Parenthood for Me provides financial and emotional assistance, along with educational tools for those starting families through adoption and medical intervention. On Saturday, March 9, 2013, they will host their Annual Gala.
Erica Walther Schlaefer and A.J. Schlaefer are adoptive parents who also went through years of infertility treatments. They paid over $20,000 for medical procedures to try and conceive a child. They were not successful. After a lot of heartache and grieving they decided that they simply wanted to be parents. They began their research regarding adoption, and then moved on to choosing an agency and applying. Their son came home in June of 2008, and they couldn’t have been happier. After going through both process’ they understand that there is an over abundance of information that can be confusing and daunting to decipher. It is difficult to know where to turn first. They had to take chances; they wished we could have had more guidance.
To offer more insight on their experience here is an excerpt from their personal blog – The Fine Print: Parenthood for Me, Inc. is a national 501 c(3) tax exempt non-profit. Having a family is fundamental to the human experience. It should not come down to the size of one’s bank account. Our goal is to provide emotional support, educational tools, and financial support to those adopting or pursuing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to try and conceive. We hope to ease some of the burden bestowed on people who desperately want to be parents.
In order to fulfill their mission to provide financial, emotional and educational assistance to those starting families through adoption and medical intervention, every year they offer a fundraising gala. This year that event will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2013 6:30-10:30 PM at the The Inn on Broadway in Rochester, NY. This is their biggest fundraiser of the year, and all of the net proceeds go toward funding their grants. The success of this event helps to determine the number of grants and the amount they can award to each recipient.
Every year, a Commitment to Excellence Award (CEA) is awarded to an individual who is dedicated to supporting the Adoption, Loss & Infertility community. For 2013, Parenthood for Me is awarding the CEA to Lori Holden – adoptive mother, author and educator on open adoption – and a regular contributor to the Adoption STAR blog. She will be the Keynote Speaker at the gala. Open adoption is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood and difficult parts of adoption for the general public to understand. Her work is extremely important and highly regarded in the adoption community.
Lori writes regularly at LavenderLuz.com about parenting and living mindfully. Her book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole is available for pre-order on Amazon. She has written for Adoptive Families magazine, Parenting magazine and for BlogHer and MileHighMamas.com, a Denver Post site. On Twitter she’s @LavLuz and you can also find her on Facebook. She practices her Both/And technique with dark chocolate and red wine (though not at the same time). You are invited to the gala and to hear Lori share her extensive knowledge and experience with open adoption. Click here to read highlights of the helpful information that Lori will share in her keynote address at the gala. Lori’s trip to the annual gala is sponsored by Adoption STAR.
Help fulfill the dream of parenthood. Attend the Parenthood for Me annual gala and silent auction.
There are many ways to donate:
Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsorships
Table sponsorship
Silent Auction items
Tickets – $100.00
For more information on Parenthood for Me and their Annual Gala and to purchase tickets email events@parenthoodforme.org
Read More about by Lori Holden and Infertility: Talking to Lori Holden on the Topic of Open Adoption, A Clear Definition of Open Adoption, isn’t it a spectrum?, When What I Knew about Adoption was Wrong, Getting Started with Your Open Adoption Arrangement, Infertility and Adoption, Pregnancy After Adoption