The whiteoakfoundation.org website was designed, researched and edited by White Oak's Executive Director, Melisha Mitchell (pictured at right). All of the contents of this website are copyrighted under U.S. law and may not be used or reproduced without prior written or e-mail authorization from the White Oak Foundation.

Needless to say, a listing on the whiteoakfoundation.org Web site in no way constitutes an endorsement of that organization or entity by the White Oak Foundation. In fact, there are a number of organizations listed herein that we would not endorse at all! But they're here as a resource to those searching in Illinois as well as those considering adoption who have unintentionally stumbled onto this site.

The White Oak Foundation is a 501c3 Illinois not-for-profit corporation. Currently, White Oak's Board of Directors is comprised of two adoptees and a reunited birth mother, and our Executive Director is the daughter of an adoptee. Our Public Relations Director and our Administrator have no connection to adoption at all (but they've adopted us...and our cause). A complete listing of White Oak's Board of Directors and Officers appears below.

We hope this website will prove to be a
useful resource for all triad members who
are navigating the search and reunion
waters in the Land of Lincoln.

If you have any questions about the White Oak website and the services we provide to the Illinois adoption community or are in need of search assistance, please e-mail or call us.

White Oak's
Board of Directors
& Officers

President:
Brook Horwitz

Vice-President:
Kathy Purcell

Treasurer:
Melinda Dunker

Executive Director/Web Site Editor:
Melisha Mitchell

PR Director:
David Ormsby

Adminstrator:
Roland Calia

Photo Credits

White Oak Home Page:  "Old Oak Tree" at http://ixquick.com/

About White Oak Page: "Cornfield" at www.multimedia.alltheweb.com/

Search Assistance Page: "Me and Doughey" (personal graphics collection; picture donated by Lizz Hutchison)

Searching Page: "Derby Spectator, June 1923 at art.com

What Do You Do When You Have a Name? Page: "Birth Certificate," at www.corbis.com

Reconnecting Page: "Tango" at http://performingarts.net/Alberti/toleando.html

Making Initial Contact by Phone Page: "Woman Talking on the Phone, c. 1917" at www.glenbow.org/

Making Initial Contact by Letter Page: "Woman Writing Letter" at  http://web.altavista.com

Making Initial Contact Through an Intermediary Page: "Uncommon Heroes" at www.du.edu/gssw/bortz.htm

The Initial Meeting Page: "Hug" at www.rattlebrain.com/~teachme/famhist.html

FAQ Page: "Hands Raised" at www.wvu.edu/

Illinois Resources Page: "Illinois" at www.carlinville.macoupin.k12.il.us/west/klaus/dig/htm

Adoption Agencies Page: "Girls' Section, St. Vincent's Orphanage, 1870" at www.brisbane-stories.powerup.com

Support & Advocacy Page: "Drew Shimkus at Catholic Charities" by Colleen Dougher-Telcik at www.clo-sfl.com/news/stories/adopt.htm

Internet Resources Page: "Surfers at Venice Beach" at www.vogie.com/

Outreach Program Page: "The Cyclone" at www.astroland.com/

Referral Services Page: "Boy Gets Directions," at www.multimedia.alltheweb.com/

Research & Education Page: "Old Law Library" at www.law.nyu.edu

Legislative Reform Page: "Signing of the Adoption Registry Bill," (personal graphics library; pictured from left to right are: IL State Rep Sara Feigenholtz, White Oak's Executive Director, Melisha Mitchell, and former Illinois Governor George Ryan).

U.S. Adoptions Statutes at a Glance Page and sub-sections: All color-coded maps were created by White Oak's Executive Director, Melisha Mitchell, and are the property of the White Oak Foundation.

History of Illinois Adoption Page: "Sarah Polk and Her Adopted Daughter circa 1890," purchased from Corbis.com

Donations Page: "Benjamin Franklin" at http://ixquick.com/

Considering Adoption? Page: "The Ideal Maternity Home," (Nova Scotia, Canada, 1942) at www.cbs2.com/news/
specialassign/news-specialassignment-980308-214221.html

Website Info Page: "Melisha Mitchell" (photograph ©2006 by Melisha Mitchell) and "River Rafting" at www.mangot.com

This website was produced using Namo Web Editor 4.  It should look just fine using either Netscape or Internet Explorer. All of the black and white graphics were created using Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0.

We would like to extend special thanks to Jonathan Lee of 123cheapdomains.com for his assistance in registering the whiteoakfoundation.org domain name and launching the site on the worldwideweb at minimal cost.

e-mail:  ILtreesurgeon@aol.com

phone: 312-666-5721