Newsletter Archives - A Act of Love Adoptions

August 2019 Newsletter

We have participated in some wonderful projects this summer. From parades to service, with the goal in mind to create awareness about adoption, it’s been a lot of fun. And there are many more projects coming.

We are passionate about adoption because we know what it means for birth parents, families, and especially the children. Choosing life is our mission and that is why we want to make sure we let others know and create awareness for what we do.

We wish you an excellent rest of the summer and stay tuned for upcoming events.

Draper Parade

This month we had a fantastic opportunity to be part of the Draper parade. It was a great experience to express what we do and share what we love.

We created our float by hooking a trailer to a truck that we decorated with colorful banners and balloons.

Many of our staff members, friends, and family came to support us by riding on the float. We had fun and happy inspirational music playing! As we passed the crowds of people sitting on the side they couldn’t help but dance along to the music.

Some of our members were walking next to the float passing out flyers, candy, and blowing huge bubbles. We were thrilled to see how people reacted when we were passing in front of them. We got many cheers for adoption and families as people read our banners. They were cheering for us. It seemed like they were excited because of what we represent.

It was an excellent experience! If you want to see what it was like, we recommend that you go and check out the parade video on our Facebook page.

Adoption Around the country

Beginning on May 13 during National Foster Care Month, through July 22, 2019, Wendy’s offered its “Spread the Love” cause cups. Thanks to the generosity of Dr Pepper® and Coca-Cola®, Wendy’s will donate $5 to the Foundation for every Snapcode that a customer scans on the cup, up to $500,000.

We are proud of organizations who support adoption. The choice of adoption means supporting life and new beginnings.

It was an excellent experience! If you want to see what it was like, we recommend that you go and check out the parade video on our Facebook page.

Live Videos

We continue to do our Facebook live videos every Wednesday where we share content related to adoption. If you would like to ask a question or suggest a topic, just go to our contact page on our website and send us a message. Please make sure you support us by watching those videos, commenting, and sharing them with family and friends.

July 2019 Newsletter

Newsletter July 2019

Happy 4th of July! We hope that you all enjoy this wonderful time of the summer with family and friends. It is an important time to reflect on our blessings. We are all very blessed to live in this country with all of our protections and freedoms. There is a sense of gratitude that we should live with and that we should teach to the next generation.

Our Declaration of Independence states that our Creator has endowed us with unalienable rights of, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Also in the preamble to the Constitution of the United States it states that one of the purposes of the constitution is to “Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” These statements perfectly describe the adoption process.

It is an honor to be part of helping the next generation enjoy the freedoms that we are blessed with. Both birth and adoptive parents are a vital part of this process. When we choose life and love we are giving the gift of freedom.

We are grateful to each of you and your commitment to freedom for all!

Weekly Videos

As many of you know, we are doing weekly Facebook Live videos. We cover topics for adoptive families and birth parents. We choose for our topics, questions that people have about adoption especially the adoption process. Our videos are between 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, this makes it easier to watch and share with family and friends.

Adoption Media

Technology is advancing and so is the way we consume media. We created a page on our website to share our media content. If you go to aactofloveadoptions.com/adoption-videos/ you will find our Facebook Live videos, our YouTube channel, testimonials, and videos about the adoption process.

We want to make sure people have a great understanding of how adoption works and these videos are going to help people to find quick answers.

Newsletters

Our newsletters are a great way for us to share what is going in our agency and also in the world of adoption. We want to bring you the latest that is why we have a full page where you can read our current and previous newsletters.

You can go to https://aactofloveadoptions.com/newsletter/ to find them.

June 2019 – Newsletter

From A Act of Love

This year is going so fast especially with everything going on within the agency.

June is the month we celebrate Father's Day. We want to recognize all the fathers out there- especially our wonderful birth fathers and adoptive fathers. They have experienced first hand the wonderful gift of adoption.

They have brought joy and a better future to thousands of children who are now enjoying the gift of life. We wish a happy father’s to all the fathers who are part of our A Act of Love Adoptions family.

26th Year Anniversary Party

In June we also celebrated our 26th year anniversary as an adoption agency. It’s been a wonderful experience to have served thousands of people through all of these years.

Adoption is a wonderful gift and a miracle for so many people. We can proudly say, after 26 years and many successful adoptions we are still committed to adoption and have a lot of love to share for many more years.

For the last 26 years we have worked with so many wonderful people. We are blessed to have built many wonderful relationships with families and birth parents. They are now part of our A Act of Love family. Through all of these years we have worked with some of the most amazing and qualified people on our staff to make these adoptions happen. For all the work they have done, we want to recognize them too.

As part of our celebration we had a wonderful party hosted in A Act of Love Adoption office on Friday, June 14th. We have a wonderful experience with old friends and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. It was a very emotional commemoration with some tears from Kathy, founder of A Act of Love, and from Isaac Thomas, Executive Director.

Facebook Live Videos

We started rolling out our Facebook live videos every Wednesday morning this month. We are sharing important information about adoption and answering many questions people ask about the process. You will find videos from our amazing staff members who are experts in adoption. We encourage everyone to stay tuned on our Facebook page every Wednesday to watch, like, comment on, and share our videos.

March 2019 Newsletter

Message From A Act of Love

Winter is over! We are excited to keep sharing the gift of life this spring. Chilren are such gifts. Some even say they are the greatest miracles of the earth. And why wouldn’t they? They are perfect mirrors of ourselves and not only bless us with the motivation to be better people, but equally make us better. Today, there are many forces fighting against life and adoption.

These voices come from legal courts, organized movements, and individuals who have their own agenda. One thing we know is that love, truth, and goodness are on our side. We will keep bringing miracles to hundreds of people. Thank you for joining us and this great cause.

From an Adoptive Family

"It is nice to have communication with our social workers from A Act of Love. We spent a lot of time learning the ethics behind adoption. We were able to talk to our social workers a lot about what they cover when they’re talking to expectant parents. It was really nice to know that through this process they’re going to take care of the birth parent in a way that we knew we wouldn't have access to." - Adoptive Family

News and Current Events

During a floor debate Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told his colleagues that having babies is the best thing we can do to guarantee a happy future.

He basically said that more babies will mean more people to solve the problems of the future. He said: "More people, means more markets for more innovation, more babies will mean forward looking adults". At A Act of Love we believe that adoption is a gift of life for babies that will create our future.

Giving Tuesday

Facebook is helping nonprofit organizations collect donations through their Giving Tuesday initiative. Now people can easily donate directly through Facebook. This is why, on some Tuesdays of the month, A Act of Love will create a post inviting people to keep supporting us by donating through Facebook. Make sure to like our Facebook page and stay tuned for our posts on Tuesdays.

February 2019 Newsletter

Our Life, Our Love, Our Child, Our Family…

As an adoptive parent I have always been amazed at the courage and strength of birth parents. They make one of the hardest decisions they will ever make. That is to place their child for adoption. While many would discourage this act of unselfishness as unnecessary. They would encourage the other alternatives they have to choose from.

Many children never have the chance of belonging to a loving family because of these other alternatives.
In the Our Life we journey toward each other, the birth parent and the adoptive family.

Both driven by need find and provide a home for a child. Each wanting what is in the best interest of the child. Desiring to provide a life for the child that would help the child reach its full potential.

We all share Our Love for the child. We have that in common. The adoption of a child creates a unique bond between the birth parents and adoptive parents. Adoption is built on a platform of respect and love.

Through this process, the child can be truly loved by all involved in their life. When I first began the adoption process I wondered if I could love a child that was not mine biologically.

When they placed my son into my arms and he grabbed my suspender, LOVE, rushed over me like a waterfall. Truly ‘love makes the world go around’.

It was at this point that he became Our Child. My wife and I realize that we became the parents because the birth parents trusted us to raise this child. So in a very real way we all the parents seeking what was best for the child.

A family is more than skin color, race or biology. It is the sharing of your life and love without hesitation for our children.

SURVEY OF UTAH ADOPTIVE PARENTS

Utah families who recently adopted an infant (under the age of 6 months) are invited to complete an online survey about their adoption experience. The survey is part of a research project sponsored by the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah.

The survey is intended to improve our understanding of the factors that help adoptive families thrive. It takes around 30 minutes to complete, and each person who completes it will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. To complete the survey, go to the following website:

http://earlyexperiences.psych.utah.edu/research.php

You can also learn more about the research project by visiting the Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/utahadoptionsurvey

November 2018 Newsletter

Birth Parent Newsletter – November 2018

Many adoptive families make the decision to adopt after many years of dealing with infertility. While attending A Act of Love’s orientation meeting, our family came to realize that this was the agency we were going to adopt through.

When we attended the orientation meeting and met with Kathy and Isaac at A Act of Love Adoptions, we were impressed by how warm and welcoming they were. They were upfront about the fees and the whole process. It was really refreshing to see them be so transparent. It really helped set the tone.

Focus on the Birth Parents

Another reason why we selected A Act of Love Adoption was because they not only care for the adoptive parents, but also focuses on the birth parent’s needs.

My first impressions of the organization as a whole was, it is not a place where they just find a baby for a family. A Act of Love is where they actually serve moms and support them. A Act of Love promotes the idea that adoption is a partnership with the agency, birth parents and adoptive family to combine forces to help support the mission of serving birth parents.

A Change of Perspective

A Act of Love changed our perspective about adoption. Just the mere option that I could share God’s love with somebody that I never met, and actually have that be a part of my adoption story, and not just a part of it, but the focal point of it. Adoptive Family

Recognition of November as National Adoption Month

President of the United States

President Trump spoke on adoption, kicking off National Adoption month this November. During his second annual speech, he described placing a child for adoption or adopting a child as an act of love that enriches American society.

The President went on to say: “Adoption is a blessing for all involved. It provides needed relief to birth parents, who may not, for whatever reason, be in a position to raise a child. It fosters loving homes for children. It enables individuals to grow their families and share their love. And it fosters strong families, which are integral to ensuring strong communities and a resilient country.”

In addition, President Trump highlighted the power of adoption to let women know they are not alone in an unexpected pregnancy. He stated, “Adoption affirms the inherent value of human life and signals that every child – born or unborn – is wanted and loved. Children, regardless of race, sex, age, or disability, deserve a loving embrace into families they can call their own. This month, we honor the thousands of American families who have grown because of adoption.”

During his address, President Trump encouraged Americans to observe National Adoption Month by helping children in need secure a promising future with a forever family, allowing them to enter adulthood with the love and support they deserve.

Mr. Trump ended his speech by exclaiming, “Adoptive parents are a selfless and loving part of God’s plan for their future children.”
Sources:

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October 2019 Newsletter

There are many reasons why counseling may be needed after placing a child for adoption. Whatever your reason, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can seem intimidating, but there are counselors out there who are sensitive to your adoption journey and will be able to help you navigate the rougher times. A Act of Love Adoptions has counselors that are willing to help you find the resources you need. Here are a few things you should be aware of when you seek counseling help.

1. Shop around before choosing a counselor.

There are many counselors out there. Don’t be shy about meeting with someone ahead of time before choosing them. Many counselors will be happy to offer a free consultation to be sure it would be a good fit between the two of you.

2. Be open in your sessions.

It can feel strange to be completely open with a stranger, but sharing the whole picture with your counselor will only help him or her help you work through your problems. It will be challenging to open up at times, but be patient with yourself and only do what you are comfortable with.

3. Find a support system.

There may be a birth mother support group locally that you might wish to attend. There are also groups online that can help you navigate your feelings and be the support system you need in between sessions or share breakthroughs. A support group can be the extra help you need to keep you progressing forward.

4. Ask for homework.

If your counselor doesn’t send you home with things to work on, don’t be afraid to ask for it. This will help strengthen what you’ve learned in sessions and help you grow outside them, too.

5. Keep a journal about your progress.

Not only can writing be meditative, but it can also be a great way to keep track of your progress. Looking back and seeing how far you have come can be its own reward. It’s also a good idea to keep track and remember all the breakthroughs you’ve made.
If you’re unsure where you can get help, talk to your adoption agency. The agency may also be able to connect you to a counselor.

A Act of Love Birth Parent Newsletter: October 25, 2018

Get the PDF version here: Post Placement Counseling For Birth Parents