We started out debt free, and we decided that going into debt was not an option for us (although it was tempting at times). If God was in this, he was going to do this, and he did!
Through selling stuff in our homes, having yard sales, saving, cutting back, generous friends and family, fundraising and grants we raised $45,000 in 4.5 months for the adoption of our two sons! It was truly a miracle, and a testament to us of Gods great provision in our lives and his love for his children.
My advice for families setting out to adopt and who don't have $25-$50k sitting in the bank...
-Get debt free first.
-pray, pray, and pray.
-Make cut backs. Cable, knock your Internet speed down, less eating out, less shopping. We were even able to move into a less expensive home before we began.
-Sell. Go through your home floor to ceiling and sell everything and anything that you don't NEED. You'd be surprised at how much money is "hiding" in your home.
-Sell more. Find a good that you can make, or a service that you can do to make money. Going to work was not an option for us, but I was able to bring in a few hundred extra dollars a month by making wreaths and selling them.
-Space it out. You do not want to overwhelm your friends and family with back to back to back fundraisers. Give them some time in between. It can get confusing and overwhelming when you have a bunch of different things going on at once. Don't get discouraged if a fundraiser does not yield what you needed or were hoping for. Remember , God knows exactly what is due and when. He knows where it's coming from.
-No matter how much you think YOU can do and provide for your expenses, there is going to be a point where it will absolutely have to be GOD. There is going to be a time when you have done every fundraiser you can imagine, when you feel you have drained your friends and family, when you have cut back so much in you home that you are wearing jeans that are falling off you (because you've cut back in groceries) and have holes in the knees because you refuse to spend a dime on yourself. You will get weary. You will be exhausted, at the end of the rope. But that my friends is when you have to hold on, and trust in his promises. That is when God is going to show up and SHOW OFF!
My absolute favorite Fundraisers/organizations:
Adopttogether
JSC Foundation
Gift of Adoption
Lifesong for Orphans
Jeremiah 29:11 Project
Ordinary Hero
Families Outreach
Host an online auction of goods/services
Make something to sell! We made/sold wreaths, this brought in a few hundred a month.
Quick & "Easy" Fundraisers:
Yard Sales
Bake Sales
Car Washes
Spaghetti Dinner
Direct Sales Company Fundraisers (ie. scentsy, pampered chef etc)
Parents Day out
Tee Shirts
Yankee Candle Fundraising
Apple bees pancake breakfast fundraisers
Simply Love
Face Painting Booth
Big Event Fundraisers
Boston Butts
Oyster Roasts
5k walk/run
Benefit Dinner
Golf Tournament
Holiday Tour of Homes
Benefit Concerts
Fantasy Football Fundraiser
Online Auction
GRANTS: These are a few awesome organizations. None of these require an application fee, and they are all accepting applications.
JSC Foundation
http://www.jscfoundation.org/
Show Hope
http://showhope.org/
Lifesong
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/
Both Hands
http://bothhandsfoundation.org/
Hand in Hand
http://www.handinhandadopt.org/
Salvation International
http://www.salvationinternational.org/
The Lydia Fund
http://lydiafund.org/
Jeremiah 29:11 Project
http://www.jeremiah29-11project.com/
Families Outreach
http://familiesoutreach.org/adoption-grant-program/
The Orphan Foundation:
http://www.theorphanfoundation.org/
Gift Of Adoption: (does require $50 app. fee, but they are a generous organization. Weigh
http://giftofadoption.org/
Our 2012/2013 Adoption Timeline:
We love our agency! Across the World Adoptions!
August 2012- Decide to adopt internationally, Uganda. Adams truck breaks down & we get a random $500 bill within two days. The devil hates this cause! We begin brainstorming for fundraisers & selling everything we don't absolutely need.
September 2012-
-Consider adopting independently. Researching our brains out! We've raised $250.
-September 6. 2012- Picked our Agency. Filled out the preliminary application. Begin selling bracelets.
-September 7. 2012- Application approved! Payed the $250 application approval fee & begin the great paper chase.
-September 12.2012- Home study scheduled! Begin selling Uganda magazine bead necklaces. Lots of thing donated to our yard sale!
-September 14.2012- Physicals done!
-September 22.2002- Boat motor donated & sold.
-September 28.2012- Raised the $1500 we needed for our home study.
-September 20th.2012- First Home study Visit
October 2012
-October 1st 2012- Second Home study visit, done!
-October 6.2012- Community yard sale with our church's adoption ministry. Began selling painted pumpkins and burlap wreaths to help offset our expenses!
-October 14.2012- Inquired about a waiting child with another agency.
-October 15.2012- Received his photos and file. Began to pray hard for specific doors to open/shut regarding this boy (there was a family who inquired about him "first")
-October 16.2012- Doors opened wide, the family was not ready to make a decision!
-October 19.2012- We filled out an application with the new agency for "M". Mailed it off (along with another $250 application fee).
-October 21.2012- Friends in Uganda visited little M and took photos/video for us!
-October 27.2012- M was made our official referral!
November 2012
-November 1.2012- Homestudy complete. Participate in a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and two really great friends/photographers host a photo shoot fundraiser, bringing in over $800.
-November 6.2012- Homestudy sent to DSS. Sold Adams truck, $1,000.
-November 27.2012- Agency called to us about M's little brother, and asked if we would take him. WE said yes!
December 2012
-December 12.2012- Got DSS approval, filed with USCIS! Raised every penny needed for the $890 fee.
-December 13.2012- Paid our first agency fee! $3,625. Every penny was raised!
-December 17.2012- Passport photos, mailed off 6 different grant applications.
January 2013
-January 10.2013- Fingerprinted!
-January 17.2013- Found out we were ready to file for court, but we needed $33,500.
-January 21.2013- Set up our adopt together account, donations began pouring in!
February 2013
-February 8.2013- Received our court affidavits
-February 9.2013- ALL of our agency fees PAID! $21,500!
-February 11. 2013- Dossier done and mailed. We received a MONSTER grant of $15,500 for travel!
-February 14.2013- Agency receives our dossier and affidavits
March 2013
-March 6.2013- We have a court date!
-March 14.2012- TRAVEL!
-March 22.2012- Court!
April 2013
-April 17.2013- We come HOME!
Adopttogether
JSC Foundation
Gift of Adoption
Lifesong for Orphans
Jeremiah 29:11 Project
Ordinary Hero
Families Outreach
Make something to sell! We made/sold wreaths, this brought in a few hundred a month.
Yard Sales
Bake Sales
Car Washes
Spaghetti Dinner
Direct Sales Company Fundraisers (ie. scentsy, pampered chef etc)
Parents Day out
Tee Shirts
Yankee Candle Fundraising
Apple bees pancake breakfast fundraisers
Simply Love
Face Painting Booth
Boston Butts
Oyster Roasts
5k walk/run
Benefit Dinner
Golf Tournament
Holiday Tour of Homes
Benefit Concerts
Fantasy Football Fundraiser
Online Auction
http://www.jscfoundation.org/
http://showhope.org/
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/
http://bothhandsfoundation.org/
http://www.handinhandadopt.org/
http://www.salvationinternational.org/
http://lydiafund.org/
http://www.jeremiah29-11project.com/
http://familiesoutreach.org/adoption-grant-program/
http://www.theorphanfoundation.org/
http://giftofadoption.org/
-Consider adopting independently. Researching our brains out! We've raised $250.
-September 6. 2012- Picked our Agency. Filled out the preliminary application. Begin selling bracelets.
-September 7. 2012- Application approved! Payed the $250 application approval fee & begin the great paper chase.
-September 12.2012- Home study scheduled! Begin selling Uganda magazine bead necklaces. Lots of thing donated to our yard sale!
-September 14.2012- Physicals done!
-September 22.2002- Boat motor donated & sold.
-September 28.2012- Raised the $1500 we needed for our home study.
-September 20th.2012- First Home study Visit
-October 1st 2012- Second Home study visit, done!
-October 6.2012- Community yard sale with our church's adoption ministry. Began selling painted pumpkins and burlap wreaths to help offset our expenses!
-October 14.2012- Inquired about a waiting child with another agency.
-October 15.2012- Received his photos and file. Began to pray hard for specific doors to open/shut regarding this boy (there was a family who inquired about him "first")
-October 16.2012- Doors opened wide, the family was not ready to make a decision!
-October 19.2012- We filled out an application with the new agency for "M". Mailed it off (along with another $250 application fee).
-October 21.2012- Friends in Uganda visited little M and took photos/video for us!
-October 27.2012- M was made our official referral!
-November 1.2012- Homestudy complete. Participate in a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and two really great friends/photographers host a photo shoot fundraiser, bringing in over $800.
-November 6.2012- Homestudy sent to DSS. Sold Adams truck, $1,000.
-November 27.2012- Agency called to us about M's little brother, and asked if we would take him. WE said yes!
-December 12.2012- Got DSS approval, filed with USCIS! Raised every penny needed for the $890 fee.
-December 13.2012- Paid our first agency fee! $3,625. Every penny was raised!
-December 17.2012- Passport photos, mailed off 6 different grant applications.
-January 10.2013- Fingerprinted!
-January 17.2013- Found out we were ready to file for court, but we needed $33,500.
-January 21.2013- Set up our adopt together account, donations began pouring in!
-February 8.2013- Received our court affidavits
-February 9.2013- ALL of our agency fees PAID! $21,500!
-February 11. 2013- Dossier done and mailed. We received a MONSTER grant of $15,500 for travel!
-February 14.2013- Agency receives our dossier and affidavits
-March 6.2013- We have a court date!
-March 14.2012- TRAVEL!
-March 22.2012- Court!
-April 17.2013- We come HOME!
No comments:
Post a Comment