Jake Jabs Helps Adopted Teen With Furniture

DENVER (CBS4) – When children get adopted out of foster care, they are 100-percent more likely to go to college. When they stop worrying about survival, they can settle into a routine that allow their unique gifts to shine. In March, American Furniture Warehouse hosted Tatianya and her parents for a little shopping spree.

"Welcome to American Furniture Warehouse," Jake Jabs said, as he greeted the family at the front door.

Tatianya and her parents, Vontrice and Anthony, are looking for a new bookcase for Tatianya's growing book collection. She picked out a white bookshelf, and then as an extra added bonus, she gets to pick out a beanbag chair too. All offered as gifts from American Furniture Warehouse.

"I'm a great supporter of adoption. I think people who grow up with a home, maybe they'll go to school, go to college, live a normal life," Jabs told CBS4.

"I think she's really happy about bean bag, as well," Vontrice said.

"Oh, she's really excited," Anthony added.

The furniture is delivered and Tatianya gets to work filling the shelves. During her 7-years in foster care, Tatianya couldn't keep such a collection.

"When you move, you lose a lot of your stuff. So if you had a stuffed animal, you probably might have left it at another house, or like you could have forgotten it somewhere, and you'd never go back again," Tatianya told CBS4.

Now she keeps a stuffed animal collection which includes two new AFW tigers. Being adopted gives Tatianya a found sense of security.

"When we move, we all move together," she said.

When we put ourselves in the shoes of the children who are in foster care, what's heart breaking is they don't have a lot of the permanent connections," Vontrice said.

"One thing I've noticed about her since she's been adopted is, because she has a lot more peace and routine in her life, I think, that's given her the space to really understand her story, and appreciate how her life is a bit different than a lot of classmates and friends," Anthony explained.

Her past may be different, but she's putting down the kind of roots that grow into a strong, study future.

CBS4 holds A Day 4 Wednesday's Child once a year to raise money and highlight the great work of The Adoption Exchange. You can help families like Les and Cyndi's by calling in a donation to 303-755-3975, text "adopt" to 91999, or go to The Adoption Exchange donation page to give online.