Founder of The
Tangled Hearts Project - Patti Lynn Bongiorno
What is the origin
of The Tangled Hearts Project?
There isn’t one reason
behind its creation; it is a combination of experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. If I had
to pick one thing though, it would have to be that the foster care statistics became too
grim to bear. Nearly 600,000 children in foster care, 126,000 waiting to be adopted, and
20,000 aging out each year with little if any support for a healthy outcome is all just
too much. We have to do better so I’ve chosen to be part of the solution.
What is the purpose and
function of the Tangled Hearts Project?
The Mission of the Tangled Hearts
Project is to increase awareness of adoption and improve the lives of children touched by
foster care or adoption.
We serve as advocates for
America’s children, inform and encourage individuals of good character to become
foster parents, adoptive parents or advocates for children from the foster care system. We
support the Tangled Hearts Scholarship to encourage higher education among foster care
children.
What do you actually DO?
Write and publish, present
seminars, speak to prospective foster and adoptive parents, network with other
organizations and individuals so we can make the best use of our ideas and resources, sell
necklaces to raise scholarship funds – these are the activities that make up a
typical day.
The “hats” I wear are:
Mom (adoptive and by birth),
Executive, Writer, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA – Dallas), and Speaker and
Seminar Facilitator for organizations such as Casey Family Services.
How is Bongiorno Books connected
to Tangled Hearts?
Bongiorno Books, Inc. is a social
entrepreneurship that began with books for the children of September 11th and went on to
establish the Tangled Hearts Project in 2004.
Is the Tangled Hearts Project
(or Bongiorno Books) a non-profit organization?
No. Being a 504-C requires a lot of
paperwork and resources we do not have! It is more expedient and cost effective to utilize
the non-profit organizations already in place for our fund-raising activities. The net
proceeds* from the Tangled Hearts pendant, are donated to a scholarship fund administered
by the Orphan Foundation of America. The non-profit OFA was founded in 1981 by the
late Joseph Rivers, a former foster youth. His goal was to help orphans and foster youth
as they transition from foster care to young adulthood, with particular emphasis on
helping them to pursue higher education.
OFA's four main initiatives - the
Scholarship Program, the eMentor Program, the OLIVER Project, and Send a Care Package -
support these young people in their college career and provide them with a sense of
community.
