“One Sunday, our church was hosting the Heart Gallery and just seeing those pictures made it real to us — these are real kids that are looking for families right now,” said Mandy Pepper-Yowell. Mandy and her husband Chris felt the tug at their heart to take action. After the journey to become licensed, they began fostering in 2018 and two years later adopted sweet sisters, Zaya and Edith. “The heart gallery initiated a conversation of what fostering could look like in our family. It was foundational and holds a special place in our hearts because of it.”

Community Partners of Lubbock exists for stories like the Pepper-Yowell family. Founded in 1998 by the Junior League of Lubbock, CPOL began with a singular mission: to serve and support children and families in the foster system. CPOL established The Rainbow Room to fill in the gaps when children were placed in homes with little more than the clothes on their back. Prior to the creation of the Rainbow Room, Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers relied on their own personal resources or spent hours of precious time searching for items to meet the needs of the children they served such as pack and plays, car seats, clothing, shoes, formula, hygiene bags, and so much more. Just last year, the Rainbow Room served 1226 families and 2624 children providing 6556 items to meet the needs of so many.

Because Community Partners of Lubbock seeks to stand in the gap for children in our area, they recognized the need to relaunch a Heart Gallery in the Panhandle Plains. “We remembered how impactful the Heart Gallery was to our community before Covid,” says Tyler Young, Board President. “So we put in a bid with the state and received the grant to make it happen!” 

With over 400 children awaiting adoption in the Panhandle Plains, the Heart Gallery utilizes purposeful storytelling and professional photography to advocate for every child to have a forever family and place to belong. Statistics show that communities with a robust Heart Gallery program have higher adoption rates and the support needed for families to thrive.

Community Partners of Lubbock is making such a significant impact in the lives of children right here in the Panhandle Plains and is actively partnering with families like the Pepper-Yowell’s to advocate for every child to have a place to belong.