Tuesday, August 31, 2010

PBS Adoption Series

PBS POV is launching a national public awareness campaign to examine issues facing adoptees and families who choose to adopt. The following documentaries will air starting tonight and into September. Check your local listings for times. You can also view the documentaries on line at http://www.pbs.org/pov/woainimommy/, http://www.pbs.org/pov/offandrunning/ , and
http://www.pbs.org/pov/chajunghee/.


Wo Ai Ni (I Love You) Mommy on POV

August 31, 2010 "Wo Ai Ni Mommy"
What is it like to be torn from your Chinese foster family, put on a plane with strangers and wake up in a new country, family and culture? Stephanie Wang-Breal’s Wo Ai Ni (I Love You) Mommy is the story of Fang Sui Yong, an 8-year-old orphan, and the Sadowskys, the Long Island Jewish family that travels to China to adopt her. Sui Yong is one of 70,000 Chinese children now being raised in the United States. Through her eyes, we witness her struggle with a new identity as she transforms from a timid child into someone that no one — neither her new family nor she — could have imagined. A co-production of American Documentary/POV and the Diverse Voices Project, presented in association with the Center for Asian American Media, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. (90 minutes)


Off and Running on POV

September 7, 2010 "Off and Running"
Off and Running tells the story of Brooklyn teenager Avery, a track star with a bright future. She is the adopted African-American child of white Jewish lesbians. Her older brother is black and Puerto Rican and her younger brother is Korean. Though it may not look typical, Avery’s household is like most American homes — until Avery writes to her birth mother and the response throws her into crisis. She struggles over her “true” identity, the circumstances of her adoption and her estrangement from black culture. Just when it seems as if her life is unraveling, Avery decides to pick up the pieces and make sense of her identity, with inspiring results. A co-production of ITVS in association with the National Black Programming Consortium and American Documentary/POV and the Diverse Voices Project, with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.


In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee on POV

September 14th, 2010 "In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee"
Her passport said she was Cha Jung Hee. She knew she was not. So began a 40-year deception for a Korean adoptee who came to the United States in 1966. Told to keep her true identity secret from her new American family, the 8-year-old girl quickly forgot she had ever been anyone else. But why had her identity been switched? And who was the real Cha Jung Hee? In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee is the search to find the answers, as acclaimed filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem (First Person Plural, POV 2000) returns to her native Korea to find her “double,” the mysterious girl whose place she took in America. A co-production of ITVS in association with the Center for Asian American Media and American Documentary/POV.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Washington Post Article


International adoption: From a broken bond to an instant bond

By Michael Gerson
Friday, August 27, 2010
Scott Simon -- the sonorous voice of NPR's "Weekend Edition" -- has written a short, tender book about the two most important people in the world. At least to him. "Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other" recounts the arrival of his two daughters, Elise and Lina, from China, while telling the stories of other families changed by adoption.

Simon describes himself as skeptical of transcendence but as taking part in a miracle. "My wife and I," he says, "knew that Elise and Lina were our babies from the moment we received their postage-stamp portraits. Logically, I know that's not possible. But I also know that's how my heart, mind and body . . . reacted to their pictures. . . . I would take the photo out of my wallet in the weeks before we left to get each of our girls and hold it against my lips to whisper, 'We're coming, baby.' "
To read the full article click here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082605232.html

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Houston Church Breaks World Record with Chain of Soles



Aug 24, 2010
Jenny Pope
Buckner International, Shoes for Orphan Souls, U.S. Ministry


HOUSTON – The thermometer read 94 degrees Saturday, Aug. 21 as volunteers at South Main Baptist Church patiently linked together a chain of shoes on the black asphalt parking lot. It took more than three hours to lay the shoes side by side, but in the end they celebrated their accomplishment – more than 10,068 pairs of shoes for orphans and a new Guinness World Record.

To read the full article click here
http://www.buckner.org/enews/index.php/2010/08/houston-church-breaks-world-record/

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

One State Foster Kid's Story


The following article was published in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel. It gives a glimpse into the thoughts of a foster child.


One state foster kid's story
By Greta Anderson
July 24, 2010


When I was taken from my home and given 10 minutes to pack my belongings, no one told me where I would be going or what the long-term plan was for me. I entered foster care with very little information and even less influence on the decisions being made. At that point in my life, I couldn't understand why people said things like "everything happens for a reason."

At 15, I felt helpless and hopeless and could find little justification for my life taking this drastic detour. Fast-forward six years and nine placements later. At 22 years old, I am beginning to grasp the bigger picture. My story is not unique in Wisconsin or around the country; there are more than 7,000 youths in foster care in Wisconsin and over a half-million around the nation - and many of them are teens.

My time spent in foster care is something I no longer am ashamed of or something that I think makes me "special." Instead, it is something that gives me perspective on a population that often goes unseen. Older youths in foster care experience unique challenges in transitioning, and people in every occupation and life situation can contribute to improving our chances for success.

Internships with FosterClub and the National Resource Center for Youth Development have blessed me with the opportunity to listen to the stories of hundreds of youths who now stand in the shoes I once filled. For most older youths in the system, there are common concerns.

One of the biggest things we wonder is: Who will stick around when they stop getting paid to do so? I had so many people in my life providing "services" vs. providing real, long-term support. It's hard to create reciprocal relationships when you have learned that there is a time and a place for sharing - during appointments. And what happens when those appointments stop? Once youths "age out" of the system, what do they do with all of the emotions they once had an outlet for?

At 18, I still had a lot left to learn, but the number of people willing to teach me drastically decreased. Often those feelings of frustration and lack of support manifest into behavior that does not benefit us.

If you are someone with a listening ear and an open door, we need you. If you're not very emotional but are good with budgeting and planning, we need you.

I am only where I am today because people who weren't obligated to stepped up to the plate. Without these people, I could've ended up in a much different situation.

My intention in writing this is to say that it is possible to create a community structure that lifts youths up. If there is going to be system reform, it has to be grass roots, because love is not something you can legislate or mandate - nor should you have to.

We can help ensure that youths know there is life after foster care, and it can be a better life than they ever dreamed of. The idea that "it takes a village to raise a child" is still relevant.

My challenge to you is: What can you contribute to your village? What opportunities do you have to support not just foster care youths but at-risk youths in general? You don't have to be perfect to be involved.

Greta Anderson entered the Wisconsin foster care system at age 15, placed in care as a result of a messy family court situation. During her two years in care, Greta experienced nine placements as well as grappled with being separated from her younger sister. She is a senior majoring in art education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She plans to pursue her doctoral degree. Greta served as a 2009 FosterClub All-Star and is enjoying her summer in Tulsa, Okla., as a National Resource Center for Youth Development intern.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Wheaton Teen's Astounding Charity Work Draws Even More Attention


The following article was the cover story in today's Daily Herald: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=402738


Last year, the charity Kendall Ciesemier founded started sending out free "I care 2" kits to kids who want to help raise money for African families decimated by AIDS. Each kit includes a letter from Kendall, an informational DVD, a T-shirt and a step-by-step guide to giving.

Kendall Ciesemier was 11 when an idea to donate $360 to sponsor one child in Africa blossomed into a charity that would raise money for thousands of kids affected by AIDS. In that time, she met a former president, appeared on "Oprah" and raised more than $830,000 through her Kids Caring 4 Kids organization. But a few years later, the motivation that called her to action was starting to wane.

"It's hard to come so far from the moment I said I wanted to help these kids," said the Wheaton resident, now 17.

Seeing pictures and reading stories about the conditions in Africa weren't cutting it. She had to experience herself what was going on there.

Kendall got that opportunity in June when she and her family visited Zambia and South Africa. The Wheaton North High School senior returned from the trip knowing that she must continue what she started.

"Inspiration slapped me in the face and said, 'You're not done with Africa, Kendall. You have so much more to do,'" she said.

Some recent national attention might help her achieve her goal to raise $1 million and convince 30 high schools each to donate $5,000 to Kids Caring 4 Kids.

Glamour Magazine has named Kendall a finalist in its "Women of the Year" contest.

"I hope this nomination will bring attention to the extreme poverty and disease that plagues an entire continent," she said.

Underdog empathy

Kendall's life changed in December 2003 with an Oprah Winfrey special about children in Africa who had lost their parents to AIDS.

Watching the program with her own parents, Kendall, 11 at the time, pondered what those kids were going through. "I just couldn't imagine it."

So she went on the computer and learned about World Vision's orphan sponsorship program. She took all of her birthday and Christmas money out of her dresser and stuffed $360 into an envelope.

The gesture came as no surprise to Kendall's mother. Ellery Ciesemier said her daughter, who was born with pediatric liver disease, always supported the underdog.

"Growing up, she always was asking me to pay fees for classmates to play basketball or to go on a field trip," Ellery said. "She was always finding the new student and sitting by them at lunch."

Kendall said her desire to help others stems from her own medical issues.

"I just have always wanted to reach out to those who are struggling," she said. "So I think I've always found it easy to relate to kids that were going through a hard time."

The surprise for her mother was that Kendall wanted to take on the plight of AIDS orphans in Africa.

Ellery Ciesemier saw the same show as her daughter but responded as many of us would. She felt sad, and then turned off the television.

"Adults tend to get so overwhelmed with a problem as a whole that they think they can't do anything," Ellery said. "So they do nothing. I think kids come at things with a completely different perspective."

For Kendall, getting letters from the orphan she sponsored only fueled her desire to do more. But first, she would have her own adversity to overcome.

No teddy bears

In the summer of 2004, Kendall would need two liver transplants in three months.

Before the first surgery, in lieu of gifts, she asked for donations to support an entire village in Africa. With the help of World Vision, she set up a project to raise $60,000.

"That summer, every time people wanted to do something nice for me, they would donate money to the kids in Africa," she said. "I felt good about it, and I wasn't getting a million teddy bears."

Initially, friends and family members responded. Then strangers who had heard of Kendall's request through word-of-mouth and the Internet began sending her money.

"I think it was just a lot of people, at that time, getting behind a sick kid," she said.

By the time of the second transplant that August, Kendall had raised about $15,000. It was the silver lining in an otherwise difficult time for the Ciesemier family.

"To take something that was so awful and turn it into something that's so great," Kendall said, "I think it was really a gift for me. I could focus my energy on something positive and feel like my struggle was going to mean something to someone else."


A not-for-profit is born

By the end of summer, Kendall and her parents saw what had happened and decided to create a charity. Kids Caring 4 Kids was granted not-for-profit status in January 2005.

One uncle designed the website and another came up with the logo.

"It was such a basement charity - just a really small effort," Kendall recalled. "In many ways, it's still like that."

Kendall started speaking at schools. There were fundraisers. And then she started getting publicity.

She admits that all the media attention has been a challenge.

"I don't do it for the attention," she said. "The publicity, in my view, is good for the organization because it makes people aware of what we're doing. That's the only reason I would ever want to be in an article."

She never expected to find herself on one of the largest media stages of all.

The Oprah effect

In August 2007, Kendall attended a morning assembly at Wheaton North. She didn't know the assembly featuring former President Bill Clinton was in her honor.

The day's second shock came when Clinton whisked her off to tape an episode of Oprah Winfrey's show spotlighting the plight of AIDS orphans in Africa.

During the program, Kendall talked about her charity and announced her ultimate goal was to raise $1 million for the orphans.

It was a bold statement. Up to that point, Kids Caring 4 Kids had raised $100,000.

But then Clinton surprised Kendall by announcing that an anonymous donor had given $500,000 to her charity.

Kids Caring 4 Kids has since raised more than $830,000 for the various projects it's supporting. And last year, the charity started sending out free "I care 2" kits to kids who want to get involved. Each kit includes a letter from Kendall, an informational DVD, a T-shirt and a step-by-step guide to giving.

Because of her medical issues, Kendall never was able to travel to Africa to see the result of her efforts. That all changed in June.

A million hugs

Kendall often dreamed of meeting the African children she's working to help.

In June, the Ciesemiers visited a school in Zambia. Thanks to money raised by Kids Caring 4 Kids, the school was able to build new showers, bathrooms and a sick bay for its 200 students.

The children live in mud huts and face various dangers, including malaria, every day.

Still, Kendall said, they literally greeted her with open arms.

"It's the greatest feeling to have a million kids just try to hug you," she said. "They were so happy."

She also visited an orphan care center that Kids Caring 4 Kids helped build in South Africa. Children go to the center for support, including food, homework assistance and medical care.

The first thing that struck Kendall was the massive size of the local cemetery because of the AIDS epidemic. "They've lost an entire generation of people," she said. "They've lost everyone's parents."

Despite the tremendous need, she notes progress. "You see what is changing; there is a difference being made."

And of course, there are the children. Kendall said she became friends with every child she met. "They love love," she said.

Meeting those children reinvigorated Kendall. She's rededicated herself to continue what she started when she stuffed $360 into an envelope years ago.

"I know for sure that I will always be involved in Africa, whether it be either Kids Caring 4 Kids or something else," she said. "I know I will always be in Africa and working for Africa, because that's really where my heart is."

Kendall Ciesemier supporters have until Aug. 30 to vote for her in Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year: Readers' Choice Award. She was nominated for the honor by Jennifer Fortney, a Kids Caring 4 Kids volunteer. If Kendall wins, she will travel to New York City to be honored along with celebrity winners competing in a separate category.

To vote for Kendall, visit glamour.com/magazine/2010/08/women-of-the-year-readers-choice-award-2010-nominee-kendall-ciesemie






Saturday, August 14, 2010

Lives Are Being Transformed!




“I remember the first time I saw Vanya because there was something different about him. Yes, he was the only black kid in the orphanage, but more than that, there was something about his eyes that intrigued me.


“Vanya is a smart kid.” Denis, our director, told us. “He was abandoned as a newborn. His parents were students at the university and he is very smart.


I smiled at him and he smiled back. His outgoing personality was evident as he tried his hand at English. I met a lot of kids at that summer camp in 2004, but Vanya is the one I remember."


-Marla Ringger, Orphan Advocate



Vanya, then 13, was just learning the power of Christ’s love in his life. Recently Lifesong for Orphans had started a program at his home in Sachnovsheena Orphanage. And though Vanya resisted the Gospel at first, through the examples of volunteers and staff members, Biblical mentorship, and educational support he began to see Christ’s love in action, and knew this was something he wanted for himself.

Now at 19, Vanya continues to rise above standards and expectations. He lives in one of Lifesong’s Transition Homes in Kharkov, a home designed to support those aging out of the orphanage system, studies English at the local college, translates for Americans who come to visit, and mentors younger boys at the orphanage in the same way the Lifesong staff once mentored him!


We praise God for success stories like Vanya’s and are thankful for our partners who continue to support those like him both financially and in prayer!

Vanya from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Global Orphans: The Numbers

The following article is taken from "Matchbox", the Christian Alliance for Orphans blog.



One of the slipperiest elements of orphan advocacy is the statistics often quoted to describe the number of orphans worldwide.

These often-varying estimates are sometimes misstated and frequently misapplied. For example, the various global estimates (143 M, 145 M, 163 M, etc) are often quoted in ways that imply that all of these children have no living parents. It’s hard not to make that mistake, since most people typically think of an “orphan” as a child that has lost both parents. But since global orphan estimates include children who’ve lost either one or both parents, roughly 90 percent of children classified as “orphans” have one living parent. This does not mean that these children are not highly vulnerable, but it does mean that the best response to their needs is often not adoption or some form of orphan home, but helping the family remain intact or reunite.

In recent years, the most frequently quoted numbers have been UNICEF estimates. However, the data used to produce UNICEF’s most recent estimate (145 million) is three years old. Previous UNICEF estimates also include the frequently quoted 143 million figure.

The most recent and, according to many experts, most accurate numbers we have at this point are those delivered in a U.S. government report from late 2009. These numbers are expected to be updated late this year. This report projects:

•Total global orphan estimates for 2008 are 163 million (Children having lost one or both parents).
•Of these, an estimated 55.3 million have lost a mother and 126 million have lost a father.
•An estimated 18.3 million children have lost both parents.
In addition to the fact that such statistics are often misquoted or misunderstood, the simple truth is that statistics rarely motivate to action. If anything, they create a paralyzing sense of “what can one person do?” (See this prior blog posts on the shortcomings of orphan statistics). So, while it certainly is important to have a good grasp of the numbers and what they actually mean, it is vital that advocates emphasize the most important statistic of all: it only takes one caring individual to transform the life of an orphan.

Finally, Christians also need to understand that the biblical concept of “orphans” or “the fatherless” found throughout Scripture is a category that includes much more than just the boy or girl who has lost both parents. Rather, it describes the child that faces the world without provider or protector. Some children who fit this description have one living parent. In some cases, such children may even have two living parents who’ve abandoned or abused them, or simply have no capacity to care for them. No statistical analysis will ever perfectly capture the global number of children who fit in this category, but that need be of little concern. Ultimately, God’s call is to defend the defenseless child—whatever the particulars of her situation may be.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Alliance Webinar Series


The Christian Alliance for Orphans Webinar Series is designed to help individuals like you create and grow effective adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry in local churches.


"The Post-Placement Journey"


Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael Monroe offer insights and resources to equip adoption and foster ministries to help families meet the challenges of loving, nurturing and building strong relationships with children from hard places.


Host Church: Irving Bible Church
Presenters: Dr. Karyn Purvis, TCU Institute of Child Development
Michael Monroe, Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Ministry,
Irving Bible Church

Date: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2010 Time:1:00 PM Central