Join us as a Connect for Kids volunteer to change a child’s life
Our Connect for Kids advocacy camp is currently open to volunteers who want to travel to China this October and make a difference in children’s lives. One of the volunteers who will be joining us is Teresa, a woman who understands the impact advocates can make through lived experience. This is not because of experience as an advocate, but rather because of the impact orphanage volunteers had on her family as they learned about a child who needed a permanent, loving family.
“This is the first photo I ever saw of Sarah. It was on a flyer, which explained that she had limited mobility, and limited use of her hands, due to severe scarring from burns to 60% of her body. Sarah’s legs were so scarred that they had healed in a bent position, and she could neither walk or stand. But there she was…in an orphanage…in China…sitting on a toy horse, and smiling for the camera,” Teresa explained.
“Something about her stirred something deep inside me,” she shared.
This flyer, and the impact it had on Teresa, was made possible through volunteer advocates. “We were able to learn more about Sarah through volunteers of Red Thread Charities who had personally spent time with her in the orphanage. The information they shared with us was invaluable in understanding Sarah’s medical condition and helped us to know what a perfect fit she would be for our family!” Teresa explained.
The information that volunteers share—the descriptions of each child, the anecdotes of giggles and conversations, the explanations of each child’s unique personality, or what activities brought joy to their faces—brings these children to life. This information is vital to families who are considering adopting a child as it helps them picture whether or not their family will be the right fit to the meet the needs of each child.
Teresa discovered that the information from volunteers had given her family an accurate understanding of whether her family was right for Sarah: “She is a perfect fit! Shortly after bringing Sarah home, we brought her to Shriners Hospital in Boston, where she receives highly-specialized, no-cost care. Sarah has had countless surgeries, each time releasing scarred skin and grafting new skin from somewhere else on her body. 
She will continue to need these releases with some regularity for at least as long as she is still growing.”
“Sarah embraces her care, and rewards her incredible medical team with indescribable grit and determination. Some days I can’t even wrap my mind around how far Sarah has come…she walks, runs, jumps, and rides a bike. But the bigger miracle to us is the way that Sarah completes our family. She is bright, cheerful, kind, and fiercely determined. Her contagious joy enriches our lives in ways we never even imagined!” Teresa glowed.
Sarah is proof that volunteer advocates can truly change a child’s life. We hope you will consider joining us this fall to make an impact on the lives of other children waiting in China.
Join Us for Connect for Kids Advocacy Camp
If you would like to help advocate for children who wait in China, we encourage you to consider volunteering in our Connect for Kids camp. Connect for Kids is a week-long program, taking place October 22-29, 2016, that connects institutionalized children (ages 6-13) with volunteers who commit to serving as advocates in helping them find a family. As a volunteer of Connect for Kids, you will travel as a group to China and spend time getting to know children who are eligible for adoption, but who are still waiting in the system.
Visit Our Connect for Kids Page to Learn More
