It takes an OI Village
As both parents and community members, we’re firm believers in the phrase, “It takes a village.” We see the positive impact that our friends and family have on Hannah’s growth and we’re so eager for Eli to join our circles. We submitted our immigration paperwork (known as the i800a in adoption lingo) exactly 2 weeks ago. The immigration process takes 70 days on average but we’re hoping to be on the faster end of that average!
In the meantime, we’re hard at work with grant writing and fund raising. Just this week, our friend Joe Hall kicked off an amazing matching grant campaign with THIS post. Our AdoptTogether profile is now live and we can accept tax-deductible donations. If we can raise $2500, Joe has offered to match that amount! It’s an incredibly generous offer that has really excited me-and so many donors-to meet our goal. Each and every gift, share, or positive thought helps and we are so thankful.
When people blog and talk about adoption from China, they frequently use analogies about the threads that weave us together. Red thread is particularly symbolic. Joe’s campaign is another reminder of the strong ties within the disability community and how fortunate Eli will be to learn from so many role models. Like Adam and me, Joe also has OI. We met during our time with National Youth Leadership Network and then later at OI Conferences. Ahead of his time, Joe developed a social media site for people with OI called “OI Village”. It’s since dissolved and I couldn’t even find any vintage remnants but it was pre-Facebook boom and such an innovative way to tie our community together in a social-not a medical-way. Joe has since built a successful career using his Internet ninja skills. He’s applying those ninja skills to help spread our story and cause. People with and without OI have joined to help us bump that thermometer up. As of tonight, we’ve hit $1908 (towards our matching grant campaign)-almost there!
If you’d like to help us meet our goal and double your donation, click HERE to donate through our AdoptTogether account.
[…] Joe’s Social Media Matching Grant Campaign: An amazing family friend, Joe Hall, offered a generous matching grant in conjunction within inviting his friends in the social media world to contribute to our tax-deductible Adopt Together account. By the end of the year, Joe’s campaign raised $5634. […]