Diakon Adoption & Foster Care holds unique fashion-show matching event
Topton, Pa (Monday November 7, 2016)
The youths who took part in this year’s Fashion Show & Matching Event pose for a group photograph.
Seventeen youths and 16 prospective adoptive families participated in the fifth annual fashion show-style “matching event” held by the Northeastern Pennsylvania office of Diakon Adoption & Foster Care, based at Diakon’s The Lutheran Home at Topton, One South Home Ave.
The event, held Saturday, Nov. 5, brought together older youths in need of permanent families and prospective adoptive and foster families.
The event is unique in that it uses a fashion show atmosphere that makes the youths “stars” for the day, with each receiving from area vendors free makeup and clothing consultation, as well as a new outfit they model, says Joyce Riche, director of Diakon Adoption & Foster Care’s Topton office.
The event also is designed so that youths and families have time for socialization following the fashion show.
Steve Harper, a photographer with the French television network TF1, interviews a prospective adoptive family.
“We were very pleased with the response and families and the young people had lots of time to interact and get to know one another following the show,” says Riche.
Each year, the matching event successfully results in adoptions involving older youths and, in fact, has attracted international attention. This year, a producer and videographer from the Washington, D.C., bureau of the French television network TF1 attended the event and interviewed both youths and families for a nightly news broadcast in that country.
For further information, please contact:
William Swanger, M.A., APR
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries
(717) 795-0308
E-mail: swangerb@diakon.org
