Thank You

Before

A wise man once said that it takes a village to raise a child. These words were very much apropos regarding hosting our Natasha.  This is our thank you for everyone who opened their hearts to Natasha and made her stay such a success.

The world works in very odd and mysterious ways. I am fairly involved in the adoption and foster care community, yet had never heard of orphan hosting. Then a friend of mine shared a post on Facebook about it, she herself had never hosted but had heard of the program from a different friend of hers who had, and she helped to spread the word.  Without that one Facebook share, Natasha would never have found her future family.

Project 143 is an amazing organization run primarily by volunteers. Two of these volunteers spent several hours on the phone with me learning about my family and trying to find a great match.  Obviously, the results speak for themselves. Once matched with Natasha, the volunteers were always available to talk and discuss what to expect and how to deal with issues.

The other initial hurdle was, and always will be, money. We have not regretted a thin. The money spent to bring Natasha over to us was worth it. It was not inexpensive and it felt odd asking for help funding this endeavor, but the generosity shown by all was so touching.

We were also able to make new friends and reconnect with past clients of all things. We were introduced to another homeschooling family who had actually adopted a daughter from Ukraine four years ago and they opened their home to us. That day was especially memorable because Natasha finally felt a bit more comfortable and tried to speak English for the first time.  How can you top memories like that?

We also had not one, but three past real estate clients who were Ukrainian! When Marine spoke with them about Natasha, he said it was one of the most fulfilling conversations he’s ever had. They were all eager to talk, give advice, cook Ukrainian meals and shop for Natasha. How wonderful it is to be able to just relax for a bit and speak your native language with someone and know that they understand your culture! It was also helpful to us that they could tell us more about Natasha and break down some of the cultural barriers that existed to that point.

After

The ways that others helped her are incredible. Children’s Dental Center donated a free exam and cleaning (no cavities!), Wendy Schutt donated her excellent photography services (those awesome professional photos on FB are from her). Friends took her shopping for clothes, gave us discount coupons for bowling and donated a gift certificate for a manicure (teen girl heaven).

The most wonderful aspect of this is all the awareness that has been generated. We’ve been contacted by strangers, past friends and acquaintances who want to know more and are interested in helping. Not all can host or adopt a child, not all can afford to donate, but all can help in some way and are united by their caring, compassion and innate ability to care for children they have never met.

Because of this experience, I’ve now joined P143 as a volunteer coordinator and will assist in recruiting and matching families for future hosting sessions, and will of course be bringing back another child this summer to hopefully help find a family. As I look at the amazing difference between when Natasha arrived and when she left, and then contemplate her future with a family who loves her I cannot wait to see how many more children we can help experience that same joy.