I Support Adoptions Blog

WAHOO! The THIRD ISA Success Story!

2012-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

We are the proud parents of six children. Two biological – four adopted. Three of our adopted girls are still in Haiti waiting to come home to us. They are “officially” ours according to the Haitian government, but they have not been awarded their passports or visas yet. We believe that will happen soon.

Our adoption journey began in 2005 when we were privileged to adopt a teenage girl out of the foster care system in Ottertail County, Minnesota. She has been a blessing to our life and is now living a life of independence and we are “empty-nested.” Our older children are ages 26, 23, and 22.

In June, 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti, Jeanna volunteered at an orphanage. When she returned home and we were looking at all of the pictures from her trip, there was a question that began to stir in our hearts: What is going to happen to the 14 year old girl when she ages out of the orphanage? That question turned into a prayer and God led us to pursue her adoption. We knew that she had a 10 year-old sister and we did not want to separate them so we chose to pursue both. After all, we are now empty-nested and have plenty of room in our home and in our hearts. Two months later we found out that she has another full sister, age 11. What were we to do? The answer was quick and obvious – adopt all three!

After meeting all three of them and spending some time with them, we knew God had opened a wonderful door of opportunity for us. We could not do this on our own – and we are so thankful for the support of God’s Children Adoption Agency and those who have helped us with the adoption expenses. We are especially grateful for the I Support Adoptions Grant. We know that we will have plenty of challenges ahead of us – but we also know that our lives will be blessed beyond measure.

Scrapper's Anonymous Getaway Fundraiser

2012-02-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

I Support Adoptions had another successful winter fundraiser with the scrap-booking community this January in Ocean City, New Jersey. I was touched by how incredibly welcoming and generous this group of women was! They blessed me with countless stories of successful adoptions within their families and among their friends. It made me realize how society has embraced the culture of adoption and gave me hope for more to open their hearts to the possiblity of it. The scrappers are directly responsible for helping ISA reach our goal to gift the next grant!

Focus on the Family

2011-09-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Focus on the Family, located in Colorado Springs, CO, is an excellent resource in post-placement services for adoptive families. The call center is equipped to provide specific resources for parents raising kids who have experienced trauma and, in-house, families have access to a network of licensed Christian counselors for ongoing help. Contact Focus on the Family, Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. MDT at 800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) or check them out on the web at FocusOnTheFamily.com.

Fall scrapbooking event!

2011-08-16T03:08:00.000-07:00

Because of the success and fun we had with our first scrap booking event this past winter, we are planning another for late Fall, 2011. Thank you for your expressed interest and please stay tuned for details...

And the ISA heros are...

2011-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

The basket raffle was a huge success and we are sincerely grateful to each of you that participated! All the baskets were given in donation to I Support Adoptions, so the money we collectively raised was 100% profit and 100% GIFT to orphaned/abandoned children.

Here are the raffle winners:
Game Day Basket = Jacque
Mexican Basket = Phil
Easter Basket = MJ

SPRING BASKET RAFFLE!

2011-04-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

I Support Adoptions has three individual baskets to give away. This is how it works... Give just $5 from a "donate" link on any of our web pages during the month of April. On April 30th, we will pull three names from a "hat" of those that participated. We will notify winners by email and forward the basket you won by (snail) mail. Donate just $5 and have 3 chances to win! One hundred percent of the money donated, directly supports orphaned and abandoned children find permanent homes.

GAME DAY BASKET
Pretzels, pretzel dip, chocolates and a six-pack of old-time Coke with two Coke drinking glasses

MEXICAN MIX
Two South-of-the-border themed ceramic plates and dish towels, blue corn chips, lime chips, salsa and non-alcoholic Sangria

EASTER BASKET
A lot of milk chocolate, gummi butterflies, fruit slices, sour gummies, hard sour sticks and shoe string laces

SCRAPBOOKING FUNDRAISER A HUGE SUCCESS!

2011-02-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

My son, Max, and I headed out early on an icy February morning and headed south to New Jersey to meet this group of eager scrapbookers for our first CROP Scrapbooking Fundraiser! These ladies put their whole heart into making vivid keepsakes for their families using personal pictures and a whole lot of accessories! The event was sponsored by Scrap That!, a material warehouse for scrapbookers, and a stimulating forum for our day. Food was donated by the famous Mastori's Diner of Bordentown, NJ. The delights filled our stomachs and provided energy to keep scrapping for the entire 12 hours!

I was blessed by being with this group, who immediately and generously supported our cause, welcomed me into their community and even shared their supplies and creative talents. Max spent the day in service to the women and in full support of our growing organization. I was so proud of him!

I Support Adoptions has hopes to host more of these scrapbooking events in the future. The next day will be hosted by Old Rocks Church in Lambertville, NJ, on April 2, 2011. Contact me for more information.

Warmly,
Maria Huber
founder, I Support Adoptions

Plan ahead to join us for our scrapbooking fundraiser!

2010-12-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

CROP for a Cause!
I Support Adoptions
12- Hour Scrapbooking Event

Saturday, February 5, 2011
9 AM to 9 PM
graciously hosted by:
Scrap That!
Burlington Center Mall
2501 Burlington Mt Holly Road
Burlington, New Jersey
Cost: $45

Plenty of good food and beverages, bag service, table service, lots of scrapping space, raffles, vendors and goodie bags.

Proceeds from the CROP will go to I Support Adoptions, a non-profit foundation
created to help supplement the cost of adoption for
families who find the financial piece of the process challenging.

If you have any questions, please call or email:
Maria Huber
215-794-7923 isupportadoptions@gmail.com
To reserve your seat, please call, email or send snail-mail: I Support Adoptions P.O. Box 273 Solebury, PA 18963

Name: _______________________________________________

Email Address: ________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________

List Tablemates: _______________________________________

READ THIS BEFORE YOU DO ANY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!

2010-11-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy photos of my children who set out to fundraise this past weekend for I Support Adoptions and raised over $27 selling hot chocolate! I was blessed to witness their hearts growing for the orphan and was delighted to kick-off the holidays this way!

This was a reminder to me of all the ways YOU have gotten the family involved to support this cause. We have been privledged to see creative fundraising, "in lieu of" gifts and even donations given in honor of someone special for the holidays. I am sincerely grateful for you and want to thank you especially during this week of Thanksgiving.

If I shared with you a "free" way to donate to
I Support Adoptions would you do it?

Please make every gift count this holiday season. You can find coupons at more than 1,600 top stores (including Amazon, Macy's, J.Crew, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Gap and more) AND a percentage of virtually every sale will be donated to I Support Adoptions!
Just go to GoodShop.com, designate us as the cause you support and then click over to your favorite store and shop away!
Or, add our toolbar to your browser - and your purchases will earn a donation for us even if you forget to go to GoodShop first!
There's no easier way to support us this holiday season! Please spread the word.

Oh, and can I make a gift suggestion? The Just Love Fair Trade Coffee for sale on the How To Help page of our website, is out of this world! (hint: a favorite is the Ethiopian Harrar). Fair Trade means that the farmers who labor to pick the beans are being paid a fair wage. I Support Adoptions recieves $5 for every bag sold. Go here to check it out.

Safe Families for Children

2010-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to a meeting of an adoption group that hosted a speaker who represents the movement called "Safe Families for Children". I am incredibly hopeful about the possibilities for at-risk children in America with this group and want to share about it with you! The unique efforts of Safe Families is to partner Christian families with vulnerable parents BEFORE their children are removed from their care. A safe families' role is to be a resource, mentor and/or home for children while their caregivers build a more stable situation for them to RETURN home to. Please watch the video below and prayerfully consider opening your home and joining in this movement.

Katie Couric on Safe Families for Children from John Norton on Vimeo.

I Support Adoptions at First Friday in Doylestown, PA!

2010-08-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

First Friday is a fun, casual way to spend time with family and friends and get to know the local community in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. This month festivities are on August 6 in the evening and right in the heart of scenic and historic Doylestown! I Support Adoptions has been invited to sponsor a table for education and information about the needs of orphans worldwide. Contact I Support Adoptions by blog or email before the event and we will have a FREE T-shirt waiting for you at our post. (To buy a T online, go to our How To Help page.) And please spread the word about our mission of raising money to help support families who want to open their home to an orphan but find the financial piece challenging. A goal like this is relevant in Doylestown and your town too!

A Good Deal from GoodSearch!

2010-05-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last month GoodSearch gave away $5,000 to nonprofits that downloaded the first 5,000 toolbars. It was such a success that they are doing it again!

I read about this success story and nearly jumped out of my socks! The Institute of Heartmath went from earning $4 in search and shopping donations in March to $217 in April, putting them on pace to earn $2,600 a year!

I Support Adoptions needs your help for the next $5000 GoodSearch Giveaway!

GoodSearch will donate $1 (up to $5,000 total) for every toolbar that is downloaded between May 19th at 12 noon and May 21st at 12 noon Eastern! To help our cause benefit from this contest, please download our toolbar now by following this link -
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/i-support-adoptions

Our new toolbar is free to download and allows you to raise money for our cause virtually every time you search or shop online! Once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,400 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to our cause - at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar also provides you thousands of discount coupons and free shipping offers!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to our cause.

Please hurry and do this now so that we can earn the $1 bonus per toolbar!

And, please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference for our cause!

Dining to Donate and More...

2010-04-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

I Support Adoptions first "Meet & Greet" was fun and a big success! Many of you stopped by to network, share information and give support. Thank you! Enjoy these pics of our booth.

Applebee's Dining to Donate presents I Support Adoptions Night!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at Applebee's located at Barn Plaza Shopping Center, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Applebee's will donate 10% of your food and beverage purchase to I Support Adoptions. Please come out and show your support!

IMRadio Supports Adoptions!

2010-04-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

I Support Adoptions has the support of artists and musician? Yeah, that's right!

Truthfully, ISA has advocates in a diverse group of people and organizations, but we were in awe of the big and immediate boost we got from IMRadio's founder, Paddy Noonan. We are sending out a sincere "thank you" to him and everyone at IMRadio for their continued encouragement. Check out what this innovative group is all about:

IMRADIO™: By Musicians, For Musicians!

Over the past year, an underground movement of musicians in Chicago has united thousands of artists from over 75 countries to start a new radio station on the Internet at www.imradio.com. Any artist in the world can upload an original song for free airplay on IMRadio for thousands to enjoy and listen to. As an “open source” radio station, IMRadio has attracted an audience of thousands and has received much recognition from music industry scouts.

Recently, seven independent artists signed contracts with two major promoters in New York and London due to the exposure they received from IMRadio. Another artist, CiJay, from Richmond, Virginia received a recording contract from Serenia Records. “This type of exposure is just the thing that musicians are looking for”, said Paddy Noonan, Founder of IMRadio. “With over 75 countries now represented, you can listen to bands from Germany or Italy, singers from Athens or Nashville, and even rappers from Montana. These are the bands that the suits at traditional radio stations don’t give a chance. With us, every artist, singer, songwriter, band, poet, and comedian gets free airplay on IMRadio.”

IMRadio stands for “independent musician” radio, and its number one purpose is to make money for the musician. As of just a few weeks ago IMRadio artists are able to create their own online store on IMRadio to sell personalized merchandise featuring their own logos and band names. At no cost to the artist, these online stores offer a “no-risk” revenue stream that will help build awareness for the artist while putting money in their pockets. Other revenue streams are under development at this time.

Says Paddy Noonan; “I love hearing new songs on the radio, learning more about musicians, and eventually going to see their concerts. That’s why we started IMRadio. We’re a radio station by musicians for musicians.”

Please see the following details to get an IMRadio banner for your site:

Our First "Meet & Greet"

2010-04-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

at the Bucks County Half Marathon this Sunday, April 11! The race starts at 7:30 AM and we will be on-site to greet participants at the end of the run! Our prayers were answered and the weather promises to one of the best Spring mornings this season (with a crisp in the air). Our table will feature fair-trade coffee, T-shirts, silicone wristbands, free soft pretzels and drinks, a bike raffle and, of course, information on everything you ever wanted to know about adoption or how to support orphans. On hand will be I Support Adoptions' biggest advocate (and a Mom with adoption experience) to answer your questions, educate and provide support.

We will be at Tyler State Park in Newtown, Pennsylvania all morning and would be happy to see you there. Follow this link to learn more about it:
http://buckscountymarathon.com/Home.html

New Web Site

2010-04-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Please visit our newly designed site at www.isupportadoptions.org

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

2010-03-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

What do you wish will be this St. Patrick's Day?

The GoodSearch!

2010-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I want to share with you a simple way for you to help support this organization. This is so easy and I am very excited about the possibilities with your help!

Just download the GoodSearch toolbar
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/i-support-adoptions

Each time you search the web with GoodSearch's Yahoo-powered search engine, about a penny will go to I Support Adoptions. Also, every time you shop online (with GoodShop.com) at 1,000 participating stores like Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, etc., a percentage of your purchase will be donated for free!

Please tell your friends about the GoodSearch toolbar. They have been featured in the NY times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America and more.

As always a million thanks for the support and encouragement!

Experience Valentine's Day!

2010-02-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

How many times has this happened to you? You are in bed on Saturday morning with your children cuddled between you watching morning cartoons, or you've snuck into your son's room to place one last kiss on his warm sweet sleeping face, or maybe your daughter runs into the kitchen with a handful of Spring dandelions she's picked just for you. Perhaps its when your aging grandmother mails you $2 in a birthday card for the twentieth year in a row, or you experience the weight and warmth of a newborn in your arms. You think to yourself, "life truly can't get any better than this." This must be heaven!

We, at ISA, feel that way too! We feel it when we connect with a waiting family. We feel it when we set up new sponsorships. We feel it when we work toward eradicating abuse, and contaminated drinking water, and at-risk families, and child poverty. We feel it when bringing one orphaned child home. It feels like heaven, like a prayer, like Church. Thank you! Without you there would be no ISA.

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!

To see more of Nicole Gordon's music, please visit the following link:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Search/bmljb2xlIGdvcmRvbg%3d%3d/0

Orphans arrive in Pittsburgh from Haiti today!

2010-01-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

http://new.music.yahoo.com/sweet-honey-in-the-rock/tracks/i-be-your-water--840240

This January week we are solemnly mindful of the children and orphans effected by the earthquake in Haiti. The following lyrics remind me of the huge responsibility we have to reach out in some way to the Haitian community.

I woke up moaning in a crowded sick place
Surrounded by evil, protected by grace
There were these hands, hundreds reaching for me
They knew exactly who and what I should be
By: Sweet Honey In the Rock "I Be Your Water"

Children look to us. They look to us for protection, shelter, basic necessities, a little attention and love. They know exactly who and what we should be.

Go ahead...reach for a child's hand.

http://kdka.com/video/?id=67783@kdka.dayport.com
This list, taken from The Philadelphia Daily News, are respected, legitimate organizations when thinking about donating money to the Haiti relief effort:
The American Red Cross
www.redcross.org
UNICEF
www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake
United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund
liveunited.org/give.haiti.cfm
Salvation Army
www.salvationarmyphiladelphia.org (please mark: Haiti Earthquake Relief)
Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Beyond Borders
www.beyondborders.net
The Vincentian Priests World Wide
www.cammonline.org (please mark: Haiti)
You can mail a donation to the following:
Haiti Rescue Fund
Box 12421, Philadelphia 19151
Elise Joseph Foundation
Box 12595, Philadelphia 19151
Haitian Clergy of Philadelphia
Box 6775, Philadelphia 19120
Haitian Coalition of Philadelphia
308 Hedgerow Lane Wyncote, PA 19095

Throw Your Arms Around the World!

2009-12-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy. Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time!

-lyrics by Bob Geldof

Much has changed since 1985! Thankfully, we cleaned house of many unpleasant experiences: neon, Devo, Weird Al, "grody to the max," the Super Bowl Shuffle, smurfs, the Berlin Wall, Steve Perry's mullet, everyone's mullet for that matter, parachute pants, Miami Vice attire...
Unfortunately, some very serious things have not changed! Like famine in Ethiopia and Sudan. With famine and suffering comes a natural increase in the number of orphaned children, abandoned children, and at-risk families.
Please consider throwing your arms around the world, whatever winter holiday you celebrate.
Donate today!

Thankful for Orphanges!

2009-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Below is a portion of a blog entry written by Diana, an adoption counselor, after a recent trip to the Bresma Orphanage, Haiti.

The kids played a long, loud and rowdy game of kidnappers. The older boys were the bandits, of course, and they marched back and forth from the front yard to the back, chanting, "left, right, left, right", in unison. They would select a target (one of the older girls, or even me, once) and drag their victim back to the front yard amid wild shrieking and giggling. Then Mammi Lis would run to the front yard and pretend to chase the boys around with the belt she wears around her shoulders as a threat. The game went on for hours. I couldn't help but think over the deafening noise of 29 children, that this place does not sound like an orphanage. It sounds like noisy home.

Thankfully, there are hundreds of orphanages and SOS villages worldwide sustaining safe, loving, warm homes to thousands and thousands of orphaned children. Have a happy Thanksgiving in your "noisy home."

The ISA Family

I Support Adoptions Celebrates National Adoption Month!

2009-11-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

November is National Adoption month, a month set aside to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care. This year's theme is,"You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent."

In celebration of National Adoption Month, I Support Adoptions is giving away free silicone wristbands to all who comment on our blog page about how they are connecting in their home or in the community to remember "at-risk" children and to celebrate National Adoption Month.

Along with the month long celebration is the very special National Adoption Day. November 21, 2009, will mark the 10th National Adoption Day. It's special because thousands of adoptions are finalized across the country in court rooms all across the United States. Check out National Adoption Day's site for events happening all over the country: http://www.nationaladoptionday.org/2009/index.asp

Donations, donations, donations!

2009-11-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

A huge thank you to all who made October a big month at I Support Adoptions! October, 2009 goes in the books as the month with the greatest amount of donors in our (young) history! This is exciting news to us as the more people who know our goals, the more support we can give and receive.

The lavender basket featured in the last post will be making a long journey from Pennsylvania across the country to Arizona. Congratulations to Michael O. who will, no doubt, enjoy those products!

Bid on this gorgeous lavender basket!

2009-10-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

My thoughtful friend, Niko, supports adoptions! He is the talent behind an amazing organic lavender farm located in scenic Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Carousel Farm Lavender fields are simply breathtaking! View a glimpse of heaven at Carousel Farm Lavender.

Niko has a big heart and generous spirit! He has donated a large gift basket with many of the finest products from Carousel Farm Lavender. The sweet scent coming from this basket is intoxicating! The gift includes lavender essential oil, lavender soap, lavender olive-oil soap, lavender verbena soap, a dried lavender bunch, lavender honey, lavender lip balm, lavender lotion, lavender fields candle, cucumber-lavender candle, hydrosol (lavender water) and a lavender wash for delicates. The value of the products in the basket total approximately $120.00!

Thus the largest donation to I Support Adoptions between October 1 and October 31, 2009 will win this basket! With permission, names and/or the most generous donations may be posted on this blog page. Of course ISA is grateful for all donations and no amount is too small. One- hundred percent of all your donations go toward orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children. I Support Adoptions will absorb the cost of shipping the basket.

Please submit your donations for the lavender basket beginning at midnight on Thursday, October 1, 2009. I Support Adoptions will close the bidding at 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 31, 2009. We will announce the winner on the OUR BLOG page of this blog. Thank you and happy donating!

Warning!

2009-10-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

I have forever been changed by the statistics I have acquired and passed on to you in this forum. I liken the knowledge I now have about orphans to the knowledge I have about healthy living. I may not want to eat my vegetables or exercise regularly, but the knowledge of the path to a healthy life is always with me and effects my decisions. This piece relative to orphans, is Madonna's documentary about Malawi, a country in Africa. Watch, I Am Because We Are, if you can... The warning I have for you is this: this may change you, be with you and call you to act on the information in whatever way you can.

Big News for ISA from IRS!

2009-07-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

The letter begins... "Dear Applicant: We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code." The words flow so easily, but the work involved to reach this point has been great. Practically speaking, what this "big" news means for those of you who support ISA is that when you make a donation, we will mail you a letter as a reminder to include your donation as a tax exemption. This includes those who give a donation in exchange for the stylish I Support Adoptions T-shirts and wristbands. You didn't know about the shirts and bands, you say? Please visit our How To Help page and "Shop ISA". View the T-shirts and wristbands by scrolling down to the bottom of the page. The first person to comment on this post will receive a complimentary I Support Adoptions T-shirt to wear proudly!

An Inspiring Adoption Story

2009-04-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

This real-life account of Daniel and Joanne Tarrant will hearten anyone who is considering adoption and find it a financial challenge. Their story, told in the Catholic Standard & Times/Newspaper for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, on March 5, 2009, tells how they were blessed by support and now have successfully adopted twins, a boy and a girl, from Uganda. Joanne Tarrant personally shared with me that their immediate and extended family, including their church, Saint Vincent de Paul, were very supportive of the adoption. The parish raised money to help defray expenses and families are cooking meals for them once a week. She reminded me of the African saying, "it takes a village to raise a child." Joanne and Daniel have truly witnessed that.

Double the blessings for Newtown couple

Joanne and Daniel Tarrant with adopted twins, Nya Mary Grace and John Paul Kato, from Uganda.

For Joanne and Daniel Tarrant of Newtown, Christmas 2008 was extra special.
They celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ with the adoption of twins in the East African nation of Uganda. Nya Mary Grace and John Paul Kato, 20 months old, now are members of the Tarrant family.
The official adoption did not happen on Christmas Day. It took weeks of working with the Ugandan High Court. However, the first time the Tarrants saw the twins was Christmas Eve.
"They left for Uganda on Dec. 22 and arrived the morning of Christmas Eve," explained Father Joseph J. McLaughlin, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Richboro, where the Tarrants are members. "Father Joseph (Sserugo) met them (at the airport in Entebbe) and drove them the five hours to Ibanda and they saw the twins before Christmas Vigil Mass."
"Before Joanne and I were married, we had actually discussed international adoption and both of us were very open to it," Daniel said. "It just seemed like something God may have had in store for us. After being married for over three years, we began to pursue adoption seriously." Unable to conceive, the Tarrants focused on adoption around Christmas in 2007.
"It was always in our hearts to adopt from Uganda, but on a practical level it seemed impossible," Daniel said. "However, God kept nudging our hearts and then later really confirmed His work in a powerful way, so who were we to say no? Really, all we did was say yes to God, and Jesus did everything else. I truly mean that."
Uganda is a poor country beset with political violence. "The poverty in Uganda is astounding," Daniel said. "You can't really believe that people exist like that. It is humbling."
Father McLaughlin and Father Sserugo are central figures in this story of love and commitment.
In 1998, Father Sserugo, a Ugandan and priest of the order the Apostles of Jesus, first came to St. Vincent de Paul on a missionary appeal for a diocese in El Obeid, Sudan. According to Father McLaughlin, the parish began a relationship with Father Sserugo, who would return to St. Vincent de Paul each summer.
"It was the parish's contribution to the universal Church," Father McLaughlin said.
Father Sserugo was transferred to Ibanda, a district of Uganda, where he founded the St. Charles Lwanga Parish in Bubaale. "He would e-mail articles about his work," said Father McLaughlin.
"One summer our youth group came back from a service week in Connellsville, Pa.," he said. "Father Sserugo celebrated Mass and commended the group. He said to them, Why not go to Uganda?"
The following summer 17 people - adults and young people - made the trip.
The group was attracted to the Ibanda Babies Home, an orphanage in the parish.
"They were impressed with the work of the sisters (led by Sister Christine, the director of the orphanage) and edified by the generosity and joy of the people," Father McLaughlin recalled.
Joanne Tarrant, 30, a graduate of Cabrini College who teaches Spanish in Lambertville, N.J., and Daniel, 34, a graduate of La Salle University who is a youth minister at his parish and a theology teacher at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, talked to members of the youth group, coordinated by Charles Ormsby, about Uganda.
"On Joanne's birthday they prayed that the Lord would give them children," Father Mclaughlin said. This turned out to be a significant day.
The pastor, later in conversation with Sister Christine at the orphanage, found out that twins had been brought there on Joanne's birthday (Aug. 4, 2007) by an elderly woman. The brother and sister, about two weeks old, had been left with the woman by their mother.
"After laying the initial groundwork of discovering if we could even adopt from Ibanda Babies Home in Uganda, we filed our first official paperwork at the end of June 2008," Daniel said.
The Tarrants' work with a lawyer in Kampala, Uganda, culminated with their Christmas Eve arrival in Ibanda.
The adoption took place in Kampala on Jan. 28, 2009, with help from Sister Christine, who had to take a 10-hour round trip bus ride to Ibanda to pick up the necessary papers.
The Tarrants and the twins returned to the United States on Feb. 6.
Late in February, St. Vincent de Paul held a welcoming ceremony for the twins at Sunday Mass. The parish has contributed moral and financial support to the Tarrant Adoption Fund, Father McLaughlin said.
"It's just that it's the right thing to do," he said. "A lot of neat things are happening. All we do is sow the seeds. Then the Holy Spirit takes care of it."
"The twins' tribal names are Kato, the youngest of twins, and Nyangoma, the oldest of twins. The sisters baptized them John and Mary," Daniel said.
"We wanted, first of all, for God to be at the heart of our adoption," he said. "And, secondly we wanted to fill as great a need as possible."
That need was found in Uganda.
Daniel's mother, Mary Tarrant, a member of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Warminster, is acting as "grandma daycare" for the twins.
"I know what it is like to love a wife and children in a third world country and feel so helpless and so fully dependent on God," Daniel said. "And I have come to see Jesus in the faces of people for whom it is hard to have hope. It is humbling and horrifying, and yet a gift at the same time. It makes me realize how blessed I am."

The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act

2009-03-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

In communication with Congressman, Patrick Murphy, I learned that the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act is set to expire in 2010. This legislation, which is currently in the House Judiciary Committee, would make permanent the $10,000 child adoption tax credit. We need to urge our senators and congressional representatives to support this when it comes up for a vote!

Use this link for complete instructions on how to contact your representatives in support of this bill:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1113

The NEWclear Family

2009-03-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

How do you define the family? Days past we may have responded that a family was parents and their children. Today we typically think of the family as a group of people who share common interests and who often live together. Families form under all different circumstances now. The new American nuclear family can be described as step families, domestic open-adoptions, private adoptions, international adoptions, fostering, single-parent families, gay-parent families, shared custody, multi-racial families… Regardless of how your family came to be, this reality is huge: many millions of orphans need care and security from an adult. Adoption is a natural way to expand the family. The adoptive family is an invaluable part of the new American NEWclear family!

Welcome!

2009-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

I am humbled and sincerely blessed to be called to create a way for the adoption community to communicate and exchange requests for support. I look forward to the great work that can be done here together!