Chicks In Crisis Stories and Testimonials

"I was a MAJOR chick in crisis.  I was pregnant, two children and nowhere to live.  Where would I turn?  Inez entered my life when I made a very wise and loveable choice.  I chose to give my unborn son up for adoption.  Inez gave me the opportunity to grow and prove to myself I had the ability to become a strong and independent person." -- Jennifer

"It is absolutely amazing what you do.  You give so many people the opportunity for a happier life.  Since the day my family and I came to see you, I knew everything was going to be okay.  Since the day you introduced me to my adoptive family, I knew I would never live to regret my decision.  You are a beautiful person inside and out and I want to say thank you again for touching my life."  -- K.F

"I don't know how to begin to express my heart felt appreciation for everything- shelter, food, clothing, fuel, money for needs!  Inez, you were a voice of safety and security.  I cannot say what would have happened if you didn't guide me into the direction of choice- the right choice!  God bless you.  -- J and Nathanial

"Because we don't always know when we are in crisis, I appreciate your open arms to me and my family's needs in time of chaos."  --Shalanda

"Thank you for giving me the most precious gift in life- the joy of being a mother.  We are so blessed and will always be grateful to you for making our dreams come true."  -- Kelly

As an outreach service provider at Heritage Peak Charter School in Sacramento I see many students with great needs.  I work at the Broadway learning center in Sacramento, which on average has 30% of the population that are pregnant or parenting teens.  Inez Whitlow from Chicks in Crisis has partnered with our school in an attempt to better the lives of these teen parents and break the cycles within their families.  I have worked in collaboration with Inez now for 5 years and have nothing but praise for the work that she does.

 The students from our school that have attended the parenting classes offered by Chicks in Crisis have grown in many ways.  The young moms have expressed love for Inez’s mother who teaches them cooking skills and many have said she feels like a grandma.  (This is an amazing complement considering many of them don’t even know what it is like to have a grandmother in their lives.)  They leave each week feeling loved when the workers at Chicks in Crisis ask them what they need and then shower them with clothing, baby supplies, and even personal items to help them get through another week.  Many times I have even wondered if they got “too spoiled,” but then remember that again this is sometimes the first time someone has asked and provided for their needs for no other reason than caring for them and expecting nothing in return.  The young moms look to Gloria as a friend and support, they have a trust in her that she will always help them or listen to them when they come in.   From the moment you enter the office until the time you leave the attitude of everyone is care, concern, and compassion.  These three C’s are the building block behind the passion of Inez Whitlow. 

 Like most teenagers the reward of appreciation and growth in character is not immediately seen.  However, in those small quiet moments when they show the knowledge and character that they have been taught, warmth feels your spirit.  It reminds Inez, Myself, and the many other service providers that work with this population that the appreciation and understanding is there even when we are not sure if they are “getting it.”  It rejuvenates us and reminds us to continue the call to work with and help teenagers that are pregnant or parenting.  Inez is a blessing to work with and is dedicated to improving the lives of young women in the Sacramento Area.  It is a privilege to work with her and even more to call her a friend.  

Hannah Robinson, Outreach Services Coordinator

Heritage Peak Charter School Broadway Learning Center

"I have a great time with everybody. They give us all we need for us and our children. They are teaching us how to make food. We have developed a family here and I love coming every week. They treat us like family and I think it would be awesome to see more girls come and learn what we learned and have fun with us." - Davia

"I had a wonderful experience here at Chicks in Crisis. They have helped me out tremendously.  The ladies and student nurses are awesome help and company." – Anonymous Teen Mom

"I love CIC!  They help anyone and everyone that comes through the doors. When I first came I didn’t know they would make such a difference in my life. I am 19 and have a 22 month old daughter. I don’t work so I can try to finish school and I need help to provide some of the things it takes to care for a child. I get not only things to take home but things to take with me for the rest of my life. I love the cooking classes and the new things I learn every time I come. I feel welcomed when I come and enjoy the program." -- Rebecca

"My experience has been great here every week we come and learn stuff for our babies’ health and our own. Everyone here is so nice and loves to help us. I am really thankful for everyone here." -- Amber

"My experience here was fun. The people here are so nice and sweet. They are helpful and very educational. They are a good resource if you’re pregnant or have a child and need help". -- Anonymous Teen Mom

"It was an educational experience and I recommend any women who are pregnant or who have babies to come. You learn helpful information about pregnancy and after pregnancy. It helped me a lot."  -- A teen mom

"My name is Brian.  I have worked with Inez for about 3 years & she has helped obtain visitation for my son.  It’s been difficult but I don’t think I would have been able to do it without her help.

I would recommend any guy that has children to call her.  She has parenting classes available & she helps us fathers as well as birth moms.

Inez has a very caring heart & shows respect & morals to her kids as well."  -- Brian

"My name is Amber.  I have known Inez Whitlow for about 6 years now.  She has helped me with my adoption.  I heard of her through my brother in law, as he had gone thru her for adoption as well.  I heard such great things about her & how she helped my brother in law that I decided to go thru her for giving my child up for adoption as well.

She has helped me dearly.  She has helped me with my schooling, helped me with my son, and has helped me to be a better mom & person all around.  I am very thankful for having a special woman like her in my life.  If I need something, anything, I know I can count on her.

I moved from out of town to Sacramento, then to Elk Grove.  She helped me with getting furnishings for my home as well as clothing on my back and my son’s clothing.  She helped me with where I should move to for a great area and great school for my son.

I have a wonderful relationship with my adopted family.  We are very close & I just spoke to them last night.  My daughter is doing fantastic!!!  I couldn’t ask for anything better for her.

I am very thankful & happy that I chose my adopted family I did thru Inez and Chicks in Crisis.  I couldn’t ask for anything more.

I would highly recommend to anybody that if they are looking for parenting classes or help with their unborn child, Chicks in Crisis would be the place to go & they would not be disappointed." -- Amber

Simons Family

There is no adoption template. A family cannot trace another’s blueprint nor duplicate its experience. While many parents are able to maneuver around many roadblocks in their adoption journey, Pam and Rod Simons of Plymouth pulled posthaste into the fast lane in adopting their daughter, Annie.

The couple started considering adoption shortly after they married in 1998. They began talking seriously about it in early 2005, a few years after they moved to the Twin Cities from Seattle. Their gift for networking proved helpful; Pam works in clinical research and Rod is a former KSTP-TV sports anchor who now hosts a sports show for Fox9. A Twin Cities athlete who was in the process of adopting had told Rod about Inez Whitlow, a California woman who facilitates adoptions through the program Chicks in Crisis. The Simons struck up a conversation with her.

They also enrolled in Children’s Home Society’s pre-adoptive counseling class. “Without it, we would not have been prepared for the road ahead—the emotional road, the financial road, the legal road,” Pam says.

After connecting with Wright Walling, a Twin Cities attorney whose firm specializes in family law and adoption, everything began to fall into place. “We were matched with Annie’s birth mother in July 2005, so that’s how quickly it worked for us,” Pam says. “When we speak to other prospective adoptive parents, we explain to them that we were very fortunate that our process went very quickly.” The couple flew to Sacramento that same month to meet Annie’s birth mother, who was six months into her pregnancy and looking to adoption because of a history of drug abuse. Pam joined the birth mother, birth grandmother, and Whitlow in the delivery room when Annie was born on November 10, 2005. There still was California-Minnesota red tape to overcome, but in essence the baby became Annie Simons that day.