By Tatum Northington
Elmore/Autauga News
Bre Shands, who was adopted in 2016 from the Heart Gallery of Alabama, is in her second year of decorating a Christmas Tree in Downtown Prattville that encourages families to help teens in need in Alabama. Bre was adopted by Brooke and Jerry Shands, and in 2020 as they were walking the Christmas Tree Trail, Bre told her parents that she wanted to decorate a tree to help out other children who were in need of fostering and adoption. And that is how the Heart Gallery tree by Bre Shands came to life.
Bre created the tree with the help of her parents, but has paid for it herself, working a job after school and using her own money to highlight adoption. She believes it is “important to share with the community the need for foster parents for teens in the state of Alabama. There are so many children in need of a loving home and safe environment to come home to every night,” says Bre.
The tree has pictures of children and teens in need of adoption with a QR Code that you can scan, which takes you directly to their adoption page. The tree also has wish lists showcasing what children desperately want for Christmas this year. It definitely tugs on the heartstrings when you look over the tree. Even if you and your family aren’t looking to adopt, there are options to mentor children or also an opportunity to “adopt a birthday” where you are responsible for making a child’s birthday wishes come true.
Brooke and Jerry told EAN that they had originally looked into infant adoption, but “felt God was calling them into a different direction” and that is when they found the Heart Gallery. The Heart Gallery is headquartered in Birmingham, but helps children across the state.
Brooke has previously served on the Board since adopting Bre, and has worked firsthand with many children in need of fostering and adoption. Children with the Heart Gallery “entered care through no fault of their own and are looking for their forever families” the Shands explain.
The Shands Family hopes the community will stop by their tree and truly see the “meaning of Christmas” when they look in these children’s eyes. They picked a prime location, right beside the “Canoe Trail Sign” which is exactly mid-way through the Christmas Trail, and pray that you will stop by and send some love to these special kiddos. If you cannot adopt, please think about donating to the Heart Gallery, becoming a mentor, or sponsoring a birthday. More information can be found by visiting the Heart Gallery website.
Bre is grateful for her family, saying that Tuesday, November 29 marked exactly six years that they were an “official family” and truly believes every child “deserves the love of a family.”
See more photos below.
