ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to my publisher for believing in my message and letting me tell my story.

Thank you to my family for being hard on me, putting pressure on me to succeed, and instilling in me the work ethic and discipline needed to make both my journey and this book possible.

Thanks to all the companies, organizations, and families that opened their doors and shared their lives. They trusted me, encouraged me, and took me in as their own. I could not have done this without the people I met along the way.

To Kristen, for believing in me when I felt that no one wanted to hear my story. Thanks also for the late nights and early mornings spent with me, fine-tuning this manuscript.

Finally, thanks to all those who let me walk in their shoes, allowing me to gain understanding and respect for what they do — and whose stories I am able to tell because of that.