How a Wendy’s Frosty is helping get Ohio kids into stable homes
Wendy’s fast-food founder Dave Thomas was adopted and never forgot the support of a loving family. President George H. W. Bush asked him to lead a national adoption awareness campaign in 1990 – and the idea for the Dave Thomas Foundation was born. Like the restaurant chain, it started in Ohio.
The foundation has funded recruiters inside Ohio’s welfare system since 2004. It focuses on adopting older teens like Cipollone and children with special needs.
Hamilton County has seven $75,000 grants for recruiters within the Department of Job and Family Services. They are the only recruiters on staff and, without the foundation grants, the jobs would go away or money would have to be found in the funds from the local tax levy, spokesman Brian Gregg said.
Sharon Wiesenhahn started as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter in Clermont County about seven years ago. She is the only recruiter in that county’s department, hired after years in corporate recruiting and in intake at Clermont For Kids.
At the end of 2019, there were …
