[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 159 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S6829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO LISA STOCKDALE
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize an
extraordinary Arkansan whose steadfast commitment to children and
families has made a profound impact across The Natural State, my 2025
Angels in Adoption Honoree Lisa Stockdale of Bentonville. I am proud to
celebrate her selfless service, enduring compassion, and tireless
advocacy.
Lisa was recently named the 2024 Arkansas Foster Parent of the Year,
a well-deserved recognition following 9 years of dedication as a
wonderful foster parent. Since beginning her journey with The CALL, a
faith-based organization that recruits and supports foster families,
Lisa has welcomed 37 children into her home. Her care has spanned the
broadest range of needs, from medically fragile infants to teenagers
navigating difficult transitions, with each child benefiting from the
safe, loving, and stable environment she cultivated.
Lisa combines her professional expertise as a nurse with
extraordinary empathy to safeguard kids in need. She has served as a
nursing instructor and worked in a juvenile detention facility,
experiences that have shaped her unique, holistic approach to
caregiving. Her ability and willingness to foster children with
significant medical needs is especially appreciated by those who know
her work. At home, she is a single mother to sons Ethan and Isaac who
share in her mission of opening their hearts and home to others. She
and her family approach foster care with humility and purpose, saying,
``Without my kiddos and without foster care, I would still be wandering
around aimlessly looking for God's purpose for me.'' Her faith and
resilience are evident in every aspect of her life.
Lisa's record of service to others is extensive. She is a veteran of
the U.S. Army Reserve and deployed to Afghanistan in 2004-2005 with the
325th Field Hospital out of Independence, MO. It was through the Army
that she earned her nursing license, a credential she has used to heal,
teach, and uplift others ever since.
Lisa Stockdale embodies the spirit of Arkansas through faithful,
generous, and deep investment in her community. Her conviction reminds
us that one person can transform lives, strengthen families, and
inspire hope. I am honored to recognize her as an Angel in Adoption and
thank her for the light she brings to our State and to the foster care
system.
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