Dear Friends of Building Arizona Families,

As National Adoption Day approaches, and the wonderful world of adoption soars to new heights, there are many exciting developments to share, and this letter is one of them.    Building Arizona Families Adoption Agency is thrilled to announce the birth of the Donna K. Evans Foundation!  The Donna K. Evans Foundation (also known as the DKE Foundation) is a non-profit aftercare program that provides support and services to women who have placed a baby for adoption.  The DKE Foundation’s mission is simple; to help women reach their dreams by giving them a hand up, not a hand out!

The focus of the DKE Foundation is to assist women that have reached a point in their lives where they are facing homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, mental illness, drug use and numerous other hurtles, in addition to just having placed their baby for adoption.  Quite often these women have almost no support structure, little to no education, and few resources. Furthermore, many of these women have fallen into the rut of living day-to-day, worrying where their next meal will come from, and how they can stop the vicious cycle that has brought them to such a dark place.  To further complicate these women’s lives, they have just placed a child for adoption, and many are struggling with grief, anxiety and guilt.  Unfortunately, post-placement services are virtually non-existent in the adoption world.  Therefore, we are pioneering the concept of post-placement services to let these women know that they are not alone in their quest to regain control of their lives, and to raise awareness that not only does every child matter, but every child’s mother matters too!

Frequently I am asked, “Where did the inspiration come from?”  The answer is, my mother, Donna K. Evans.  I was placed for adoption, and my birth came only eight days before the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, and the legalization of abortion.  However, due to the selfless choice made by my mother at the tender age of 16, I was given the opportunity by my adoptive family to grow up in a stable and loving home, go to college and obtain my master’s degree.  Unfortunately, my mother did not receive any assistance or support after placing me for adoption, and went on to live a life consumed by grief, anxiety and depression.

I was reunited with my mother in 2007, and enjoyed nine amazing years with her.  In June of 2016 (at the age of 59) I saw my mother for the very last time.  As I stood in the ICU at Mount Carmel West I had no idea that this would be our last time together.  As she laid there surrounded by tubes and wires, hooked up to a variety of machines I held her hand in mine, and in those final moments I made a vow to her that I would find a way for her death to make a greater impact than her life ever had.  I pledged to my mother that her passing would not represent a period in the story of her life, but rather, a semicolon.  That the final chapter of her legacy had yet to be written, and that somehow, someway, the selfless decision she made back in 1973 would be the inspiration for something far greater than anyone could’ve ever imagined.

As a result, The DKE Foundation was founded in August of 2017, and offers services including; group counseling, emotional support, GED study guides, assistance with job placement, clothing, post-partum counseling, emergency housing, food assistance, financial classes, bus passes, referrals to local social services and much more!  I want women to believe they matter, and that they made the right choice when choosing adoption for their child.  I want to provide women with the services and support that my mother never received, and that’s where your support is needed the most.

Please visit our website at www.dkefoundation.com for more information and to learn how you can get involved.  We know this much to be true; we can do together what we could never do alone, and I sincerely hope you will Join us in being part of the solution to improve the lives of women who have made the most selfless of choices.

In closing, I choose angel wings as our logo because angels were important to mother, and with your support I know we can help these women find their wings, so they can fly.

Sincerely,

Kelly Rourke-Scarry
President/CEO
Building Arizona Families & The Donna K. Evans Foundation
(623) 694-9864
Kelly@dkefoundation.com
Kelly@buildingarizonafamilies.com