FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – During a day of honoring women at the State Capital, a Central Valley non-profit director is recognized.
Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R- Fresno) named Whitney Bunker “Woman of the Year,” on Monday.
Bunker is the founder of City Without Orphans that works to change the lives of adoptive families and vulnerable children in the foster care system.
“Whitney is a bright light in our community,” Assemblyman Patterson said. “Her work to bring foster families together with children who need a loving home has changed countless lives. We are grateful that she has chosen to share her passion for adoption in this way and look forward to all her future accomplishments.”
“I had a vision about 9 years ago, when I was doing case management at a foster care agency – seeing so many needs of children in our city and in our Central Valley and seeing so many families that had considered fostering and adoption but weren’t doing anything to take any action steps, and I thought what if we created a bridge,” said Bunker.
There are nearly 2,000 kids in foster care in Fresno County.
CWO works to raise awareness about adopting children in foster care.
They also connect adoptive and foster families with educational programs that teach them how to build trust and understand their child’s social and emotional needs.
City Without Orphans has now hosted 65 workshops for families who are curious about the process of adoption.
“It’s a wonderful non-profit, faith-based work that puts individuals together with vulnerable children, and the purpose is to cement those family relationships and to get these children, who otherwise might be social orphans, into forever families, said Assemblyman Patterson.
Bunker is a Fresno Pacific University graduate.
She and her husband Daniel have three daughters, two through adoptions and one through guardianship.
There is a workshop coming up this Saturday at Fresno’s Cross City Church from 9:00 until noon.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
