Cheers to the weekend y’all!
We hope that y’all had a fantastic week so far and that the weekend will be even better! Today we wanted to highlight Maggie Wade, someone who we are so honored to have the privilege to get to know. Maggie Wade has worked to bring the Mississippians news for over 36 years now and is a tireless advocate for Mississippi children in need. Keep reading for more on her inspirational story and have a great weekend!
We hope that y’all had a fantastic week so far and that the weekend will be even better! Today we wanted to highlight Maggie Wade, someone who we are so honored to have the privilege to get to know. Maggie Wade has worked to bring the Mississippians news for over 36 years now and is a tireless advocate for Mississippi children in need. Keep reading for more on her inspirational story and have a great weekend!
Every day, Maggie Wade enters the homes of many Mississippians delivering the good, the bad, and the heartwarming stories of the day. In a world, with so much negative and so much bad news, one wonders how she may be able to do this day in and day out. “I see the very best of people, but unfortunately, I see the worst of people too,” Maggie says. “I can only do the news because I know the Good News. Because I know the Good News, I can keep going.” Through her platform of the news, she has become a tireless advocate for foster children and adoption. “I believe that God put me here on this earth to be a servant, not to be served,” smiles Maggie. She feels her role is to be a servant to children.
Maggie began her career at WLBT in 1982. She has been the weather anchor, a news reporter, coordinator and producer of children’s programming, and is currently the news co-anchor at the 4, 4:30, 5, and 10 p.m. newscasts. “It was kind of amazing how I got involved in adoption and foster care,” smiles Maggie. “I was filling in one weekend in 1985 and covered an adoption celebration. I was able to interact with the children there and play with them.” Not long after the celebration, the same social workers that were there that day came to the station. They approached Bert Case, the news director at the time, about partnering with the station on doing a segment featuring foster children who were in need of permanent homes. There was only one condition that they had, that Maggie do the segment. In November of 1985, the first segment aired. Once she got involved, she began going to workshops that dealt with the legal aspects of foster care and adoption and to learn what these kids went through, the neglect, abuse, and abandonment. “I felt God leading me to be an advocate for these children,” smiles Maggie. She decided that anything she could do to use the platform of the media to get the word out about these precious babies that needed permanent homes she wanted to use. “I felt as if that was my purpose for being here,” says Maggie. “I want to show love to babies who need it and promote adoption in any way I can.”
Maggie began her career at WLBT in 1982. She has been the weather anchor, a news reporter, coordinator and producer of children’s programming, and is currently the news co-anchor at the 4, 4:30, 5, and 10 p.m. newscasts. “It was kind of amazing how I got involved in adoption and foster care,” smiles Maggie. “I was filling in one weekend in 1985 and covered an adoption celebration. I was able to interact with the children there and play with them.” Not long after the celebration, the same social workers that were there that day came to the station. They approached Bert Case, the news director at the time, about partnering with the station on doing a segment featuring foster children who were in need of permanent homes. There was only one condition that they had, that Maggie do the segment. In November of 1985, the first segment aired. Once she got involved, she began going to workshops that dealt with the legal aspects of foster care and adoption and to learn what these kids went through, the neglect, abuse, and abandonment. “I felt God leading me to be an advocate for these children,” smiles Maggie. She decided that anything she could do to use the platform of the media to get the word out about these precious babies that needed permanent homes she wanted to use. “I felt as if that was my purpose for being here,” says Maggie. “I want to show love to babies who need it and promote adoption in any way I can.”
Throughout her career, Maggie has received more than 500 awards many of them recognizing her tireless work for the children in Mississippi. She was recognized by the United States Congress in October 2011 as an Angel In Adoption for her work on Wednesday's Child. She was nominated by Senator Thad Cochran. She also received the award in September 2001 for the segment featuring foster children in the state in need of permanent homes. Through Wednesday’s Child, 98% of the children featured have been placed, that number is currently more than 7,000 children. Maggie was nominated by Congressman Ronnie Shows. Congressman Shows also recognized Maggie's work for children in the state on the floor of Congress. The National Association of Social Workers, Mississippi Chapter selected Maggie as their Citizen of the Year in March 2009 for her work with Wednesday's Child. She was also honored as the 2009 Volunteer of the Year by Tougaloo College. In October of 2011, Maggie was appointed to a 3 year term by Governor Haley Barbour to the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. In 2012, Maggie received the Salvation Army Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also a recipient of the Father Donald W. Lloyd Memorial Award presented in August of 2013, in recognition of Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy by the Marie R. Hoerner Foundation. She was also recognized by Catholic Charities for her support in 2012. In 2014, she received the 2014 Woman of the Year Award from the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women.
“I feel that God has given me this platform, and I want to use it for good,” says Maggie. “I have met so many amazing and precious kids.” Some of the kids will contact her and she says it never ceases to bring tears to her eyes as they tell her how being a foster child has helped them to be better husbands and better wives. “I haven’t met any of the children that have been featured that have a bitter spirit. They are amazing people doing wonderful things. It’s truly wonderful to hear the hope and enthusiasm they have,” smiles Maggie.
Today, Maggie still uses her platform, but in a different way. At this time, Wednesday’s Child is not on the air, but Maggie is prayerful that they will one day have the platform once again to spotlight these children so that they are not forgotten. “These are our babies and they need and deserve Christian homes,” smiles Maggie. God has used her as a vessel to touch the lives of thousands of children here in Mississippi and she continues to give God all the glory for the work he has done thus far. “It has been a very rewarding 35 years in the news and I’m truly thankful for the opportunity God has given me to be where I am.”
Today, Maggie still uses her platform, but in a different way. At this time, Wednesday’s Child is not on the air, but Maggie is prayerful that they will one day have the platform once again to spotlight these children so that they are not forgotten. “These are our babies and they need and deserve Christian homes,” smiles Maggie. God has used her as a vessel to touch the lives of thousands of children here in Mississippi and she continues to give God all the glory for the work he has done thus far. “It has been a very rewarding 35 years in the news and I’m truly thankful for the opportunity God has given me to be where I am.”
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