All They Really Want Is A Family
If you've never heard Steven Curtis Chapman sing before, it's no surprise — his songs don't get much airplay on mainstream radio. But in the world of Christian music, he's a superstar.
"Got my first guitar when I was 5 or 6-years-old," he says. "It was about that same age my family and I became Christians… so faith and music were woven together at an early age."
He performs to sell-out crowds. He's won 5 Grammy Awards and sold more than 10 million albums. Earlier this month, he was nominated for another Grammy for his new album "All I Really Want for Christmas…."
And that's where his story really begins, reports CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts.
"Christmas is a time when people are thinking about the needs of others a little bit more," Steven says. "This is a great time for me to mention the fact that there are these more than 50 million kids in the world that don't have this great treasure… you know… just the treasure of family."
Ten years ago, Steven and his wife Mary Beth were living comfortably outside Nashville with their three children when the oldest, Emily, began a campaign to get them to adopt an orphan from China.
"Christmas rolled around in 6th grade and I bought, with all my Christmas money, I bought this 'how to adopt internationally' book," Emily says. "And every time I was in the car I would read it to my mom and dad… and they were just like, 'okay, if we hear any more statistics we're just going to go cross-eyed!'"
It was a difficult decision, but in 2000 they finally gave in and adopted a little girl they named Shaohannah.
Then they went back in 2003 and adopted Stevie Joy.
And back again in 2004, for Maria Sue.
Adoption became their mission, their passion. They spread the word in church, at concerts and family gatherings and they were very persuasive.
"Steve's brother, who has since adopted from China, my brother twice," Mary Beth says. "There's some good friends of ours in California… They just got back last year with their little girl… Good friends of ours, Becky and Tracy Henry, they had four children at the time and they have since come back with their little girl and now both of his brothers have adopted from China."
"She's a little bit of a dangerous friend to have here if you don't wanna get involved," Steven says, talking about his wife, with a chuckle, "Cause she'll have your paperwork filled out for you, have you halfway to China before you even know it."
They would do whatever it took to see that a little girl found a home.
"A lot of people come to us saying, 'You know, we've thought about adoption, but then we saw the price tag and went, well, there's no way we could afford that,'" Steven continues. "Well, my wife is like getting out the checkbook going, 'Well, how much do you need?' And you know, you start looking and going, 'You know, hey there's a line going — it's out the door now.
"I'm looking at the bank account going, 'I don't think we can help all these people. What do we do?' he adds. "And that's when we started Shaohannah's Hope,"
"Shaohannah's Hope" is the charity they started to share information and raise funds for families who want to adopt but need financial help.
So far they've helped more than 500 families adopt a child — and not just from China but all over the world, including the United States.
This year Steven is using his music to further the cause. His new song, "All I Really Want For Christmas... Is A Family" features foster children from around the world.
"I thought, 'If I can write the right song… maybe just give a voice to some of those 50 million kids around the world to say — hey, remember, remember me this Christmas — and maybe open some people's hearts to think about either adopting or supporting families that are adopting,'" Steven says. "I mean there's so many great opportunities."
So many great opportunities — yet the numbers are staggering — here in the United States alone this Christmas more than half a million kids have no place to call home. But a group of volunteers has come up with a program they hope will lower that number, one child at a time.
Lisa Konicki is just your average working mom from Rhode Island, who read a newspaper article one day that changed her life.
"When I first read about the Heart Gallery in January, I thought, 'This is something that I can do. I can put this together. And we can bring one of these to our community,'" she continues.
What Lisa "put together" is a "Heart Gallery" — a photo exhibit, along with the biographies, of children in state care hoping to be adopted.
"Every one of these kids is so special in their own way," she says. "And if it's one thing that everyone deserves is a loving home."
In her spare time Lisa rounded up volunteers, professional photographers and framers to shoot and mount the exhibit.
"It was a real labor of love," she says.
These 40 kids are from Connecticut and Rhode Island — just two of 45 states that have started Heart Galleries.
"The particular children in this display were selected because they have been waiting the longest," Lisa adds. "And we felt that they really needed that extra effort on our part as a community to reach out there and try and find a home for them."
Some of the children have been waiting for years.
"Some cases it's months. And then some cases it's been many many years in the foster care system," Lisa says.
"They all have something special," she continues. "I think Leo's eyes… I look into his eyes and my heart just absolutely melts…I don't know how anyone can see that picture and not be touched.
"A handsome guy like Chris... excellent student, he's very involved in sports.
"Erica's spirit just shines thru… and Eva's very independent nature.
"Christina's a phenomenal young lady… her bio is quite special and gives you a real sense of who she is as a person.
"We have a sibling group here… Chanel and Brianna… two great girls with a great sense of style."
Shakona has a remarkable smile.
"I know, it's just gorgeous. She radiates sunshine," Lisa adds.
And the photos seem to be having the desired effect.
"I just saw something in one of the girl's pictures. She has similar interests that I have," says Misty Chenette. "I just think I could provide her with a stable home environment. I grew up without a father, so I think that kinda triggered it for me."
Misty says she has no hesitations.
"If I can do it, I'm gonna do it, definitely," she says.
But despite the best efforts of people like Lisa Konicki, sometimes there are children who no one seems to want.
Some of those kids, if they're lucky will end up in Boys Town.
"We call 'em America's throw-away kids cause very few people in the United States wanna take care of some of the toughest kids that we serve here," says Father Steven Boes, the executive director of Girls and Boys Town.
"About a third have had a heavy involvement with the court system," Father Boes says. "They've stood in front of a judge a few times. And at the end the judge might've said, 'Boys Town or juvenile detention.' The smart ones choose Girls and Boys Town."
In 1938 Hollywood immortalized the story of Father Flanagan and the orphans he rescued from the streets of Omaha, Nebraska and the home he built for them there.
In 2000 it officially became "Girls and Boys Town." But the mission remained the same — to provide comfort and shelter for homeless, neglected and abused boys and girls.
It's not an easy job — trying to create a family out of kids who for the most part have no idea what a family is.
The children live in homes with a married couple and their children. Cedric and Beth Anderson are the parent-teachers for 8 high school age boys.
"We get kids that come and it seems like their whole life is falling apart and it's just good to see you bring them all together and bring them back up," Cedric says.
After a few months, these so-called troubled kids begin to act like "children" again in ways that would make any parent proud.
"I came here I got my second chance and I took advantage of it," a boy named David says. "I'm in a good house. I mean I wasn't even in school. I skipped school everyday. Now that I'm here I'm in school, learning, learning stuff I never thought I'd learn."
This time of year Boys Town looks more like Santa's workshop than a last resort for "throw-away kids."
Adoption isn't an option — none of the 550 children here will be adopted — they're too old, and have been in and out of too many foster homes. The goal at Girls and Boys Town is to prepare them for a job and perhaps someday a family of their own.
In too many places this morning, Christmas has become all about the tree, the toys and the trinkets.
But not at Father Flanagan's Boys Town of yesteryear or today, or in foster homes or shelters or unspeakable places in between — places where kids dream not of expensive toys, but of something far more precious.
