November 21, 2025 • 32 mins
Celebrate Thanksgiving and the power of adoption in this heartfelt episode of The Michael Berry Show. Hear inspiring stories of families overcoming challenges, the importance of gratitude, and how organizations like Entrusted Houston support foster and adoptive children.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's that time time time time, luck and load. The
Michael Varry Show is on the air. Oh yes, that
(00:25):
means it's Friday. This is probably my favorite show, my
favorite Friday show for sure, maybe my favorite show.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
To do it's Thanksgiving and it's adoption because some of
you won't be able to hear us next week because
you'll be traveling.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Heavy Day, heavy day, happy.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Whiny whenny war Quinny say the way love happy day
(01:07):
or happy day?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
Happy or happy day?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Wen't do those wart witty warm.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
N't this war see away loved.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The habit day, a happy day, a happy day.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
When you lose wars.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh many, war.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Windy, lose War.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Three or a wait you need a happy day?
Speaker 6 (03:05):
By day.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Good heavy de God happy day, shady.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Waity war Wendy the.
Speaker 7 (04:43):
Way.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
We have chosen this year to put our Adoption show
the Friday before the Thanksgiving show we always celebrate. We
know that a lot of people will be out next week,
so if we do our Thanksgiving show on Thanksgiving or
the day before, a lot of people won't hear it.
Understandable a lot of people are traveling, so we have
(05:08):
traditionally chosen to do that on Friday, because a lot
of you will be gone for a week, and so
that's what we will do today. We will weave in
between Thanksgiving and adoption, two things that are very important
to me. I think it is important to give thanks,
to have a spirit of gratitude for God's blessings. And
(05:31):
I think that adoption is so important it just cannot
be overstated. Well over sixty could be as many as
seventy million abortions since nineteen seventy three, and we argue
there should not be abortions. Who's going to take those
babies in. That's what adoption does. That's why it's so special,
That's why it's so important. And we'll get to that
(05:55):
in the course of the show. But first to get
a start, as we always do, courtesy the greatest executive
producer and all the land chat Tony Knakanishi a chat
a coney Knockanisi, you're a weekend review Sandra, what's yours?
Speaker 7 (06:12):
I'm not back and I'm not skinny. I'm just right.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
If a white guy's dating a black woman.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
I got in a white guys became when I was
in college and he was into the breath.
Speaker 7 (06:20):
I don't white man's love bread if you don't have
big glass, he loved it my bread.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Oh my goodness. You know what I love about Sandra.
She has no shame. There is nothing that embarrasses her.
She's basically going to tell you about her sex life,
a late husband and have no shame about it. And
then that white boy she dated in college he liked
boozeo man. The True Horrors of hazing, The psychology behind hazing.
To figure out why some young men seem to be
(06:44):
willing to do anything to get in. One suspect held
his feet down and then pulled his pants down to
his knees before one of the suspects violated him with
a boomstick. If you were to study it, there's something
kind of partially gay about the whole of it if
you think about it, because the amount of things related
to violating the bunghole are in some way exposing and
(07:06):
messing with the peter are not normal. Police are also
looking for the man who tried to rob a dairy
queen on the city's West side. Dairy Queen may be
known for their blizzards, but the chilling encounter with a
pipe wielded Robert is enough to freeze anyone in their tracks?
Speaker 7 (07:23):
Do we have to do that?
Speaker 8 (07:24):
Son?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I realize you're excited to be a journalist. Did you
make a list? If he was doing it ironically, I
could get it. How bad is this going to be?
It's going to have a chilling effect that could freeze
any bad guy. But what's wrong with it?
Speaker 7 (07:47):
I was almost full.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I'm still going, stop going. I can't stop going once
they started stay. How if you're midpe and you have
to stop because you're starting or whatever. I don't know.
I don't know what all the parts down there are.
But something involved in the urethra gets pinched off or something,
and it is unpleasant. And I feel like women talking
of about childbirth that we should get to talk about
(08:09):
when you got to snap off real quick, my your pean.
They are telling me what's called onesies, these little things
clothing for a baby like moundaberry. Shit, he's support of
all these onesies. Every year, on every Thanksgiving special, we
(08:32):
play a call that happened organically. I mean, it really
is one of the most beautiful moments ever happened on
the show. And I'll tell you when it started, I
had no idea where it was going. I did not
see it as the great call it turned out to be,
but it absolutely floored me and a lot of other
people who have commented to that effect absolutely floored us.
(08:55):
Just wow. And I think we've played it every year
except one. We forgot one year and I was so
mad at myself. So we're going to start the show
with it so we don't forget. It really is a show.
It really is a call of a great example of
(09:16):
what a positive spirit and faith can do to rise
above your circumstances. Julianne answer, tell us about your odd
tradition on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Well, I raised two little boys all by myself. I
was a single parent. They're both they're nineteen and twenty now.
One goes to ut and one goes to Texas State.
They're doing great. Good or Night I raised them. I
raised them by myself, totally from infancy and time to
really lean.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Where was their dad?
Speaker 7 (09:50):
It's a long story, sir. I'd rather not get into
that part.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was he alive and just not taking care of his business?
Speaker 8 (09:56):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Is he a bad person?
Speaker 7 (09:59):
He's got some issues.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Is he still alive today, yes, sir? Okay, do you
wish him ill?
Speaker 7 (10:06):
No, I don't. I feel very bad for the man,
but that's neither here nor there. Well, I took many
years to get here, sir, believe me.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
But they're both peace beyond understanding.
Speaker 7 (10:21):
We call that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Ramon, What did you do? How'd you support those boys?
Speaker 7 (10:25):
Well, initially I opened it a little daycare, and I
took in children because I didn't want them to go
off to daycare, so I took children in. And then
I also made burritos and tacos and drove around and
sold those out of my car. And then once they
were able to go to school, once I got them
into kindergarten and first grade, I worked in a little
(10:48):
office job. And then I got lucky and met someone
at the pool, and I got into oil and gas,
and now I'm a doctor, the controller. I have a
great career. Things just kind of progressed. God was good.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I wish you were right here beside me, because I
would give you a big hug.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I admire people like you.
Speaker 7 (11:07):
I really do.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
People like you.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
My entire family lived in New Mexico, and their dad
would allow me to lead, and so it was just
the three of us. It was terrible, and one year
it was so bad we had sardines for Thanksgiving. That's
what we ate for sardine. So now every year for Thanksgiving,
I make sure that I have a beautiful play and
(11:31):
I doll it up really pretty, and I make sure
I have sardines at our table so that we never
forget those were years. And that's my story.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
I'm delighted by the fact that we now have our
call screener system, our voicemail should I say system up
and running, and it is that has enabled us to
receive voicemails again. So in the past, people would send
all their emails in as I'm doing the adoption show,
so I'm trying to I'm trying to open them, print them,
(12:04):
read them, and do the show and doing the Thanksgiving
and adoption. I really wanted to give people an opportunity
to tell the stories because I like to hear the
different voices and different perspectives. So you can always call
the show anytime we're not on the air. Seven one
three nine nine nine one thousand. Seven one three nine
nine nine one thousand.
Speaker 9 (12:21):
Here was Cheryl in her story, him, my name is Caryl,
and I'm not calling about myself.
Speaker 8 (12:26):
I'm calling about my.
Speaker 9 (12:27):
Dad who grew up in Beaumont and history is pretty unique.
You and adopted at the age of twelve after having
lived in an orphanage and foster homes for several years
because my grandfather was at a barber shop and the
guy told him that it was a shame that there
was this kid, namad Jay and his way out in
(12:48):
life was through sports. But they were shipping in ofta
orphanage and Kingston didn't allow the kids to play sports,
and it was such a shame. He played on the
basball came with the barber so my grandfather I went
to the barbershop or went to a baseball game and
saw my dad play, and they adopted him. And he
ended up playing football at Texas A and M and
(13:08):
had a very successful life. And had my grandparents not
just been and done that to tell them where he
would have been too, that have a great days.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I just realized I'm racing against the clock here because
I'm going to run out of time in this segment.
But so here was another voicemail that Nancy left. And
by the way, for all of you who called in
and save you, we may make an extra podcast. Thank
you for sharing your stories. I really appreciate it. It's
a wonderful thing. Thank you for trusting us with your story.
Speaker 8 (13:37):
Him Michael Barry, this is Nancy. I follow you on Facebook.
Speaker 7 (13:41):
I heard you on the radio.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
However, I'm talking about adoption and I just had a
very lovely story to share. My granddaughter came into my life.
She's one of many, but anyway, this one at three
days old. I brought her into my home and a
mother cannot take care of her, and I've been I
had to go through foster care. I had to go
(14:04):
being told I'm just a foster parent and not acknowledges grandma.
But eventually, with filing, I became guardian and we just
my husband and I. We just completed adoption. We adopted
our little girl. She's a little over too now. I've
(14:26):
been working on ABC's one, two threes and colors, using
balloons to teach her about colors.
Speaker 7 (14:33):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
I'm a little older, but I received the familys and
I love every second of it that we have. There
are times where we have to have quiet time, and
that's okay too. But adoption, yes, there's too many babies
that are unwanted and they're taking away from the room
(14:56):
before we know that's called abortion. But this little girl,
her chances of even coming into the world were pretty
good to numb. And I didn't know I was going
to be a grandmother again. But when the hospital contacted
me and says she has not had anyone really talking
or touching her, and between the hospital and the posture situation,
(15:27):
I said, yeah, I will be there.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
What a maroon?
Speaker 1 (15:36):
What an ignoranom. I received a message an email that said, Michael,
I had a great meeting with Russell Ibara yesterday and
he suggested I reach out to share a bit about
our work at Entrusted Houston. I'm also a mom of seven, heang,
ramon you think raising two kids is tough, and four
(15:59):
of us, our children came to us through the foster
care system right here in Houston. This work is well,
it's cut off the scene. For nearly ten years, Gringos
Restaurant has generously partnered with us to provide a Christmas
lunch for children without placement. Oh, I guess as kids
that have not been placed yet in foster care. Russell
also insisted that I share a fun story with you,
and I was happy to do so. My grandparents were
(16:21):
circus people who lived off fifteen. I'll have to figure
that out because it's cutting off. Thanks so much for
taking time to read this. I'd love the opportunity to
comment further if you're open to it. Well, as it
turns out, I am. It's that time of year. It's
our adoption special and that includes fostering children. Elizabeth Johnson
who goes by Lisa as I understand, welcome to the program, sweetheart.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Well, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, so let's start with how you got involved. Did
you start this program Entrusted Houston.
Speaker 7 (16:53):
I did.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
I actually founded Interusted Houston way back in two thousand
and nine. When we started fostering a family started fostering.
We went through the congregations, helping in love and medication
through the Department of Family and Protective Services or directly
through CPS, and it just I saw a need whenever
(17:18):
you getting kids in the middle of the night, two
o'clock in the morning. Two boys were our first placements.
Had to send my husband off to go get diapers
and whites and the right size clothing for them. And
just realized that maybe somebody doesn't always have the opportunity
to do that. So we started collecting things in my
(17:40):
front dining room. That's where it started. And now we're
in over three thousand square space full of clothing and
all kinds of necessities.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
So how did you let's first start with that decision
to foster. That's a big decision. So what were the
conversations and prayers around that.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
Oh, I'm glad that you said prayers, because it definitely
was a lot of prayers. Honestly, it started off we
you know, when we got married. Adoption has always been
in my life. I was adopted by my stepdad after
my biological father passed away, and then I was previously
married and had a daughter, and when I got divorced,
(18:26):
I said, no matter what, I want my husband in
the future to adopt my daughter, just like my stepdad
adopted me. So we set it up where that was possible,
and so adoption has kind of been all always around.
And when we got married, we said four kids, were like,
let's have four kids. We could only have three, So
(18:48):
we started looking into adoption and fostering and what that
would look like. And the more I learned about it,
the more what really got me was there are still
some children in foster care that are mistreated through the
foster care system. And it's not the norm, it's not
what always happens. But it was those stories, and through
(19:09):
talking with doctor Karen Purvis years and years ago, she
would tell some stories and I would get so angry.
I was like that that's not okay. And basically I said,
we can't just be mad about it and not do
anything about it. So I started praying about it, talked
to my husband, we started attending some information meetings. I
filled out the paperwork and just prayed that the Bible
(19:32):
study ladies on it. And about two weeks later he
handed me over the paperwork with his part filled out,
and we were ready to go, ready to start fostering.
That was two thousand and eight.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Was it more or less hassle trouble work than you expected?
Speaker 8 (19:51):
Oh my gosh, definitely.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
You know what, the PaperWorks a lot. That's always the
paperwork for me is just no fun. Anyways, I was
a terrible girl scout troop leader. But it was about
what I expected, honestly, because you're dealing with children, you're
dealing with families. We were really well informed and I
(20:16):
always try when people ask me about it. I try
to really inform them of the emotional involvement and the work.
Speaker 7 (20:26):
That it's going to be.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
We always attended court dates, We attended every meeting, so
we weren't just sitting back there are you know, some
foster families you don't have to attend all of the meetings,
you don't have to be there at everything, but we were.
We made sure that we stayed informed and it made
a big.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
Difference for us.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, you know, it's one of those things. There are
certain people who are capable of dealing with paperwork and
processes and interviews and deadlines, and there are other people
who just they're just not good at that. And whether
(21:07):
you're a CPA or a grant writer or whatever else,
it's a certain personality type that does that. And it's
not for the faint of heart, but for people who
dig in and do the work. Who am I getting
My wife did all the work. But for certain people
who are organized and patient and relentless, it is very doable.
(21:32):
I've been on the adoption side and not on the
foster side formally, but I've gone through this with a
lot of folks that I've interviewed and that i've talked
to off the air over the years. So how did
that go from your personal experience too? This is something
I want to share with others.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Just stick through the conversations. When we started fostering, of course,
people recognize new children coming through our home. We lived
in a very visible area in our neighborhood whenever we
were fostering, so on the corner of the park. People
visited the park every day and they would just organically
start up at conversations and say, hey, wait a minute,
(22:11):
who's this? And so we would tell our The more
we told our story, the more people wanted to know
and people ask questions. And we did have families start
fostering and adopting after talking to us and getting that information.
And then of course the ministry started and Trusted Houston
(22:31):
started off as a ministry. We saw the need, we
were walking through it and we started collecting items and
then helping out other foster and adoptive families. Could you
get connected through the.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
Agencies as well.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
When you go to trainings and meetings, you get connected
with other foster families. So we started doing that and
then it just grew into a nonprofit in twenty eighteen
after Harvey. Harvey kind of exploded every thing. When the
donation started coming into Houston, we saw an ability to
(23:05):
really spread out and instead of just helping out in
our area, which was the Cypress area, we actually serve
all of Houston, all of Harris County.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Now, and what exactly do y'all do? I'll tell you what.
I'm gonna hold you right there, coming up, Elizabeth Johnson, Lisa,
she goes by, and the program is called Entrusted Houston.
Gringos has has partnered and supported them for ten years now,
(23:36):
and they brought her to my attention, and this seemed
like a perfect time to have this conversation, so we continued.
We want to add a little bit about these warhouses
I know all about. Ramon wants to know what around
the world is.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Whistling bungholes, spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, hockey riders, whosker does, who'sker?
Don'ts nips and dazers with it without the scooter stick
or one single whistling kiddy.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Jason.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Lisa Johnson is our guest. Our program is called Entrusted Houston.
Who would be the person who would benefit from your services?
And how do they contact you and how does that
relationship work.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Any child or family with a need in Harris County
can come to us. It's started off with foster and
adoptive families, but we work with any family that is
actually working with a child welfare system now, so case
workers refer families to us and send them out.
Speaker 8 (24:32):
Here in our warehouse.
Speaker 6 (24:33):
We provide clothing, shoes, diapers, whites, car seats, pack and plays.
We even provide beds and dressers, sofa sometimes dining sets.
We do deliver furniture for families that are working directly
through CPS, so the caseworkers can put in those requests.
(24:54):
But the families, they can come to us directly. They
can go through our website. There's an information email they
can email us just to confirm that we have what's
needed and they can come out here and pick them
up on pick those items up on their own. The
caseworkers can also pick up items for families from our
(25:14):
location directly. We primarily work right now. You know, there's
a big need always with kinship families. So a lot
of families that we work with our grandparents, aunts, uncles,
but also, like I said, foster families who get a
sudden placement in the middle of the night, they can
contact us, come the next morning and we can have
(25:36):
everything ready for them, diapers, whites, clothing, anything that's needed, formula.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
Or all the children that come.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
You've been doing this now for over a decade. What
are you noticing about the demographics, the situations, the age,
the location, the life circumstances today versus when you started.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Well, I do notice there is a lot more we've
we've kind of had a shift and adjust. CPS is
always about family reunification first, if it's safe, if it's good,
and what I will stand by always. The caseworkers are
not there to, you know, take children out of good
loving families, but they will if it's necessary, you know,
(26:22):
place children in foster care. So what I'm noticing is
a lot more.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
Need for.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
The kinship, the kinship help because they are putting more
children into kinship placements now, the foster families, it's a
lot harder to get them Houston. Right now, we are transitioning.
I don't know if this is a big topic, but
we're transitioning from the state led to community based care
(26:52):
so very soon now to Pelchin will be handling the
cases that come in, so they'll be kind of running
their child welfare system. And they've taken over that contract
for Houston for Harris County, So there's going to be
a big shift away from CPS too. Depelchion focus questions
(27:13):
people being licensed through to Pelchion. That's going to be
a big shift for us soon. CPS isn't licensing families
anymore like we were. We were licensed directly through them,
so they don't do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well, I don't know your position on that, but I
don't believe that government is more efficient than the private center.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 7 (27:34):
Depelton.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
Yeah, Depelton, I will one hundred percent say I am
a respite care provider through Depelchon, so I work with
several families that are licensed through Topelchon, and as this
transition is happening, I point a lot of people there.
So no, I think that they do a very good job,
and they actually do a very good job with post
adoption as well.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
So how do you foresee that changing the privatization, if
you will, the outsourcing of this service delivery Because nobody
ever likes CPS, and I agree. I've seen situations where
I think children were taken out of homes prematurely by
activists who weren't CPS officers. There were activists trying to
(28:17):
get kids out of homes and for reasons I think
are not reasons to take them out, you know, being
a religious family for instance.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But I also recognize that there's no situation where anyone
is happy that their kid is snatched out of their grasp.
But what are your thoughts on how that will play out?
Speaker 6 (28:35):
Well, they still will be I know they're still going
to be doing investigating, you know, some of the investigations
parts the CPS will still have a part of that,
I like to think, And what my hopes is for
this is that once the cases come in that it's
going to be managed in a more timely manner. Are
(28:57):
our hope always for children And one of the things
that interested seeing on is achieving permanency for every child,
no matter what that means, but in the quickest way possible.
It's the cases that drag on for a very long
time that are sometimes the most upsetting. Then you have
less of a chance to get permanency, less of a
chance for either the child to be placed back home
(29:20):
again reunification or adoption which, like I said, yeah, we
did four times through foster care. So but some of
our cases were one year and some were three and
a half years. So that's a hard thing to do
for kids. You want to see a case finalize and done,
(29:42):
if at all possible within twelve months, that would be
the maximum. So I'm hoping to see more of that
with the privatization hopefully.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Well, you know, anything you want done quickly, you don't
go to the government to do. We've all been those
driver's license office, you know. And I think Donald Trump
has shown with a private sector get it done, solution
oriented mentality, things could move a lot faster. They don't
have to drag so slow, And particularly when it comes
to children, because every passing day is a day that
(30:12):
that child is without a seat at the table I
think was your term or something of that order. Every
day is a day that that child is not where
they need to be, which is in a loving home.
And that's I get really sappy over this issue. I
don't like the thought of a child not having a
parent to care for them. And whatever we need to
do to facilitate this very natural, godly relationship we need
(30:36):
to do, and it sounds like you're hopeful that's where
we're headed with this.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
That is exactly what I'm hopeful for, and that's what
we strive to do, no matter what that is. Whether
it's like I said, just a mom that has fallen
on a hard time and CPS has had to step
in for a momentary time getting her back into a position,
or mom and dad whoever it is, helping them get
to where they need to be to be able to
(31:03):
receive the children back in the home and get reunification,
or whether it's for the foster parent to adopt. No
matter what it is, it's the permanency. It's always about
the child for us, always.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Well, and it should be. I'm glad to hear that
Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have a end user oriented
mentality that drives everything from designed execution to labor to pricing.
And I see things like this where sometimes I get
the sense that there are people involved that are forgetting
(31:39):
that this is about those children. It's not about your
ego or how much money you can make, or how
much power you can have, or how many awards you
can win. So I am delighted to hear you say
that because I agree. I think as it should be
a website entrusted Houston.
Speaker 8 (31:53):
Is that right, Yes, Houston, gotge.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Lisa, keep up the great work. I think God has
you in the right place at the right time, and
all of your life experiences have brought you to this point.
And thank you for sharing that experience and energy with
the rest of us and for all those little kids
whose lives will be better. God bless you.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Thank you so much.
It's that time time time time, luck and load. The
Michael Varry Show is on the air. Oh yes, that
(00:25):
means it's Friday. This is probably my favorite show, my
favorite Friday show for sure, maybe my favorite show.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Of the year.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
To do it's Thanksgiving and it's adoption because some of
you won't be able to hear us next week because
you'll be traveling.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Heavy Day, heavy day, happy.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Whiny whenny war Quinny say the way love happy day
(01:07):
or happy day?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
Happy or happy day?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Wen't do those wart witty warm.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
N't this war see away loved.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
The habit day, a happy day, a happy day.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
When you lose wars.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh many, war.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
Windy, lose War.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Three or a wait you need a happy day?
Speaker 6 (03:05):
By day.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Good heavy de God happy day, shady.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Waity war Wendy the.
Speaker 7 (04:43):
Way.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
We have chosen this year to put our Adoption show
the Friday before the Thanksgiving show we always celebrate. We
know that a lot of people will be out next week,
so if we do our Thanksgiving show on Thanksgiving or
the day before, a lot of people won't hear it.
Understandable a lot of people are traveling, so we have
(05:08):
traditionally chosen to do that on Friday, because a lot
of you will be gone for a week, and so
that's what we will do today. We will weave in
between Thanksgiving and adoption, two things that are very important
to me. I think it is important to give thanks,
to have a spirit of gratitude for God's blessings. And
(05:31):
I think that adoption is so important it just cannot
be overstated. Well over sixty could be as many as
seventy million abortions since nineteen seventy three, and we argue
there should not be abortions. Who's going to take those
babies in. That's what adoption does. That's why it's so special,
That's why it's so important. And we'll get to that
(05:55):
in the course of the show. But first to get
a start, as we always do, courtesy the greatest executive
producer and all the land chat Tony Knakanishi a chat
a coney Knockanisi, you're a weekend review Sandra, what's yours?
Speaker 7 (06:12):
I'm not back and I'm not skinny. I'm just right.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
If a white guy's dating a black woman.
Speaker 6 (06:16):
I got in a white guys became when I was
in college and he was into the breath.
Speaker 7 (06:20):
I don't white man's love bread if you don't have
big glass, he loved it my bread.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Oh my goodness. You know what I love about Sandra.
She has no shame. There is nothing that embarrasses her.
She's basically going to tell you about her sex life,
a late husband and have no shame about it. And
then that white boy she dated in college he liked
boozeo man. The True Horrors of hazing, The psychology behind hazing.
To figure out why some young men seem to be
(06:44):
willing to do anything to get in. One suspect held
his feet down and then pulled his pants down to
his knees before one of the suspects violated him with
a boomstick. If you were to study it, there's something
kind of partially gay about the whole of it if
you think about it, because the amount of things related
to violating the bunghole are in some way exposing and
(07:06):
messing with the peter are not normal. Police are also
looking for the man who tried to rob a dairy
queen on the city's West side. Dairy Queen may be
known for their blizzards, but the chilling encounter with a
pipe wielded Robert is enough to freeze anyone in their tracks?
Speaker 7 (07:23):
Do we have to do that?
Speaker 8 (07:24):
Son?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I realize you're excited to be a journalist. Did you
make a list? If he was doing it ironically, I
could get it. How bad is this going to be?
It's going to have a chilling effect that could freeze
any bad guy. But what's wrong with it?
Speaker 7 (07:47):
I was almost full.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I'm still going, stop going. I can't stop going once
they started stay. How if you're midpe and you have
to stop because you're starting or whatever. I don't know.
I don't know what all the parts down there are.
But something involved in the urethra gets pinched off or something,
and it is unpleasant. And I feel like women talking
of about childbirth that we should get to talk about
(08:09):
when you got to snap off real quick, my your pean.
They are telling me what's called onesies, these little things
clothing for a baby like moundaberry. Shit, he's support of
all these onesies. Every year, on every Thanksgiving special, we
(08:32):
play a call that happened organically. I mean, it really
is one of the most beautiful moments ever happened on
the show. And I'll tell you when it started, I
had no idea where it was going. I did not
see it as the great call it turned out to be,
but it absolutely floored me and a lot of other
people who have commented to that effect absolutely floored us.
(08:55):
Just wow. And I think we've played it every year
except one. We forgot one year and I was so
mad at myself. So we're going to start the show
with it so we don't forget. It really is a show.
It really is a call of a great example of
(09:16):
what a positive spirit and faith can do to rise
above your circumstances. Julianne answer, tell us about your odd
tradition on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Well, I raised two little boys all by myself. I
was a single parent. They're both they're nineteen and twenty now.
One goes to ut and one goes to Texas State.
They're doing great. Good or Night I raised them. I
raised them by myself, totally from infancy and time to
really lean.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Where was their dad?
Speaker 7 (09:50):
It's a long story, sir. I'd rather not get into
that part.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was he alive and just not taking care of his business?
Speaker 8 (09:56):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Is he a bad person?
Speaker 7 (09:59):
He's got some issues.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Is he still alive today, yes, sir? Okay, do you
wish him ill?
Speaker 7 (10:06):
No, I don't. I feel very bad for the man,
but that's neither here nor there. Well, I took many
years to get here, sir, believe me.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
But they're both peace beyond understanding.
Speaker 7 (10:21):
We call that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Ramon, What did you do? How'd you support those boys?
Speaker 7 (10:25):
Well, initially I opened it a little daycare, and I
took in children because I didn't want them to go
off to daycare, so I took children in. And then
I also made burritos and tacos and drove around and
sold those out of my car. And then once they
were able to go to school, once I got them
into kindergarten and first grade, I worked in a little
(10:48):
office job. And then I got lucky and met someone
at the pool, and I got into oil and gas,
and now I'm a doctor, the controller. I have a
great career. Things just kind of progressed. God was good.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I wish you were right here beside me, because I
would give you a big hug.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I admire people like you.
Speaker 7 (11:07):
I really do.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
People like you.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
My entire family lived in New Mexico, and their dad
would allow me to lead, and so it was just
the three of us. It was terrible, and one year
it was so bad we had sardines for Thanksgiving. That's
what we ate for sardine. So now every year for Thanksgiving,
I make sure that I have a beautiful play and
(11:31):
I doll it up really pretty, and I make sure
I have sardines at our table so that we never
forget those were years. And that's my story.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
I'm delighted by the fact that we now have our
call screener system, our voicemail should I say system up
and running, and it is that has enabled us to
receive voicemails again. So in the past, people would send
all their emails in as I'm doing the adoption show,
so I'm trying to I'm trying to open them, print them,
(12:04):
read them, and do the show and doing the Thanksgiving
and adoption. I really wanted to give people an opportunity
to tell the stories because I like to hear the
different voices and different perspectives. So you can always call
the show anytime we're not on the air. Seven one
three nine nine nine one thousand. Seven one three nine
nine nine one thousand.
Speaker 9 (12:21):
Here was Cheryl in her story, him, my name is Caryl,
and I'm not calling about myself.
Speaker 8 (12:26):
I'm calling about my.
Speaker 9 (12:27):
Dad who grew up in Beaumont and history is pretty unique.
You and adopted at the age of twelve after having
lived in an orphanage and foster homes for several years
because my grandfather was at a barber shop and the
guy told him that it was a shame that there
was this kid, namad Jay and his way out in
(12:48):
life was through sports. But they were shipping in ofta
orphanage and Kingston didn't allow the kids to play sports,
and it was such a shame. He played on the
basball came with the barber so my grandfather I went
to the barbershop or went to a baseball game and
saw my dad play, and they adopted him. And he
ended up playing football at Texas A and M and
(13:08):
had a very successful life. And had my grandparents not
just been and done that to tell them where he
would have been too, that have a great days.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I just realized I'm racing against the clock here because
I'm going to run out of time in this segment.
But so here was another voicemail that Nancy left. And
by the way, for all of you who called in
and save you, we may make an extra podcast. Thank
you for sharing your stories. I really appreciate it. It's
a wonderful thing. Thank you for trusting us with your story.
Speaker 8 (13:37):
Him Michael Barry, this is Nancy. I follow you on Facebook.
Speaker 7 (13:41):
I heard you on the radio.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
However, I'm talking about adoption and I just had a
very lovely story to share. My granddaughter came into my life.
She's one of many, but anyway, this one at three
days old. I brought her into my home and a
mother cannot take care of her, and I've been I
had to go through foster care. I had to go
(14:04):
being told I'm just a foster parent and not acknowledges grandma.
But eventually, with filing, I became guardian and we just
my husband and I. We just completed adoption. We adopted
our little girl. She's a little over too now. I've
(14:26):
been working on ABC's one, two threes and colors, using
balloons to teach her about colors.
Speaker 7 (14:33):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
I'm a little older, but I received the familys and
I love every second of it that we have. There
are times where we have to have quiet time, and
that's okay too. But adoption, yes, there's too many babies
that are unwanted and they're taking away from the room
(14:56):
before we know that's called abortion. But this little girl,
her chances of even coming into the world were pretty
good to numb. And I didn't know I was going
to be a grandmother again. But when the hospital contacted
me and says she has not had anyone really talking
or touching her, and between the hospital and the posture situation,
(15:27):
I said, yeah, I will be there.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
What a maroon?
Speaker 1 (15:36):
What an ignoranom. I received a message an email that said, Michael,
I had a great meeting with Russell Ibara yesterday and
he suggested I reach out to share a bit about
our work at Entrusted Houston. I'm also a mom of seven, heang,
ramon you think raising two kids is tough, and four
(15:59):
of us, our children came to us through the foster
care system right here in Houston. This work is well,
it's cut off the scene. For nearly ten years, Gringos
Restaurant has generously partnered with us to provide a Christmas
lunch for children without placement. Oh, I guess as kids
that have not been placed yet in foster care. Russell
also insisted that I share a fun story with you,
and I was happy to do so. My grandparents were
(16:21):
circus people who lived off fifteen. I'll have to figure
that out because it's cutting off. Thanks so much for
taking time to read this. I'd love the opportunity to
comment further if you're open to it. Well, as it
turns out, I am. It's that time of year. It's
our adoption special and that includes fostering children. Elizabeth Johnson
who goes by Lisa as I understand, welcome to the program, sweetheart.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Well, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, so let's start with how you got involved. Did
you start this program Entrusted Houston.
Speaker 7 (16:53):
I did.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
I actually founded Interusted Houston way back in two thousand
and nine. When we started fostering a family started fostering.
We went through the congregations, helping in love and medication
through the Department of Family and Protective Services or directly
through CPS, and it just I saw a need whenever
(17:18):
you getting kids in the middle of the night, two
o'clock in the morning. Two boys were our first placements.
Had to send my husband off to go get diapers
and whites and the right size clothing for them. And
just realized that maybe somebody doesn't always have the opportunity
to do that. So we started collecting things in my
(17:40):
front dining room. That's where it started. And now we're
in over three thousand square space full of clothing and
all kinds of necessities.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
So how did you let's first start with that decision
to foster. That's a big decision. So what were the
conversations and prayers around that.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
Oh, I'm glad that you said prayers, because it definitely
was a lot of prayers. Honestly, it started off we
you know, when we got married. Adoption has always been
in my life. I was adopted by my stepdad after
my biological father passed away, and then I was previously
married and had a daughter, and when I got divorced,
(18:26):
I said, no matter what, I want my husband in
the future to adopt my daughter, just like my stepdad
adopted me. So we set it up where that was possible,
and so adoption has kind of been all always around.
And when we got married, we said four kids, were like,
let's have four kids. We could only have three, So
(18:48):
we started looking into adoption and fostering and what that
would look like. And the more I learned about it,
the more what really got me was there are still
some children in foster care that are mistreated through the
foster care system. And it's not the norm, it's not
what always happens. But it was those stories, and through
(19:09):
talking with doctor Karen Purvis years and years ago, she
would tell some stories and I would get so angry.
I was like that that's not okay. And basically I said,
we can't just be mad about it and not do
anything about it. So I started praying about it, talked
to my husband, we started attending some information meetings. I
filled out the paperwork and just prayed that the Bible
(19:32):
study ladies on it. And about two weeks later he
handed me over the paperwork with his part filled out,
and we were ready to go, ready to start fostering.
That was two thousand and eight.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Was it more or less hassle trouble work than you expected?
Speaker 8 (19:51):
Oh my gosh, definitely.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
You know what, the PaperWorks a lot. That's always the
paperwork for me is just no fun. Anyways, I was
a terrible girl scout troop leader. But it was about
what I expected, honestly, because you're dealing with children, you're
dealing with families. We were really well informed and I
(20:16):
always try when people ask me about it. I try
to really inform them of the emotional involvement and the work.
Speaker 7 (20:26):
That it's going to be.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
We always attended court dates, We attended every meeting, so
we weren't just sitting back there are you know, some
foster families you don't have to attend all of the meetings,
you don't have to be there at everything, but we were.
We made sure that we stayed informed and it made
a big.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
Difference for us.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, you know, it's one of those things. There are
certain people who are capable of dealing with paperwork and
processes and interviews and deadlines, and there are other people
who just they're just not good at that. And whether
(21:07):
you're a CPA or a grant writer or whatever else,
it's a certain personality type that does that. And it's
not for the faint of heart, but for people who
dig in and do the work. Who am I getting
My wife did all the work. But for certain people
who are organized and patient and relentless, it is very doable.
(21:32):
I've been on the adoption side and not on the
foster side formally, but I've gone through this with a
lot of folks that I've interviewed and that i've talked
to off the air over the years. So how did
that go from your personal experience too? This is something
I want to share with others.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Just stick through the conversations. When we started fostering, of course,
people recognize new children coming through our home. We lived
in a very visible area in our neighborhood whenever we
were fostering, so on the corner of the park. People
visited the park every day and they would just organically
start up at conversations and say, hey, wait a minute,
(22:11):
who's this? And so we would tell our The more
we told our story, the more people wanted to know
and people ask questions. And we did have families start
fostering and adopting after talking to us and getting that information.
And then of course the ministry started and Trusted Houston
(22:31):
started off as a ministry. We saw the need, we
were walking through it and we started collecting items and
then helping out other foster and adoptive families. Could you
get connected through the.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
Agencies as well.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
When you go to trainings and meetings, you get connected
with other foster families. So we started doing that and
then it just grew into a nonprofit in twenty eighteen
after Harvey. Harvey kind of exploded every thing. When the
donation started coming into Houston, we saw an ability to
(23:05):
really spread out and instead of just helping out in
our area, which was the Cypress area, we actually serve
all of Houston, all of Harris County.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Now, and what exactly do y'all do? I'll tell you what.
I'm gonna hold you right there, coming up, Elizabeth Johnson, Lisa,
she goes by, and the program is called Entrusted Houston.
Gringos has has partnered and supported them for ten years now,
(23:36):
and they brought her to my attention, and this seemed
like a perfect time to have this conversation, so we continued.
We want to add a little bit about these warhouses
I know all about. Ramon wants to know what around
the world is.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Whistling bungholes, spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, hockey riders, whosker does, who'sker?
Don'ts nips and dazers with it without the scooter stick
or one single whistling kiddy.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Jason.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Lisa Johnson is our guest. Our program is called Entrusted Houston.
Who would be the person who would benefit from your services?
And how do they contact you and how does that
relationship work.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Any child or family with a need in Harris County
can come to us. It's started off with foster and
adoptive families, but we work with any family that is
actually working with a child welfare system now, so case
workers refer families to us and send them out.
Speaker 8 (24:32):
Here in our warehouse.
Speaker 6 (24:33):
We provide clothing, shoes, diapers, whites, car seats, pack and plays.
We even provide beds and dressers, sofa sometimes dining sets.
We do deliver furniture for families that are working directly
through CPS, so the caseworkers can put in those requests.
(24:54):
But the families, they can come to us directly. They
can go through our website. There's an information email they
can email us just to confirm that we have what's
needed and they can come out here and pick them
up on pick those items up on their own. The
caseworkers can also pick up items for families from our
(25:14):
location directly. We primarily work right now. You know, there's
a big need always with kinship families. So a lot
of families that we work with our grandparents, aunts, uncles,
but also, like I said, foster families who get a
sudden placement in the middle of the night, they can
contact us, come the next morning and we can have
(25:36):
everything ready for them, diapers, whites, clothing, anything that's needed, formula.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
Or all the children that come.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
You've been doing this now for over a decade. What
are you noticing about the demographics, the situations, the age,
the location, the life circumstances today versus when you started.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Well, I do notice there is a lot more we've
we've kind of had a shift and adjust. CPS is
always about family reunification first, if it's safe, if it's good,
and what I will stand by always. The caseworkers are
not there to, you know, take children out of good
loving families, but they will if it's necessary, you know,
(26:22):
place children in foster care. So what I'm noticing is
a lot more.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
Need for.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
The kinship, the kinship help because they are putting more
children into kinship placements now, the foster families, it's a
lot harder to get them Houston. Right now, we are transitioning.
I don't know if this is a big topic, but
we're transitioning from the state led to community based care
(26:52):
so very soon now to Pelchin will be handling the
cases that come in, so they'll be kind of running
their child welfare system. And they've taken over that contract
for Houston for Harris County, So there's going to be
a big shift away from CPS too. Depelchion focus questions
(27:13):
people being licensed through to Pelchion. That's going to be
a big shift for us soon. CPS isn't licensing families
anymore like we were. We were licensed directly through them,
so they don't do that anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well, I don't know your position on that, but I
don't believe that government is more efficient than the private center.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 7 (27:34):
Depelton.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
Yeah, Depelton, I will one hundred percent say I am
a respite care provider through Depelchon, so I work with
several families that are licensed through Topelchon, and as this
transition is happening, I point a lot of people there.
So no, I think that they do a very good job,
and they actually do a very good job with post
adoption as well.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
So how do you foresee that changing the privatization, if
you will, the outsourcing of this service delivery Because nobody
ever likes CPS, and I agree. I've seen situations where
I think children were taken out of homes prematurely by
activists who weren't CPS officers. There were activists trying to
(28:17):
get kids out of homes and for reasons I think
are not reasons to take them out, you know, being
a religious family for instance.
Speaker 7 (28:24):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
But I also recognize that there's no situation where anyone
is happy that their kid is snatched out of their grasp.
But what are your thoughts on how that will play out?
Speaker 6 (28:35):
Well, they still will be I know they're still going
to be doing investigating, you know, some of the investigations
parts the CPS will still have a part of that,
I like to think, And what my hopes is for
this is that once the cases come in that it's
going to be managed in a more timely manner. Are
(28:57):
our hope always for children And one of the things
that interested seeing on is achieving permanency for every child,
no matter what that means, but in the quickest way possible.
It's the cases that drag on for a very long
time that are sometimes the most upsetting. Then you have
less of a chance to get permanency, less of a
chance for either the child to be placed back home
(29:20):
again reunification or adoption which, like I said, yeah, we
did four times through foster care. So but some of
our cases were one year and some were three and
a half years. So that's a hard thing to do
for kids. You want to see a case finalize and done,
(29:42):
if at all possible within twelve months, that would be
the maximum. So I'm hoping to see more of that
with the privatization hopefully.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Well, you know, anything you want done quickly, you don't
go to the government to do. We've all been those
driver's license office, you know. And I think Donald Trump
has shown with a private sector get it done, solution
oriented mentality, things could move a lot faster. They don't
have to drag so slow, And particularly when it comes
to children, because every passing day is a day that
(30:12):
that child is without a seat at the table I
think was your term or something of that order. Every
day is a day that that child is not where
they need to be, which is in a loving home.
And that's I get really sappy over this issue. I
don't like the thought of a child not having a
parent to care for them. And whatever we need to
do to facilitate this very natural, godly relationship we need
(30:36):
to do, and it sounds like you're hopeful that's where
we're headed with this.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
That is exactly what I'm hopeful for, and that's what
we strive to do, no matter what that is. Whether
it's like I said, just a mom that has fallen
on a hard time and CPS has had to step
in for a momentary time getting her back into a position,
or mom and dad whoever it is, helping them get
to where they need to be to be able to
(31:03):
receive the children back in the home and get reunification,
or whether it's for the foster parent to adopt. No
matter what it is, it's the permanency. It's always about
the child for us, always.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Well, and it should be. I'm glad to hear that
Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have a end user oriented
mentality that drives everything from designed execution to labor to pricing.
And I see things like this where sometimes I get
the sense that there are people involved that are forgetting
(31:39):
that this is about those children. It's not about your
ego or how much money you can make, or how
much power you can have, or how many awards you
can win. So I am delighted to hear you say
that because I agree. I think as it should be
a website entrusted Houston.
Speaker 8 (31:53):
Is that right, Yes, Houston, gotge.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Lisa, keep up the great work. I think God has
you in the right place at the right time, and
all of your life experiences have brought you to this point.
And thank you for sharing that experience and energy with
the rest of us and for all those little kids
whose lives will be better. God bless you.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Thank you so much.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.