NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH #10FOR10 CHALLENGE

I scanned the crowd at our annual adoption picnic, realizing almost all of the children were "only" children.  The reason is simple, because affording one adoption is emotionally, physically, and financially unreachable for many, and affording two adoptions is nearly impossible. As an adoption professional, I do understand the cost of adoption. Unfortunately, the staff working all hours of the day and night, cannot work for free, although many would if they could. Years of uncovered fertility treatment meant we exhausted all of our resources, before we started the adoption process. How did we, a typical middle-class family, afford two adoptions? That is also a simple answer in retrospect.  It is through support of friends and family coming alongside of us. When their gracious help was still not enough, Help Us Adopt changed our lives through a grant that paid the remaining fees for our son's adoption. I think about the people who made a donation to Help Us Adopt so that we could be parents.  I am still overwhelmed by that gift of parenthood. Without a doubt, we would have remained in financial ruin for years to come without Help Us Adopt. The sad truth is we would not have been able to recover enough to adopt again. In honor of Help Us Adopt's 10th birthday consider giving $10 or more in Nolan's honor to see another family built through adoption.  Together our small gifts in any amount can help build another family.