We adopted our daughter Sophia from Voronezh Russia in April 2004. Ever since we adopted her, we have told her about her adoption and the orphanage that she was in. Ten years later Sophia came to me while we were on a train from Washington DC to New York City and said she wanted to raise money for her orphanage. I had told her that was a very nice idea and asked her what she would like to raise the money for and how much. She asked me if I could help her with a plan and a dollar goal. We wrote a plan including items that she wanted to buy for the orphanage so that the money would be put directly for use for the children in the orphanage. Items included a new crib, supplies of fresh water and diapers. We then researched the cost of each time and came up with a goal of $915.00(USD).
Sophia came up with ways to raise the money. She first sold some toys and books with her neighborhood friends. One of her friends sold her eraser collection that she had been collecting for several years. Sophia raised $100 selling items with her friends.
For her second fundraiser, Sophia wrote a letter to all of her aunts and uncles telling them about her project and her goal. Many of her aunts, uncles and their friends gave money. This brought her total to $400.
Realizing that she had another $515 to raise, Sophia contributed money that she was given for her birthday and money that she was given to buy treats— she put anything she could toward the project!
At our family Christmas party, when she was $350 away from her goal, Sophia announced her project over a microphone and walked around the room with a hat in hand collecting money. She raised the rest of the money she needed and exceeded her goal! She was so happy and touched by the generosity of her family, I think it will have an impact on her for her entire life.
After working so hard to meet her goal, we found out that there isn’t a way to get the money to Voronezh, the orphanage where Sophia lived. We discussed various options for giving with Sophia and she decided she would like to give to Children’s Home since that is the organization that we worked with in order to adopt her. We explained to her that it costs money to adopt and that many hopeful adoptive parents could not afford the fees. She made the decision to give the $1,000 she raised to Children’s Home’s Adoption Support Fund to help adoptive parents with the financial cost of adopting.
Learn more about the Adoption Support Fund
Our staff is so thankful for Sophia’s dedication to help other children and honored by her choice to do this through the Adoption Support Fund. Thank you, Sophia.
