THE PINELLAS / PASCO HEART GALLERY The Progress Energy Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco was launched in June of 2006. Modeled after many other successful Heart Galleries throughout the US. It includes portraits of local foster children available for adoption. Unlike many Heart Galleries that are part of a state child protection agency, the Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco is an independent, charitable organization that began as a grass-roots, community initiative. Our partners include the Safe Children Coalition of Pasco and Pinellas, Bay Area professional photographers, a host of committed volunteers and big-hearted sponsors, like Progress Energy. BY THE NUMBERS: 500,000: Children living in foster care in the US 20,000: Average number who age out of the US foster care system each year 4,500: Number of children living in the dependency system in Pinellas & Pasco 400: Average number of children awaiting adoption 70: Approximate number of children appearing in the Gallery

OUR MISSION The mission of the Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco is to provide an emotionally safe way to connect children with families through a traveling exhibit featuring the faces and stories of local foster children ready for adoption.