|
|
A
Family for Every Child September
2010 |
|
|
We Are
New Parents!
We have a large family and have had babies
and toddlers in our lives for many years. We began
the adoption journey to provide a family for
children with special needs, sibling groups or
older children. We weren't building a family
through adoption but more providing a family for
children (kind of backwards). We have eight
biological children and have adopted three
children through the State of Idaho foster care
system.
The first sibling group (four and
five-years-old) came to us in December of 2006. A
year ago we added another five-year-old. We still
felt like we had something to offer and all of our
children were supportive to continue our journey.
Through the great support of A Family For Every
Child, we identified several sibling groups that
we felt would fit our family. Christie was able to
connect us with the social worker for three
wonderful boys who had been waiting a long time
for a home. Soon we were talking directly with the
social worker. Once we read their psych
evaluations, treatment reports, etc. ,we remained
a little nervous.
I instantly emailed Christie who gave me
the pep talk we needed. Our boys are here and it
feels like they have always been a part of our
lives. Is it chaotic to have eight kids within
seven years? Of course. Do I get exhausted
attending all the meetings, functions, school
activities and sports? Of course. As the oldest of
the three boys said to me, "it just feels right."
What a compliment.
When the boys first got here and we were
unpacking and trying to get organized the middle
one asked me where we were going to save their
boxes. I was surprised and said I didn't plan on
saving them, we would just break them down and
recycle the cardboard. He got tears in his eyes
and ran to his two brothers exclaiming they didn't
have to save their boxes for the first time ever.
He told me that they always had to save their
boxes for when they would move next. After six
years and ten moves, breaking down boxes was a
celebration.
We are now in the process of finalizing on
our three boys sooner than usual to provide them
that necessary stability. Is fourteen children
enough? Well, probably for now :)
New Mommy, Barb |
Urgent Special
Request!
|
Once in a while we get a special request
from a case worker that we like to pass on to
our dedicated Families. If you or someone you
know would like to help, please
contact christy@afamilyforeverychild.org
Christy,
I have an 18 (soon to be 19) year-old
young man with Asperger's. I have had him on my
case load now for over 10 years. Over this
period of time I've seen many changes and growth
within him. He has gone from an angry and out of
control young man into a more appreciative and
positive person. Although he still struggles
with focusing, he is truly a delight.
This young man was deemed "unadoptable"
more than 10 years ago when his two siblings
were adopted. He comes from a very abusive and
difficult home. The kids have remained connected
over the years through letters, photos and
face-to-face contact. The adoptive family for
the two younger kids in Ohio have vacationed out
to Oregon on two separate occasions.
This youth has also graduated from high
school with a regular diploma! For several years
we were told he was working towards a modified
diploma. However, upon enrolling in a Eugene
school, there was no mention of a modified
diploma in his IEP. He completed all
requirements this past summer and was very proud
and excited to inform me of his accomplishment.
I have been working on a trip for him to
see his siblings in Ohio. Part of it was as an
incentive towards him getting his high school
diploma. I have been told by my superiors there
are no funds available due to the budget
shortage. I have been working with others to try
to come up with the funds to make this trip
happen. With flights, food, and lodging, it
seems this trip will cost around $1300. In my
findings, I could get two plane tickets for
around $410 each.
I am asking if you know of a resource
who would be willing to help out. This is really
important to all of us as we try to build the
sibling connections for our kids who've had
little or no parental resources. This has been
something that has been important to this child
for a long time. I am invested into making this
trip happen and ask for your assistance.
Thanks very much for taking the time to
consider my request.
- His Dedicated Case
Worker | | | | |
Winter
Wonderland Social
On
behalf of A Family for Every Child and the
inaugural Winter Wonderland Social, we would
like to take this opportunity to invite you to
partner with us to support this worthwhile event
benefiting foster children in search of their
forever families.
Save
the date: November 10th
Place:
Valley River Inn
Time:
5:30pm social hour
Auctioneer:
Sid
Voorhees
Master
of Ceremonies:
Bill
Barrett
Sponsorship
Opportunities Available
Along
with dozens of dedicated event volunteers, we
are asking you to support us by becoming a
sponsor, donating an auction item, purchasing a
table or individual tickets.
For
more information or to RSVP,
contact:
|
|
Princess
For A Day Event
|
Girls
across Oregon can become a "Princess for a Day".
Volunteers are needed to make this wondeful day
happen! (March 2011)
This
day of princess pampering for both foster and
non-foster girls will include a tea party lunch,
mini-spa treatment, a photo shoot and a complete
princess outfit that will be theirs to
keep.
The
event is designed to be a gift for foster
children in the community as well as to raise
awareness of foster children in Lane County. The
cost of this event is $50 (for non-foster
girls), but foster children and their guests are
admitted free with advance
registration.
Every
girl should be accompanied by an adult
guest. Each girl will receive her own
tiara, a princess gown and princess
slippers. She will also get a photograph
of herself after a hair and nail
treatment. Mini lunch and a tea party will
be provided for both the girl and her
guest.
Would
you like to volunteer to make this special event
happen? If you have any questions, please email
me christy@afamilyforeverychild.org
| | | | |
Urgent Volunteer
Need: Family Adoption
Specialists
AFFEC
is dedicated to finding loving, permanent
families for every waiting foster child. We have
a new Matching Assistance Program that is
growing at a very rapid rate.
The
Matching Assistance Program is
geared towards families who are either
frustrated or not seeing the results
they desire in the adoption process. A great
percentage of families who start on the adoption
track fall by the way side due to lack of
communication with workers. It is a very long
and emotional process that has a great deal of
need and support. Our goal is
to provide families with one on one
communication, assurance and assistance in
learning how to best represent themselves in
their family profile and home study, as well as
helping them to do child searches based on what
will best fit their family.
This
position will require an empathetic and positive
commitment of 5 hours per week per family. You
can take on as many families as you feel you
have the time for, though we ask that you follow
up with each family thoroughly. In addition
to the 5 hour a week per family commitment, we
ask that you are willing to commit for six
months. Training is provided.
Did you
and your family struggle through the process and
wish you had a liaison to assist you? Now is
your chance to do that for another family. We
will train you, provide materials and guidance
to assist other families, help them create
biographical page, search for children, submit
their studies, follow up with workers for them,
and help build families.
Another way to
help is to find child listings around your area
and as a representative of A Family For Every
Child, contact caseworkers of said children
asking whether or not they would like us to list
their children on our sites.
Please
visit our websites to get more of an idea as to
who we are and all the types of children we
cater to.
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hq4lu8bab&et=1103705221801&s=6525&e=0010XoWirb5_HC_1YwCQWOf8Zo5ai5J8ytbSojjM6ut0g7pymD2IJJ0GDN5s7LOaveBZVdaXdyHcCnfSeieMJ9ALJ6Znfrl3cNpLXaXilSDZCQfLkyg6e_UgB40FRP2XfXB
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hq4lu8bab&et=1103705221801&s=6525&e=0010XoWirb5_HB3rMg13BwstFwPI_LXB9_KOpomPUJgpKwnQuBMRQo6Y79wNViVSPpp_fd9VNWqamw4cB1FQpYrOgoRGzi8r7cs-t4F7nu234gVeuGcX7KLH2d9Q2yAFWiS
Once reviewing those sites, please
feel free to fill out our online application.
Below is a link for your convenience.
Volunteer Application
If
you have any questions please do not hesitate to
contact:
Bethany Arnold
Executive
Assistant
Volunteer/Intern Coordinator Bethany@afamilyforeverychild.org
|
|
Volunteer Roles
Available
Many
of our most important volunteers are not even in
our backyard. With the use of conference
calls and Internet training we are able to use
volunteers from all over. If you are
compelled to get involved, or are in the process
of adoption and need something to do while you
wait, please consider one of our many distant
volunteer roles.
Roles:
Newsletter
Volunteer -Matching Assistance Program:
3
newsletters a week, 1-2 hours a newsletter.
Using our outreach tool (Constant Contact) build
templates for newsletters and outreach tools. As
well as odds and ends announcements and
email outreach for recruitment. (Possible
newsletters themes: kids in need, resources,
sites to visit, articles and updates on
adoption)
Child
Specialist:
Several
hours week over several days. Add kids to our
database, make sure all need fields are checked,
photo is added, remove children as
needed.
Web Listing
Volunteer:
(Best
if done an hour a day, possibly less, needs
regular attention). Adding children into our web
database, editing as a child's status changes,
updating picture, adding media links
etc.
Inquiry/Submission
Team
Member:
Each
month we receive more than 400 inquiries and
home study submissions from searching families.
These inquiries come to us via phone. email, and
our website. We are in need of dependable
volunteers to assist us in supporting families
through this process. Training is
provided.
Social
Media, Blog and RSS
Feeds:
We
need help maintaining our Facebook and Twitter
accounts. This entails monitoring daily posts
and feedback (being sure that it is positive and
relevant). We are also wanting to find ways to
integrate YouTube and RSS feeds to keep our
families updated. These tools will be able to
educate and inform our families, donors and
volunteers of our current
needs.
Princess
Event
Coordinator:
A
great deal of coordinating, support and planning
goes into this event. If you are able to lead,
delegate, plan, work well with a team and a
heart to make a little girl feel like a
princess,
contact us!
Child Outreach
Role:
Any
number of hours you have. Contacting and
building relationships with other photo listings
to try and link each other, photo list their
kids, build partnerships to help each other
recruit for more
kids.
|
Fill
out the online application and we will be in touch
with you. Any questions? contact info@afamilyforeverychild.org
|
Do
you have a older teen in foster care that needs
a computer? We are accepting essays for a chance
to win a new laptop computer. We will be giving
away 4 new laptops to youth currently in foster
care in Lane County Oregon, ages 14 to 21.
Essays will be judged on:
A) How a
laptop will benefit the youth
B) Why they
feel they need a laptop
C) What their life
goals are
See complete terms and
conditions of essay contest here.
| |
What
if A Family For Every Child earned a donation
every time you searched the Internet? Or how
about if a percentage of every purchase you made
online went to support our cause? Well, now it
can!
GoodSearch.com
is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that
donates half its advertising revenue, about a
penny per search, to the charities its users
designate. Use it just as you would any search
engine. Get quality search results from Yahoo
and watch the donations add up!
GoodShop.com
is a new online shopping mall which donates up
to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite
cause! Hundreds of great stores including
Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's and
Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.
Every time you place an order, you'll be
supporting your favorite cause.
And
if you download the GoodSearch - A Family For
Every Child toolbar, our cause will earn money
every time you shop and search online - even if
you forget to go to GoodShop or GoodSearch
first! Add the A Family For Every Child toolbar
at this link.
| |
How can you
contact A Family For Every
Child?
Call,
email, or visit us online or in
person!
 880
Beltline Rd.
Springfield Oregon
97477
office
- 541-343-2856
toll
free - 877-343-2856
fax
- 541-343-2866
| | |
| |
We
would like to help foster children succeed with
the life skills they deserve. We are looking
for community partners and volunteers willing to help
prepare foster children for life after foster
care.
There
are so many skills out there that a child can
benefit from. It could be car mechanics (changing the
oil and flat tires), managing a budget (rent, utilities,
food, roommates), interviewing for jobs, college
applications, computer skills, cooking and cleaning. The
list is endless.
Let
us know if you might be interested.
|
|
Upcoming
Sessions:
September
23rd, 2010 - Youth Panel sharing their stories - youth
from foster care, adopted youth, youth who have
aged-out
When:
2nd and 4th Thursdays of each
month
Time:
5:30-7:30pm
Where:
Boys and Girls Club of Emerald
Valley
1545 W 22nd Ave
Eugene, OR
97405
Activities
for Children available
Please
RSVP to: lisa@afamilyforeverychild.org
Click
below for a great webinar on adoption!
Check
out our resource page:
|
|
AFFEC
Media
AFFEC is on Facebook, Myspace, and more. Click
on the links!
AFFEC Blog: Please contribute your
thoughts!
Our Mentor Program now has a discussion
group:
Perhaps you are addicted to Social Media.
Perhaps you would like to get involved. We could use
you!
|
|
Our
Partners:
|
|
Donate
to AFFEC
Would
you like to contribute to AFFEC's cause for helping
children? Any amount can have a lasting impact on a
child. Click below:
|
|
Equipment
Needs
Wireless
cards, monitors, and computer mice. It takes lots of
equipment for our staff and volunteers to complete the
important work they do.
Please
recycle your old goods with us and we will put it to
good work!
|
|
Oregon
Families
We
are recruiting experienced, long-term committed parents
for our toughest kids.
If
you are interested in fostering or adopting an older
child, please register on our website and send me a
quick reply about your family.
Form
Please
call Christy at 541-954-9626 for more
information. |
|
Coming
Soon: New Support Blog
We
would love to get ideas from you on topics to post. What
are the common worries, anxieties, questions and
successes you hear from adoptive
parents?
Possible
topics: the adoption search, transitions, first
holidays, life books, adoption siblings and trainings.
Let us know what crosses your mind! contact:
desireej@uoregon.edu | |
