Hope Cottage is getting ready to kick off its centennial warm-up year at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, with “Step Up For Hope Fundraising Walk” starting at Hope Cottage. There will be no charge, but if a person raises $100 s/he’ll be rewarded with an event shirt and a goody bag.
All members of the family are invited to participate including the pets. (Cats might be a bit skittish about joining in, so let them stay at home on the couch.)
There will be games plus prizes for individual and teams who raise the most monies, best team costume and best dressed canine (leash required) in the pooch parade.
Unfortunately, Hope Cottage CEO Sonyia Hartwell will not be a part of all the official festivities. She’s retiring to Arizona on Wednesday, June 28, after working at the adoption agency since 2009. During her tenure, she saw Hope Cottage through many developments, including the moving of its facility at Fitzhugh and McKinney to its brand spanking new sweetheart of a building in the Wilson Historic District.
As for who will be replacing Sonyia, it will be Hope Cottage Chief Program Officer Brooks Quinlan, who also joined Hope Cottage in 2009.
My sister was adopted from Hope Cottage in 1964. It was the height of the civil rights movement. Adopting a Native American into a Dallas suburban white family was unusual at the time. My parents said they would adopt and love the first girl that was available. She was six months old and came from the (then) San Juan Pueblo near Santa Fe (now called the pueblo of the Ohkay Owingeh. Thank you to the people of Hope Cottage who found my sister and brought her to her forever home.
Mitch,
Thank you for your kind words. The enduring legacy of Hope Cottage is that its mission has always been to find a forever home for EVERY child. It has been my joy and honor to end my carer at such a wonderful organization
Sonyia Hartwell, CEO.