Foster kids have a heart set on home

By Mike Wilson, Times Staff Writer
Published February 14, 2008

Each year around Valentine's Day, bay area children's advocates unveil a photo exhibit of foster kids who are looking for adoptive homes. - This year, the Hillsborough Heart Gallery and the Pinellas-Pasco Heart Gallery together feature 150 kids in search of families. - Showing pictures works. Forty percent of the kids in the 2007 galleries were matched with potential families and 20 percent were adopted, according to the organizations. - This week, we introduce you to a few of this year's kids. You can see more pictures and learn more about the Hillsborough gallery by clicking on www.heartgallerytampabay.org or calling (813) 204-1792; for Pinellas-Pasco, go to heartgallerykids.org or call (727) 456-0637.

Samuel, age 14

FEATURED IN: Pinellas-Pasco Heart Gallery, heartgallerykids.org

HEART GALLERY SAYS: "He's smart and charming . . . the prom king, class president, or maybe both in the making. Add politeness and helpfulness to innate leadership skills, top it off with a heap of old-fashioned charm, and you'll have a snapshot of this bright young man."

INTERESTS: Shooting hoops, baseball, drawing

HE WISHES FOR: A family

QUOTE: "I love to draw action figures."

[Last modified February 13, 2008, 18:03:41]