WASHINGTON -- In its growing arsenal of programs designed to end the warehousing of children in temporary living situations and promote permanency through adoption, the Freddie Mac Foundation has started a new parent-finding project at Union Station called "The Heart Gallery."
"This is a wonderful program that started in New Mexico where photographers went around and took pictures of children in the foster care system to tell their personal story," said Freddie Mac President and CEO Maxine Baker.
Forty-two of the children on display at Union Station right now are Wednesday's Children. Washington-area photographers, both professional and amateur, were asked to participate in the program.
Alexxus, a Wednesday's Child last June, was photographed by Samantha Leibovitz.
"She wasn't in the best mood at first," Leibovitz said. "She wasn't interested in being photographed, didn't want her picture taken."
Leibovitz said Alexxus did open up.
"She's a great girl," Leibovitz said. "I really hope she gets adopted because she deserves a loving family."
Demitrius, another Wednesday's Child, was photographed by Judy Heffner.
"What you want to do is capture the soul and sweetness of the child to get through to the true personality beyond those things they might have experienced in their life that might not have been so positive," Heffner said.
Joan Brady often photographs News4's Wednesday's Children, including Destiny.
"When you take lots of pictures, you have lots of beautiful pictures that are wonderful," Brady said. "That's very different than having to have one picture that's so arresting that it's going to make someone stop to look again or turn around and go back to look at it."
Anyone interested in adopting a child can call News4's special adoption hotline at 1-88-TO-ADOPT-ME.
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