Retired NFL Player Shares His Heart-Wrenching Story of Foster Care Horrors and Hope In Houston Adoption Luncheon

Giving Vulnerable Kids a Place Where They Belong

BY Shelby Hodge // 05.01.23

photography Jenny Antill

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Colleen Difonzo-Lewis, Heather Safi, Rae Solberg at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Whitney Laird, Sarah Barrett, Justine Klinke at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Arms Wide president and CEO DeJuana Jernigan, guest speaker Gaelin Elmore at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Chairs Kelley Scofield and Sydney Eifler at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

KPRC vice president and general manager Phil Lane, chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley, meteorologist Chita Craft at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Jill Bomar, Lyndsey Zorich, Kristy Bradshaw at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Shannon Kinney, Scott and Jennifer Allison at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Mike Mahlstedt, Stephanie Sanders at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Shayla Meeks, Pinda Romain, Tiffany Nichols at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Lindley Arnoldy, Maria Johnson at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Stephanie & Scott Sanders at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Allie Veselka and Michelle Holcomb at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Beezie Sayers, Genna Evans at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Jennifer Laporte, Genna Evans, Leslie Pitts at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Joanie McLeod, Eryn Ebaugh at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Jordan Seff, Julie Longoria Chen, Audrey White at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Julie Bergeron, Olivia Persia at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Kristy Bradshaw, Brooke Bentley Gunst at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Lauren Morgan, Nicole Katz at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Meredith Marshall, Colleen Difonzo-Lewis at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Colleen Difonzo-Lewis, Heather Safi, Rae Solberg at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

What: Arms Wide Adoption Services Fulfilling Families Luncheon

Where: The Briar Club

PC Moment: Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Gaelin Elmore reflected on his experiences within the foster care system for more than a decade during which he experienced physical, mental and emotional abuse. His high school football coach saved him, taking Elmore into his home. A star high school football player, Elmore went to the University of Minnesota on a football scholarship and graduated in three years with a degree in communications. He played one season in the NFL before retiring.

Today a motivational speaker, Elmore attributed his success in life to the feeling of belonging that his coach’s family imparted to him. His story resonated with the gathering of more than 250 guests who were there in support of the important services that Arms Wide provides to some of the community’s most vulnerable children.

Kelley Scofield and Sydney Eifler – 5 (Photo by Jenny Antill) — Chairs Kelkley Scofield and Sydney Eifler at the Arms Wide luncheon held at the Briar Club. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Luncheon emcee Frank Billingsley shared his story of adoption by a loving family, his experience spotlighted at the 2022 luncheon.

Arms Wide client Chiara Phan further supported the mission by giving testimonial on her family’s commitment to fostering children and the joys that supporting the youngsters has brought them.

Easter Tabletop

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The luncheon also served to announce new branding needed to address the changing focus within child welfare to preserving families. The new title Arms Wide is punctuated with the tagline Preserving and Fulfilling Families. With the new name, Arms Wide continues its programs of foster care, foster care adoption, kinship care and permanency support.

Jill Bomar, Lyndsey Zorich and Kristy Bradshaw (2) (Photo by Jenny Antill) — Jill Bomar, Lyndsey Zorich, Kristy Bradshaw at the Arms Wide luncheon. (Photo by Jenny Antill)

Sydney Eifler and Kelley Scofield chaired the event that raised close to $160,000.

PC Seen: Arms Wide president and CEO DeJuana Jernigan, Nicole Katz, Lindley Arnoldy, Caroline Bean, Chita Craft, Julie Longoria Chen, Stephanie and Scott Sanders, Leslie Pitts, Lyndsey Zorich, Jordan Seff, Kristy Bradshaw, Jennifer and Scott Allison, Fady Armanious, Juliana Chervanick, Alison Chavez, Kate Stukenberg, Brooke Bentley Gunst, Kara Hilliard, Michelle Holcomb, Blair Loocke, April McGee, Caroline Negley, Mike Mahlstedt, Rory Bellow, and Jill George Bomar.