For Sonya and Joe Lozowski, helping foster children goes deeper than supporting Orangewood Foundation. For them, it’s personal.

The couple grew up in Michigan and are both graduates of the University of Michigan. They married in 1990 and welcomed daughters Alexandra and Isabel a few years later. Joe had a thriving career in the commercial interiors industry and Sonya was a successful internal medicine physician and assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. In 2002, Joe bought Tangram Interiors which was in financial distress at the time and the family moved to Orange County.

In 2003, Sonya and Joe learned of three young siblings in Michigan who had experienced years of neglect and instability, and had recently been placed in foster care. For two years, Sonya flew every month to visit the children, Andrew, Joey and Lily. In 2005, the couple were able to adopt the children. Sonya gave up her medical practice to focus full-time on their care. Joe stresses, “Sonya’s the hero here, not me. She’s devoted her life to these kids.”

In 2008, Orangewood CEO Chris Simonsen invited Joe to get involved with Orangewood. After consulting with Sonya, Joe agreed and the couple has been a generous supporter of Orangewood programs, including Samueli Academy, ever since. Joe serves on the Foundation’s board and co-chaired the capital campaign for phase 1 and 2 for Samueli Academy, raising over $26MM. Sonya and Joe have provided college scholarships to 11 Samueli Academy graduates and taken a personal interest in the students’ success. Tangram Interiors has donated furniture to Orangewood and the school, and the company’s delivery trucks proudly feature the Orangewood Foundation logo.