Stories

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption-Canada recently welcomed Laura Titas, Chief Digital Experience Officer at The Wendy’s Company, as a member of its board of trustees. She will serve a three-year term. “The Foundation’s mission is deeply personal for me,” said Titas, who is a mother to three adopted daughters. Read More

Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, spoke with WEWS News 5 in Cleveland about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting children and teens in foster care. Read More

Dear Friends, The last few weeks have been incredibly uncertain, as the world navigates the most serious global health crisis we have faced in our lifetime, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schools are closed, non-essential workers are staying home and social distancing has become essential. We are all trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and […] Read More

The following story was published by The Chronicle of Social Change in March 2020. By John Kelly The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA) – which oversees Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, one of the nation’s most successful permanency ventures – is a decent microcosm of what’s going on in the wide community of nonprofits that are […] Read More

Ellie entered foster care at age 16 after suffering years of physical and emotional abuse. In 2018, she was adopted through the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. FOX 13 Utah and reporter, Sydney Glenn, shared her story. Read More

The generosity of supporters, like Bill Perkins, make it possible for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to expand our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program to serve more children waiting in foster care who need our help the most. “The gap in opportunities for children who grow up in a permanent, loving home and those who do not is staggering,” said Mr. Perkins. "The Foundation is working every day to close this gap and give more children waiting to be adopted from foster care the stability and support they need for a brighter future.” Read More

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption welcomed Leigh Burnside, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer at The Wendy’s Company, as a member of its board of trustees. She will serve a three-year term. “I’m humbled for the opportunity to serve such an outstanding organization and a mission that is near to my heart,” she said. Read More

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption welcomed Pamela Farber as a member of its board of trustees, serving a three-year term. Farber, one of Dave Thomas’ daughters, is a committed businesswoman and philanthropist, who has helped to advance organizations, including Wendy’s restaurants, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Franklin Park Conservatory. “My father’s legacy is this Foundation, and I will do whatever I can as a member of the board to move the mission forward so that every child has the safety and stability they need and deserve," she said. Read More

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption welcomed Sean Niklas as a member of its board of trustees, serving a three-year term. Niklas is President & CEO of Saren Restaurants, Inc., a Wendy’s® franchise organization in Chicago, Illinois. Adopted as a newborn, Niklas has committed his life to giving back through his restaurants and as a longtime supporter of the Foundation. “This cause is truly personal to me,” he said. Read More

Chris and Joanna McIntyre have adopted six children from foster care, including their daughter Ariana through the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. The family shared their story with Denver 9News. Read More