It's a Girl!

If you're a parent, how excited were you when you found out what sex your child would be? Did it matter if it was a girl or boy? It does to some. Did you know that China still has a one child policy? They do.  So, that leaves a lot of girls and mamas left to fend for themselves, if they survive. Women are looked down on for having more than one child, especially more than 1 girl. Sometimes they are kicked out of their homes, made to have abortions or to give their babies up for adoption. Or they're abandoned or aborted. My heart breaks for the hearts of these mamas.

This is a cause worth learning about and getting involved in. All Girls Allowed supports these families. And this week, so can you! Check out Sevenly's site today. Great shirts and bags supporting a great cause!

By the way, remember the O'Dell family? Daddy Devin is in China right now with their little girl! (you can follow them on their blog!)

Isn't she the cutest?? They'll be picking up their son very soon, too!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Adopting?

So, you're thinking about adopting? I'll bet you have a lot of questions.  Here are a few that I hear often...

Is it expensive? Yes ma'am!
Does it take a long time? Usually so. (Ours seems to be taking about a year, but you can't predict a timeline in adoption. Some take several years and some move faster depending on the child's needs, age, country, your adoptive readiness, etc.)
Do you know a lot about your baby's history? Some details, yes, but every situation is different.
Can anyone adopt? Check with your agency or look online at different agencies.  Here's my agency's page Holt International and here's Beth's agency's page America World and one more that I know of in my area, Bethany Christian Services.

You can also look at Reece's Rainbow for children who are waiting. They can point you in the direction of that child's agency.
Agencies are usually pretty up front about their requirements and those requirements differ based on the country you are interested in adopting from.

Questions? Leave me a comment or email me at tonyagarrick5 (at) gmail (dot) com.  Let me know if you would like to be a family of the week, too.  There are several working on their videos, so we should start seeing families again very soon!

Have you checked out our world map? I know some of our other pages have families this week, so get your dollars ready!

Soon, we will talk about adoption etiquette and using the correct language when you're asking your friends about their adoption. Let me know if you have any suggestions or examples of your own!

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Supporting Others

Having a good day?  I hope so!

Have you seen Sevenly's page this week?  This week's products are supporting orphans abandoned due to AIDS. 

Also, take a look at this blog.  They share about a recent visit to various Holt agencies in Korea.
Many agencies offer different trips for supporters and families. 

Lindsay also shared some info on YourAdoptShop.org  Good stuff!

There are so many ways to support others who are caring for orphans or are on their own adoption journey.
What are some of your favorites?

Have fun checking out these sites! Have a great day!!

Funds for Your Adoption

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by!

Have you seen Africa's page this week? They have a family to support and some good info over there.  Our Caribbean page has a family, too!  Give them a look.

A few FAQs for you to think about.......

Is adoption expensive?  YES.  Plain and simple.  Can you afford it?  YES, again! How, you ask??
Since adoption generally takes several months or even years, you should have time to start saving.  Look at your budget and what you can scale down or do without. For me, I"ve decided to skip buying new clothes for myself (no, my kids are not wearing rags) and go easy on my coffee habit! Also, we skipped the big vacation this year and are just, in general, watching our pennies.
Maybe you can get a part time job or use a tax refund.  Are you crafty? Sell your creations on Etsy:) Get creative!

Also, you can fund raise, apply for grants and of course, be featured on our blog!

Here are a few suggestions for fundraising.....

Flip Flop 2 Adopt was started by an adoptive family when they realized how expensive it was to bring their son home from Taiwan. Check them out!

Just Love Coffee is another. These 2 fundraisers allow people to shop and you get a portion of the proceeds.  Sweet!

Our domestic blogger, Bonnie, included fundraising tips on their page, too!

Did you have any hugely successful fundraising ideas you would like to share? I've heard of people hosting dinners, having garage sales, auctions......the list goes on!
Once you determine in your heart to adopt, you'll figure it out!

See ya next time!

Welcome!

Happy Monday!  I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Congrats to Katie and Jody, the winners of our very fab Starbucks cards and thanks to everyone who supported the O'Dell family last week.  Your generosity is so appreciated!

This week, I'll post a few articles about international adoption, fundraisers and try to hit on some frequently asked questions.


First, I'll give you a little background about my family. My husband and I have 2 extremely awesome boys, ages 8 and 11, and are in the process of adopting a sweet little girl from South Korea. We have hit that part of the adoption where the application has been sent in, we've made the big announcement , submitted more paperwork and now....WE WAIT.
Sooo, in the meantime, I have bought a few girly things for my all boy home and will start compiling her life book soon. Also, I've applied for every grant under the sun and tried to figure out creative ways to save money.

 What did you do to pass the time during the long wait? Decorate the new room? Take some classes?

If you're adopting, what agency did you use? There are many adoption agencies to choose from. We chose Holt International. They have a waiting child program that seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. Interested? Take a look. Have you had great experiences with another agency? Let me know and I'll mention them so everyone can know!

Check out the other Give1Save1 pages this week, too. You can click on our "back to world map" button and select the Caribbean, Africa or the US page from there. Adopting or know a family who is adopting?  We would love to feature them on our blog.  Email me at tonyagarrick5 (at) gmail (dot) com.
Have a blessed week!

Friday Fun

Happy Friday!! Have you seen our new button?? Click on "back to the map" and see our  new world map! Then you can click around and go to the other pages featured:) Pretty cool,huh? Also, we were mentioned in a blog post by No Hands But Ours. (thanks, Stefanie!!)  They provide family support for children waiting in China. Give them a look!!

Guess who's traveling next WEEK?? In a few days, to be exact.  Devin O'Dell!! He'll be bringing their 2 new additions back HOME! Do you have a dollar to help with those travel expenses? You're great, thanks!
Click our big donate button on the left. Your gift is truly appreciated.

Remember to leave a comment after you've given and shared. Right now, there's a 50/50 chance for Katie or Jody to win a Starbucks card.......if you can't leave a comment, shoot me an email or FB us!

Thirsty Thursday (and a giveaway!)

Okay, it's not your typical thirsty Thursday, but still...

We will have a giveaway starting today! Yayy! If you donate and share the O'Dell's story, leave a comment telling me that you did both, then you will be entered in the drawing for a Starbucks card!:) Why? Because I love Starbucks, so I assume everyone else does, too! By the way, their new very berry hibiscus refresher is pretty good if it's too hot for coffee!

Did you know the O'Dells are adopting 2 children? Their home is about to get a lot louder!! Do you love a house full of kids? I do and I know Jolene and Devin do, too. Can you help them with their travel expenses and that extra $1000 expense that was thrown their way? It would be awesome if you could!

DONATE HERE.....my big button's being finicky!! (but the new color's cool!)

Remember--give, share, and leave a comment.  I'll announce our winner Sunday!!

By the way...I don't have a family for next week! Adopting? Shoot me an email...tonyagarrick5 at gmail.com

Quick, Share!

Here is a sweet blog post from last week's family. Now it's time to show this week's fam that same love!
Can you give a dollar and share the O'Dell's story with a few friends? (You can read their blog, too.) I know...it's really easy, right? Do you like our pink donate button??:)
The O'Dell's have to pay an unexpected  fee of around $1000. LOTS of fees are normal with adoption....unexpected fees are no fun.
Let's blast their paypal and help them cover it!  Thanks!


Ever heard of Sevenly?  Check them out......  They support a different cause every week. Very cool!
What would your cause be?

Orphan Care

Interested in orphan care? Check out this organization started by the Chapman family...Show Hope.
They are involved in caring for orphans with special needs in Asia.
Also, if you're adopting, their organization provides grants.   You can apply or support their ongoing projects.

Donated to the O'Dell's today? Thank you for clicking the big donate button!! Share their story with your circle, too. They are excited to use funds raised to help with travel expenses.  You're the best!!

The O'Dell Family is Growing by 2!

Hi there, everyone! Another week means another family here on Give1Save1! Before we introduce our family of the week, I want to thank you again for your outpouring of support for last week's family. (and every other week!)  The Hursts are sooo thankful for everything---you gave and shared like nobody's business!!

Now. Meet this week's family....Jolene and Devin O'Dell.  The O'Dell family currently has four children, 2 bio and 2 through adoption. They are about to add 2 more beautiful babies to their family! A boy and a girl, 5 years old, both are waiting in China.  Both are in orphanages and both have some special needs. Remember we talked about waiting children before?                           These 2 children are waiting for their family. Wanna help?  Watch their video now and get your paypals ready....

The O'Dell Family

Don't you love them already? Me, too!  Let's blast the O'Dell's paypal this week!! They are traveling soon--this month, actually!  Traveling is expensive, but they are more than ready to go get their newest additions!

Are you ready to be a part of their story??  DONATE  here or by clicking the big pink donate button on the side.  Also, learn more about the O'Dells  on their blog.  SHARE their story on Facebook, tweet it, blog about it...tell your friends and neighbors:) Ok? Ok.

Have a great week and let's welcome the O'Dells to Give1Save1 Asia by showing them some major love! 

Saturday Sharing

Happy weekend, everyone! This has been a great week for the Hursts. They are currently at $1600 right under $2000 for the week!! --I am truly thankful for everyone giving and sharing this family's story.  I know that Katie and Craig feel the same way!
Want to donate? The big pink donate button on the left will go straight to this family through Sunday. After that, you can follow them and donate on their blog.  Soon, they will have their baby boy home for good!

If you have a minute and an extra dollar, take a look at Africa's family, the Phillips. They are also adopting....2 babies, in fact!  Ashton and Trey are a sweet family--show them a little love:)  Oh, and you can read about Beth and see a pic of her cute little guy, too.

Did you know that our Asia page has had close to 3000 views in the last 3 weeks? AMAZING!! Just think about it. If we all came back weekly and gave ONE dollar to the family of the week, we could bless them beyond belief! That is about 52 bucks per year.  For me, that equals 11 coffees. I can do that.

Enjoy this weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday!

A Name So Sweet

The week's over halfway over.....thanks for stopping by!
Here's a blog link to Katie Hurst's post. They are trying to think of little boy names! Fun:)  How did you come up with your kiddos' names? We chose names from the bible for our guys, but our youngest had to wait until after he was born before we decided--and yes, we knew we were having a boy.

Oh, did I mention they're already at $840??  (Update! $1240 and counting!!) So exciting! Thank you for your generosity--it's fantastic.

Use the big donate button to the left to share your dollar with this family. They'll be here until Sunday!

Hurst Family Update

The Hurst family is ready to have their little boy home. Jiang is in China waiting for them, too. He has some medical needs that will require lifelong care. The Hursts are climbing toward $400 already. (see update below) Let's help them break the $500 mark today!  Can you  help by giving and sharing their story?  Thank you--you're too kind.
I love learning about our Give1Save1 families....don't you? I think you'll enjoy reading about their journey.

Here's an excerpt from Katie's blog....

God has proven to me again and again that He is faithful. I couldn't tell you how we've come this far. It has been quarters and dimes and pennies and many, many prayers. It has often come down to the very days we had to pay but to this point God has provided every single penny we have needed.

Thank you for being part of their story! (and His story)

 

UPDATE: They are already at $650!! Thanks, everyone!  How exciting:):)

Passing The Love Around

Good morning! Thank you for dropping by. I hope your week is off to a great start.  The Hurst family's is---already over $300!! THANKS to you!
Here's a note from last week's family.....

We just want to thank Give1Save1 and everyone who donated toward the Lewis adoption last week! It was such a blessing to us and we were overwhelmed by the response. Now we want to encourage everyone to pull together and give to the Hurst family this week! Watch their video and see how you can be part of literally saving a little boy’s life.  It cannot possibly be easy, knowing your son is halfway across the world in need of medical attention.  Let’s help the Hurst family toward their numerous adoption expenses. Watch the video, give $1 (or more!) and pass it on to family and friends.  YOU can be part of saving a little boy’s life and giving him a loving family. –Darren and Jenna Lewis

Our G1S1 family is amazing--thank you for supporting these adoptive families and for sharing their stories!  It truly makes a difference.

Click the big donate button to give your dollar to the Hurst family and help bring their son home. Follow along on their blog to keep up with their journey.  Their kiddos have a blog, too!! Go show them some love...kids love comments, ya know!

The Hurst Family is Growing!

Good morning, all! It's our first day of school!!! Nerves and a few tears (we won't say who cried) were flying around this morning. Are your kiddos ready for school? We had storms and internet/power outages this weekend.  How about you? Did you watch the Olympics?? We did...I don't know what I'll do when they're over!


Welcome the Hurst family to our G1S1 Asia family. They are adopting a 4 year old boy from China. He will be joining his 3 siblings who are waiting for him to come home!  Take a look at this family. This little boy is in for some fun!!

 

Are you ready to donate your dollar?  I knew you would be!

Follow along on their BLOG, too!

Have a great week everyone! Thanks for giving and sharing!! Check back later this week for an update on the Hurst family!

Updates and Coupon Code!

Hello there!  Just a quick total update for the Lewis family. Drumroll, please.......$1390!!! They are beyond excited!! THANK YOU for sharing their story and giving your $1!!  If you haven't had a chance to click that big  donate button yet, go ahead and do it now. Every dollar counts.

One more thing you may want to check out - if you need a baby sling, you may want to look at Seven and use coupon code "ucover".  You can get a free sling or use it on the combo pack which comes with some smashing baby legwarmers and a bracelet for Mom.  Pretty cool! Seven Everyday Slings is the company.  Take a peek!

Let me know which sling you get! And the Lewis family will be on here through Sunday, so you have alllll weekend to show them some love!

Sharing the Love

Our family of the week is climbing towards right at $900!! They are so grateful. Have you donated and shared this page? Thank you for your dollars! Darren and Jenna are both very involved in their church's adoption ministry......their gifts are going through their church and given straight to their family.  So, if you see a church name when you click on the DONATE button,  you are in the right spot!
Did you know Give1Save1 Asia is not a non profit? Just a blog that allows you to support families who are adopting.
Every week we switch families. Every week we ask for a dollar. That's all. When we all give, those dollars add up fast! Ask the Lewis'!  Click our "About" button to learn more.

The Lewis family is adopting an older child. Learn more about how to help an older child transition.
I'm excited for all of them--aren't you?? This little girl is in store for so much love.