This post was written by Adoption STAR CEO and Founder, Michele Fried
While checking out at a local retail store, the cashier noticed an Adoption STAR envelope with the purchaser. She asked, “Do you work at Adoption STAR?” To which the woman with the envelope responded, “Yes, how did you know?” The cashier stated, “I noticed the envelope and am so excited to meet you.” The cashier began to excitedly share that she is a client with Adoption STAR and that she is a Birth Mother. She went on even while the checkout line grew, proudly sharing that she loves Adoption STAR and that she and the adoptive family connect often via E-Mail and Skype. She spoke about the agency staff and how important the agency still is to her today.
I was at a party just the other day and met a woman who works at a local bank and when she learned I worked at Adoption STAR she said, “There is a woman who comes into our bank and always tells me about her two children she adopted from Adoption STAR!”
And then there was the visit of a young adoptee who just about ten years ago met her adoptive parents for the first time and journeyed back to the sites and places where she first began. She met with me in the office where her parents and I shared the story of her birth mother contacting the agency and selecting her parents, “the call” to let them know they were selected and “placement day.” Though these stories were ones she heard before, it began to develop a new meaning by visiting “her” adoption agency.
These three stories are not uncommon for Adoption STAR. We are blessed every day with the ability to touch the lives of birth families, adoptive families and adoptees. My favorite phrase is being “touched by adoption.” And if you are, then you know how powerful and meaningful that phrase is.
In order to continue touching others ~ we ask that during this “season of giving” that you will remember Adoption STAR with a tax-deductible donation. Financial gifts like yours help support the good work Adoption STAR does. Without your support, we would not be able to provide the services that are so needed. You may send us a check made out to Adoption STAR or you may visit us online to make a donation
To date we have assisted in over 500 adoptions and this March we will celebrate our 12th birthday. These milestones are due to the commitment we have to our core values, vision and mission statement and because of the donations we receive.
Our Core Values to provide education, counseling, support, and advocacy supply the foundation on which our mission is built, they shape the way we pursue our vision, and underpin the way Adoption STAR interacts with our clients and the community.
Our Vision builds upon Adoption STAR’s strengths of offering ongoing support services to ALL birth and adoptive families. As an Agency of dedicated staff we strive to ensure that clients receive a consistent and high standard of care and service. We work to expand and advance our support programs throughout every stage of the adoption journey. In addition, the Agency advocates for equality and fair treatment for all parties involved in adoption.
Our Mission is clear: The Agency takes a strong stand on adoption education and believes no one can make a decision to adopt or place a child for adoption without fully educating themselves on adoption and its many options. Adoption STAR is an agency committed to the best interests of children and will offer all birth families regardless of race, health, circumstances, or disability, the option of adoption for their child. Adoption STAR is an agency dedicated to maintaining connections between adoptive families and birth families and offers education and support with an adoption plan.
If you are not receiving our monthly E-Newsletter, please be sure to add your email address to the list by doing so on the home page of our website. We also hope you will continue to follow our blog.
Best wishes for a very Happy and Healthy New Year and thank you for remembering Adoption STAR.