Warren and Amy Shaw founded the nonprofit agency to fill an unmet need for specialized support services for adoptive and foster families raising children with histories of trauma, neglect, or abuse.

The next meeting of the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club will feature guest speakers Warren and Amy Shaw, founders of the nonprofit organization At a Bend in the Road, on Thursday, January 25, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Village Inn at 165 High Street in Auburn.

The Shaws founded At a Bend in the Road in November of 2012 to provide a place where adoptive, foster, and kinship families in Maine could find specialized support for their unique needs. They personally experienced the need for appropriate supports specifically for families raising a child with a history of trauma, neglect, and abuse when, in 2001, they adopted their 9-month-old daughter from a Siberian orphanage. Due to her young age, they expected to bypass many of the challenges common to raising a child with a history of neglect or abuse, but this was not the case. Through their years of subsequent struggle, they met other families with similar unmet needs and formed ABR in response.

Warren works in Product Development at Thos. Moser Cabinet Makers, where he has been employed for the past 25 years. Amy is a stay at home mom and the Program Director for ABR.

Guests are welcome and no reservations are required. Lunch will be available at the restaurant. For more information, call 753-9040 or see www.lewistonauburnrotary.org.