BE
WITH THEM.
IN WHICHEVER CAMP
YOU FALL -- YOU LIKELY
RECOGNIZE THE
IMPORTANT ROLE FAMILY
PLAYS IN YOUR LIFE.
AND IF YOU ARE HAVING
TO IMAGINE A TIME
WITHOUT YOUR FAMILY
AROUND YOU RIGHT
NOW THEN YOU MIGHT
BE ABLE TO HAVE JUST A
LITTLE GLIMPSE INTO
THE LIFE OF A LITTLE
BOY WE ARE
INTRODUCING YOU TO
TODAY.
DAVID IS LOOKING FOR A
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
"HE
"HE IS
"HE IS JUST LIKE SUCH A SWEET FUN LOVING GREAT LITTLE BOY. I
KNOW THAT THE RIGHT
FAMILY IS OUT THERE.
WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO FIND THEM FOR
WHATEVER REASON.
AND LIKE I SAID, HE'S SO
READY. HE'S SO
EXCITED. HE CANNOT
WAIT TO FIND THIS
FAMILY."
AT 11 YEARS OLD, DAVID
HAS NOT HAD AN EASY
ROAD. HE'S NEVER
QUITE KNOWN WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE LOVED
UNCONDITIONALLY BUT
HE'S READY TO FIND
OUT AND HE HAS A
WHOLE TEAM BEHIND
HIM INCLUDING
CHEYENNE METZLER.
CHEYENNE IS A CHILD
WELFARE CASEWORKER
FOR THE CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY DEPARTMENT
OF SOCIAL SERVICES
AND SHE ALSO AGREED
TO BE DAVID'S VOICE
FOR US -- HE WAS A
LITTLE SHY WHEN IT
CAME TO BEING
INTERVIEWED.
"SO HE IS IN A FACILITY
WITH OTHER BOYS HIS
AGE, THAT CANNOT BE
WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
FOR WHATEVER
REASON. SO AT THIS
TIME, WE DO NOT HAVE
ANY SORT OF IDENTIFIED
FAMILY OR RESOURCE
FOR DAVID."
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL
ADOPTION MONTH. THE
THEME THIS YEAR IS
ENGAGE YOUTH: LISTEN
AND LEARN. DAVID IS
JUST ONE OF MANY
CHILDREN EAGER TO
FIND A SAFE PLACE IN A
HAPPY HOME.
THE NEED IS THERE IN
ALL CORNERS OF
WESTERN NEW YORK.
I SPOKE WITH ANTHONY
TURANO, THE
COMMISSIONER OF
SOCIAL SERVICES IN
CATTARAUGUS COUNTY.
HE SAYS SO MANY
CHILDREN WHO WERE
ALREADY VULNERABLE
ARE IN EVEN GREATER
NEED NOW.
ANTHONY
TURANO/COMMISSIONER
ANTHONY TURANO/COMMISSIONER , CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
SOCIAL SERVICES
"NOW, WITH THIS
PANDEMIC, WE'VE SEEN
A LOT MORE SERIOUS
CHILD ABUSE CASES IN
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AND DRUG USE ARE
VERY PREVALENT. AND
SO THE NEED FOR SAFE
HOMES AND FIT AND
WILLING MEMBERS OF
COMMUNITY TAKE KIDS
IN AND TRY TO SUPPORT
THEIR NEEDS AND MEET
THEIR NEEDS WHILE
THEIR PARENTS TRIED
TO MAKE SOME
CHANGES IN THEIR
LIVES SO THEY CAN BE
SAFE, APPROPRIATE
PARENTS IS GREAT
RIGHT NOW."
THIS IS A TEAM ALWAYS
LOOKING FOR MORE
MEMBERS TO JOIN IN
HELPING CHILDREN LIKE
DAVID.
CHEYENNE SAYS HE
NEEDS PEOPLE WHO
ARE PATIENT WHO
PROVIDE STRUCTURE
BUT ALSO ALLOW HIM A
BIT OF FREEDOM TO
MAKE HIS OWN CHOICES
WHERE APPROPRIATE.
AS FOR WHAT DAVID IS
LOOKING FOR
CHEYENNE SAY BEYOND
WANTING TWO PARENTS
HE'S REALLY PRETTY
OPEN BUT HE DOES
HAVE ONE SPECIAL
REQUEST.
CHEYENNE: "SAME SEX,
TWO MOMS, TWO DADS,
A MOM AND A DAD, IT
DOESN'T MATTER. HE
REALLY WANTS DOGS,
THOUGH. HE LOVES
DOGS, HE WOULD LOVE
A FAMILY THAT HAS
DOGS AND LOVES DOGS
AS MUCH AS HE DOES."
A SMALL THING, REALLY
A SIMPLE WISH. FOR
ONE LITTLE BOY IT
COULD MEAN THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
DAVID'S
DAVID'S TEAM IS WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO HELP HIM AND
THEY'RE HOPING
RAISING A LITTLE
AWARENESS WILL HELP
HIM FIND HIS FAMILY AND
HELP SUPPORT OTHER
CHILDREN AS WELL
GIVING THEM THE TOOLS
THEY NEED TO REACH
THEIR POTENTIAL.
THEIR POTENTIAL.
IF
IF YOU
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW
YOU CAN HELP
CHILDREN IN NEED OF
HOMES HEART
GALLERY NEW YORK IS A
GREAT PLACE TO START
IT FEATURES
CHILDREN LIKE DAVID
LOOKING FOR THEIR
FOREVER FAMILIES.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE
BY GOING TO HEART
GALLERY NEW YORK.
ORG.
WE ARE GOING TO
LEAVE IT THERE FOR
TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US HERE ON MOST
BUFFALO.
I'M KATE WELSHOFER.
BE WELL. STAY WELL.
I WILL SEE YOU NEXT
TIME.
TIME.