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When Forever Footprints learned that many families left the hospital with empty arms, we vowed to change that. For many years, we have distributed memory boxes into the community, so families who have experienced pregnancy loss or infant death have treasured memories of their baby. And while we are so proud of the boxes, we had a dream of providing ones that were larger and sturdier.
Thanks to the generosity of the Brady family, in honor of their son Jayden, the dream became a reality. Because of their support, 200 boxes will be given to families. In addition to sturdier boxes, we are also able to include teddy bears, blankets, hats, keepsake magnet frames, and support information in English and Spanish.
Many thanks to all our volunteers who donated their time to assemble boxes at our Forever Footprints office.
It is our hope to provide even more boxes to grieving families. You can sponsor a box for $25 by clicking here.
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Forever Footprints Executive Director Position
Forever Footprints ensures that families who have suffered a pregnancy or infant loss receive the best support, comfort, and resources possible. To do so, Forever Footprints provides families with direct services, educates the medical community to improve quality of care and response, and offers opportunities for remembrance to help families find their own path to healing.
Responsible to: Board of Directors
Function: Serves as the Executive Director of the organization with responsibilities and duties as listed in this job description and as assigned by the Board of Directors.
Responsibilities:
• Develop and manage the fundraising and financial strategies of the organization.
• With the board of directors, establish short and long term goals via a strategic plan.
• Prepare the annual budget and present to the board of directors.
• Meet or exceed individual revenue goals, set annually by the board of directors, and ensure that adequate funds are available to permit the organization to carry out its work.
• Maintain and build relationships with individual donors.
• Manage and seek grant opportunities.
• Maintain and build relationships with corporate and family sponsors for yearly events, and produce new sponsors.
• Recruit and motivate volunteers.
• Develop and implement social media strategies and marketing plans.
• Develop effective working relationships within the medical community.
• Represent the organization at community events, seminars, speaking engagements, etc.
• Oversee event management team and contribute to producing 2-3 events per year.
• Develop, implement and supervise programs and services that are consistent with the organization’s mission.
• Follow all organization financial procedures, and maintain all financial tracking.
• Perform all duties associated with running and operating our Orange, California, office location.
• Submit monthly director reports to the board of directors.
• Produce an annual report.
• Provide resources to families who have experienced pregnancy loss or infant death.
• Work to strengthen and build the organization, while maintaining focus on the organization’s mission and purpose.
Requirements and Qualifications:
Strong record in fundraising.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Experience working in a nonprofit organization in a management position.
Demonstrate leadership and ability to work with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.
Proficient in Quickbooks, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, WordPress.
Success in building and working with a Board of Directors.
Experience in Event Management a plus.
Experience working with the medical community a plus.
Employment Type:
Full Time
Salary:
Dependent on experience.
How to apply:
Please submit your resume/CV and cover letter explaining why you feel you would be successful in this position and your salary requirements to [email protected].
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The Forever Footprints Compassion Award is given to an individual or individuals in recognition of their contribution to the pregnancy and infant loss community. Each year, support group leaders, doctors, nurses, parents, volunteers or other individuals who have made an impact in the lives of parents and families who have suffered a pregnancy or infant loss are nominated for this award.
Congratulations to our 2016 Compassion Award nominees:
Laurel Taylor
Ciara Johnson
Jennifer Beers
Rene Ray De La Cruz
Dr. Donald Henderson
Aracely Rodriguez
Gemma Acevedo
Kristin Hernandez
Congratulations to our 2016 Compassion Award recipient:
Ciara Johnson
Ciara has been nominated for the award for three consecutive years. Ciara has been an active Forever Footprints board member for three years, where she organized the Golf to Remember and Night to Remember events. She has also taken a large role this year in planning the OC Walk to Remember. Ciara’s dedication has resulted in thousands of dollars in fundraising and sponsorship for Forever Footprints, which benefits all of the families Forever Footprints serves. In addition to her dedication to Forever Footprints, she is an example of strength, love, and dedication to pregnancy and infant loss.
This quote is from Nancy, who nominated Ciara: “Ciara epitomizes true compassion, as she has literally walked beside me in the aftermath of losing my firstborn son Noah. Ciara is truly a loving Mother and caring friend, who inspires me with how she has transformed her grief from losing her sweet Colton into helping others through her active involvement with Forever Footprints. I can think of no one who is more deserving than Ciara to win this award.”
We congratulate all of our nominees and our recipient. We are grateful for all you do.
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A little over four and a half years ago my life was perfect. I had an incredible husband, two amazing, healthy, beautiful kids, and I was pregnant with our third. We found out baby #3 was a little girl, and we started to prepare for her arrival. We bought clothes, started putting her room together, and life was what I had dreamed. Then I went to my 20-week appointment, and my life crumbled. I walked into the doctor and laid on the table to get a sonogram of our baby girl. Then the ultrasound technician asked the doctor to come in. He told us that our baby girl’s heart had stopped, and she is no longer living. Our hearts shattered.
After a talk with the doctor, I started to prepare for the delivery of our lifeless baby girl. I was induced the following morning and went through thirteen hours of labor. When I delivered our sweet girl the room was unlike anything I have ever felt. It was peaceful, full of love, full of pain, full of tears, but what I remember the most was the sound. It was so quiet, but at the same time, I could hear the most beautiful sound. To me it was the sound of an angel being born. As I held my baby girl in my arms, I fell in love and felt broken all at the same time. We named her Harper Kayte Valenzuela.
Going home to an empty nursery and having empty arms made it feel like I couldn’t go on. Surprisingly, my arms physically ached to hold a baby. Many days and nights were unbearable. There were times I felt like breathing wasn’t even an option. But then I had this overwhelming feeling that this is not what Harper would want me to do. I felt her love and comfort over me saying, “Mom, it’s OK. We will be together again, but the other kids need you.” I felt myself slowly getting to a point where I could move forward.
After a few months, we were able to get pregnant again, and life felt like it was piecing back together a bit. We found out we were expecting another sweet baby girl. Once again we started to prepare for arrival. When I was 20 weeks pregnant with her, I was down by my doctor’s office and decided to just go in to get some heart tones done. I was in my second trimester and was feeling great. I was nesting and happy.
Upon doing heart tones and a sonogram, they found that her heart had stopped. How did this happen AGAIN?! What did I do wrong? What should I have done differently? The answer was nothing. I did everything right. The doctor came in to talk to me, and I knew the drill. I knew what was going to happen next.
My labor was horrible. My body had been in labor twice in less then 9 months. I ended up asking for the epidural, which they weren’t able to get in until the very last second of the thirteen-hour labor. Early in my labor, my husband ended up in the emergency room for what they thought was a bleeding ulcer, but ended up being a trigger that his appendix was bursting. So while he was there, my best friend growing up came in to help. With labor getting excruciatingly worse, she ended up texting my mom to come in. My mom had three miscarriages herself, but she was very quiet about them. With my mom and best friend there, I finally delivered, and my sweet little girl was in my arms. We named her Quinci Jill Valenzuela. I felt that she was sent for my mom, Jill. My mom has been very quiet and pushed her miscarriages to the side, like she was basically told to do so many years ago. Her heart became hard for them, and she never had closure. When Quinci was born, my mom was by her side the whole time. She took many pictures and went with her to get weighed, dressed, and measured. She just stared at her. Her closure had started. She realized that it was a baby. A baby with fingers, toes, mouth, little ears and a perfect little body. She was in awe. You could see my moms heart healing, yet at the same time crumbling, as she said goodbye to her granddaughter.
Life was so fragile and so complicated and so full of unanswered questions. We did decide to do an autopsy with Quinci because of the exact same situation happening twice. Her results came back, and everything was perfect. I began getting tested and everything looked good. But the confusion didn’t end there. Six months later, we began to try and get pregnant again, but after three years of trying, we still have not been able to get pregnant. I have gone through many fertility tests, as well as procedures and surgery. My husband has gone through testing. We have taken countless fertility medications and tried eating/not eating different foods. You name it, and we have tried it. The only thing we have not tried is IVF. Both my husband and I have talked that if IVF was for sure going to give us a baby, we would do it. But there is a chance it wouldn’t work, or that the baby wouldn’t make it. To us we didn’t feel it was best for our family to put that financial strain for something we didn’t know would work or not.
My whole life I have always wanted to adopt. But after we lost Quinci, the thought of adoption scared me so badly, so we never talked about it more than once. But after three years of countless tears, something fell into our laps that we couldn’t deny. We now are in the process of adoption, and it’s going so great. Everything has come together, which gives me the full heart of knowing we are doing exactly what we need to be. We are almost done with our classes, and soon will be starting the inspection on our home.
Our hearts have been broken beyond repair, but the love and support we have for each other gets us through. I don’t like the phrase “moving on,” so we say “moving forward.” That’s why I have such a love for Forever Footprints. This organization has given me such an incredible outlet to help me feel and know I am not alone. It’s given me a chance to meet and help others who have gone through similar situations. Forever Footprints gives hope, support, and love, which is what these women and families need.
What is the Forever Footprints Ambassador Family?
The family is chosen by the organization to represent the mission of Forever Footprints. They are actively involved in the organization, have been impacted by our programs, and commit to being a voice for pregnancy and infant loss.
For Mothers and Fathers, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, Support Resources, Uncategorized
Forever Footprints News, Forever Footprints Programs, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, Uncategorized
Several years ago, Forever Footprints learned that families at many Orange County hospitals did not receive memory boxes. Worse yet, we heard stories of families being sent home with their baby’s precious memories in empty milk containers, torn paper bags, or used boxes.
We immediately went into action, purchasing memory boxes and supplies. And an amazing group of volunteers has lovingly decorated more than 400 memory boxes that have gone directly to families who have had a baby die in pregnancy or infancy.
Erin, Eve, Becca, Lindsay, we are so grateful for your dedication and love to Forever Footprints and all the families we serve. Thank you for all you do.
If you would like to make a donation toward our memory box program, please visit Our Donation Website or email [email protected]. We are in need of supplies to continue this program and would be so grateful for your financial support.
