Jack Williams Reunites With One Of The First Wednesday's Children

BOSTON (CBS) – As we celebrate 70 years of broadcast history at WBZ-TV, we take a look at Wednesday's Child, a Channel 4 legacy that's been changing lives for nearly 40 years.

Created by our own Jack Williams in 1981, Wednesday's Child has featured over 1,000 hard to adopt children who are looking for their forever homes. Jack took some time out of his retirement to show us what a difference the program has made.

Brothers Al and Ray were among the very first Wednesday's Children.

"I hope we get a family together. It would make us both very happy," Al told Jack 37 years ago. "The one thing I'd like is to be able to have one family, and to be able to stay with them," said Ray.

Jack recently visited Al at his church in Milford where he and his wife run a daycare center. He was just 12 when they first met, and living a tough life.

"There were many days when I didn't know where my next meal was going to be, where I was going to be the next day. It was tough making friends just because you didn't know where you were going to be.  Now it's a totally different ball game, thanks to being featured on Wednesday's Child," Al told WBZ-TV, reflecting on the impact of his Wednesday's Child appearance.

He and his brother bounced from foster home to foster home, until Joan and Tom Spittler adopted them.

"Wednesday's Child gave us the opportunity to get that permanent home we needed, and we're glad that there's so many other kids that benefited from it as well," Al said.

Today, Al is married with two sons. His work at the Unitarian Universalist Church and in his community is Al's next step.

"It's my way of giving back. Knowing somebody gave me a chance to get my life together, it's my way of giving back to everybody else," he says.

Wednesday's Child works with the Mass. Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE).  For information about adoption visit the MARE website.