Local child advocate shines with Governor's Award

Release date: 5/22/2008

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 22, 2008 – Linda Coffin is a shining example of volunteerism. The ambitious Hypoluxo woman has been a foster parent for more than 10 years as well as a hands-on board member of the Heart Gallery of Palm Beach County. She’s also Governor Charlie Crist’s statewide Points of Light Award recipient in honor of Foster Parenting Awareness month. Heart Gallery volunteers, Children’s Home Society of Florida staff, friends and family recently gathered at West Palm Beach’s CityPlace Muvico Parisian 20 to honor Linda and her tireless efforts for children.

Governor Crist recognized Linda for her volunteer work, which includes foster parenting along with coordinating the Heart Gallery, a traveling panel of shots of professionally photographed foster children in need of “forever families.” A number of CityPlace businesses display the gallery in their windows. Linda organizes the collections’ locations and sets up most of the displays on her own.

Shortly after Linda set up the Heart Gallery displays to establish the award ceremony’s backdrop, Perry Borman, Circuit Administrator for Florida’s Department of Children and Families for Palm Beach County, presented her with the Points of Light Award.

“You really know a person’s passion to volunteer when they’re setting up for their own ceremony,” Perry says.

Although the ceremony was meant to honor Linda, she thanked everyone for supporting her efforts to place foster children in caring homes and families. She describes her job as a pleasure and sees the Heart Gallery as an opportunity for the community to get involved in foster child adoption.

“I think they feel the children in the window could be their own,” Linda says.

She ended her remarks with a story of when she and Angel, an 8-year-old foster child currently in her care, were walking (Angel was actually doing cartwheels) out of a department store. Angel stopped, looked up at Linda and said, “you have the best job ever.” Tearing up, Linda says, “I looked down at her and replied, ‘I really do.’”
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