**Jan. 17th Winter Carnival** and "Buy a Brick"

This is going to be a BUSY MONTH!!!  While we wait for our travel dates we are working hard to be "fully funded" !

Do you feel compelled to help us bring home "Little A" ?

There are several ways you can help and we appreciate a $5.00 donation as much a $100 !! THANK YOU!

January 17th - Owensville, MO Lions Clubs
Chili Cook Off and Winter Indoor Carnival
Chili Cook Off & Winter Carnival ~ Details on Facebook

Come and join the fun from Noon - 3:00 p.m. !
Chili ! Games! Face Painting! Cake Walk! Music! Silent Auction!

Buy A Brick ! $100 or $200 sizes available!
Do you want to be forever remembered as one of the people who changed our son's life forever and helped us create a family for him? This is a unique way to always have a place in his heart!

When you "Buy a Brick" you are actually making a donation and in return we will receive a personalized brick complete with your name and/or message to place permanently in our son's play area! You can purchase one as an individual, a group of friends, coworkers, or extended family. There is clip art to choose from or you can choose to laser engrave just your name or a favorite scripture or quote or well wishes for our son.

Our goal is to sell 50 bricks and incorporate them into a pathway through his garden.



As always you can also donate directly to our Reece's Rainbow family grant!
Click Here: http://reecesrainbow.org/73356/sponsorgreene

Once we begin traveling, this blog will no longer be public. Please sign up via the e-mail link if you would like to remain able to view our posts while we are getting to know our son in South America.

SOME ADOPTION GRANTS & LOANS

Here are just some of the grants out there for adoption that we have tried in hopes of getting a little closer to our dream and becoming fully funded. 

Many applications require a non-refundable application fee or donation ranging from $10.00 to $50.00. 

At least 99% of all adoption grants will require the approved Home Study before applying.  Most require a pastoral letter, letter from your placement agency, income verification, cash flow/net worth statements, and personal testimonials of some nature.

Some have specific points you can apply (after receiving your referral, after submitting your dossier, etc.).

You will need LOTS of paper, ink refills, and large yellow envelopes. I would suggest tracking the mailers as most organizations kindly request you refrain from calling to confirm they have received your application. I scanned copies of all the completed applications and saved them to my computer.

Most grants have different review cycles you need to pay careful attention to deadlines. Some distribute grand as rarely as twice a year, some do so monthly, or anywhere in between.

Grants we have applied for:

Local Family Assistance Grants  APPROVED! 2/26/14
Three Rivers Electric - "Change for Life" Helping Hands Grants
Applied February 18th for the cost of installing a fence. ($1145)

Unless you are my neighbor, this will not apply to you.  However, I wanted to include it to remind you to check your local resources.  Especially if you are adopting a child with special needs and need some financial support for expenses that are related to your child, but maybe not the adoption specifically. (Perhaps you need to modify your existing bathroom or yard or need a wheelchair or special assistive technology?)  Three Rivers provides funds to families and organizations to help veterans, families in crisis, or those who have specific needs such as a wheel chair or ramp access or dental work.  Check around your local resources and you may find similar blessings in your own backyard!

Reece's Rainbow FSP APPROVED! 2/24/14
Submitted application for Family Sponsorship Profile on February 17, 2014.  $25.00 donation required.  $250 donation preferred.

This is an amazing site!! They are a way to get your child's case out in the public and a safe, tax-deductible way for people to donate.  Your child must have special needs.  They convert the donations into a grant you can use for travel or other related expenses.  They are not intended for "start-up" costs of adoption. Rumor has it there are lots of Reece's Fairies who like to help boost family's funds! It's a great organization and the once you are approved you can be part of the support team of the other RR families- which has helped me A LOT!! Funds become available at the VERY END of the process- just before traveling to your child's country.

Gift of Adoption Fund (RECEIVED! $3500 ! )
We applied Jan 13th.  Fee: $50.00 Potential: "Grants range from $1,000 to $7,500 with the average grant award at $3,500."

• Completed and signed grant application
• Copy of your most recent tax return
• Copy of recent (last two months) check stub for all reported income earners
• Copy of your approved and current home study
• Two (2) letters of reference
• Check in the amount of $50

JSC Foundation ( DENIED )
Submitted Part I Feb 13, 2014. Submitted final documents Mar 6, 2014. Undisclosed amount; private grants.

Well, back in November of 2013 I began filling out this online application and then I needed to save it and put it on hold until we had an official home study approval.  I had completely forgotten about it until an inspired adoptive mom posted a comment on Facebook asking if I had applied for JSC !!  It seemed familiar but I have looked at literally 20-30 different grants and so I assumed it was one of the ones we did not meet the eligibility for.  However, once I checked it out and went to "register" I learned I had a saved application that was so nearly complete I was brought to tears.  I completed the on-line portion and am now waiting for the request for documentation.

Show Hope (Steven Curtis Chapman) (DENIED, no specific reason given) We applied Jan 26th/Feb 5th.  Potential amount: $4,000 average grant. There are two pretty involved parts to this application. First is an online portion, then an extensive packet of supporting documents to submit via snail mail that needs to be submitted with two weeks of the online portion.

God's Grace Adoption Ministry, Inc.  (DENIED 2/25/14- insufficient funding)
We applied Jan 13th.  Potential amount: Matching Grants up to $2,500; Must be a Christian, two-parent (married) family.

Life Song for Orphans (DENIED March 4th, 2014, insufficient funding).
We applied on Jan 13th.  Potential: Matching grants up to $4,000.  Interest free adoption loans up to $10,000. Fundraising support when no grant funds are available.  Approval process generally takes 8-10 weeks.

From Life Song website:
Approval & Fundraising: If approved for a Matching Grant, we will establish a “goal-date” to have all funds received by Lifesong in order to be applied towards the ‘dollar-for-dollar’ Matching Grant.
You must develop a mailing list of 100-200 potential supporters. This group would include individuals from your church, family, friends, business contacts, co-workers, etc.

Golden Dawn Adoption Assistance (no response to inquiries of status) DENIED December 2014, insufficient funding.
Submitted March 12, 2014 Maximum grant: $2,000. Fee: $20.00
Requires your USCIS approval letter (LOA) to submit application. (We received our LOA on March 1st).

ABBA Fund Loans: (DENIED due to being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- not considered "Christian" )

A Child Waits Foundation Grants for international adoption- DENIED, no reason given.

Kinsman Redeemer Grant: (DENIED due to being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- not considered "Christian").

Others:

Christian Family Adoption Grant Fund – A new initiative in our portfolio of programs is the Christian Family Adoption Grant Fund that allows families to activate their communities of friends and family to give into a charitable fund to help reduce the financial burden of their adoption by providing the key services to help transform an orphan into a son or daughter — including home study costs, agency fees, legal costs, and even major medical needs  after the child is home.

Lydia Fund - (we did not meet qualification and/or deadline)

Katelyn's Fund - (we did not meet qualification and/or deadline)

National Adoption Credit Card
I would NOT recommend this unless you have absolutely no other option.  We applied for (and received) a lower interest credit care to pay for our first placement agency installment of $9,000.  I've applied twice for their grants (making a$10 donation each time) and never heard back from them.

December Update! Last Chance Fundraising in January!

Hi Everyone! Thank you for stopping by and thank you all for your continued support throughout the last 18 months!  I have been wanting to post an update for awhile, but the last 2 months have been very hectic, and to be honest quite emotional, discouraging and stressful.  I don't really enjoy writing posts that aren't upbeat or positive or at least full of some hope! But the adoption journey is not all rainbows and glitter. :)  It's inundated with stress, disappointments and delays.

That being said... I am going to focus on the positive! Our current status: I-800 submitted to USCIS!

Next steps: Receive I-800 approval
Complete DS 260
Complete Article 5
Make travel reservations/buy tickets!
Get our Visas!
Get or SON!

Due to the fact that families do not know how long they will stay in our son's country, it is hard to have an exact figure for our "fully funded" amount. However, the best we can figure we are between $10,000 and $13,000 from having everything covered- in country legal fees and administrative fees, our child's passport, visa, and medical exams, daily costs for food and taxis, airfare and lodging, adoption paperwork and document fees, etc. We of course also are saving as much as we can to cover our mortgage and lost wages during our absence.

COMING SOON: JANUARY "Last Chance" FUNDRAISER!

We are preparing for one more shebang- huge blowout fundraiser to be held locally ! We are planning to assemble themed baskets and offer other amazing items and we could use YOUR HELP!

HOW CAN I HELP?

We have all gotten gifts that we appreciate but.. well, maybe just don't really need, right? Let's face it, Christmas is a time of impulse buying and overindulgence for MANY!  When the aftermath hits we are usually surrounded by stuff, stuff and more STUFF! Well, instead of standing in line for hours in the return lane, why not donate those wonderful treasures to our January 'Last Chance' Fundraiser?!

I'm hoping if everyone can donate a couple of items, I can assemble some INCREDIBLY AWESOME themed baskets to raffle or use in a silent auction- ANYTHING would be amazing- toys, bath & beauty, baby, sweets, teachers, candles, gift cards... Anything new (or gently used) would be appreciated and help us make it across the finish line!

Send Items to:
Greene Family Adoption
P.O. Box 219
Owensville, MO
65066

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY I CAN HELP?

YES!!! We could sincerely use your prayers on our behalf.

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING for our son, for our process and for our fundraising. We have seen many miracles happen when our friends, family and prayer warriors have prayed for us and we appreciate it so much.

I am also sending out letters this week to local businesses and organizations hoping for some volunteers to help me organize and run the event, as well as praying for some end of the year tax-deductible donations. The stress of all that we have done in the last 18 months has really been catching up with me and I know I need HELP to pull this last miracle off!

Donations on ANY AMOUNT can be made through this link:
Or to avoid PayPal fees you can make a check out to Reece's Rainbow and mail it to our P.O. Box address above. Thank you!

Donate Online HERE - Alejandro for the Greene Family

October Fundraisers! Raised over $2000 so far!

October Fundraisers! Off & Running!

Once AGAIN we are so very grateful for all those who participated in our October Fundraisers so far! I know we hot everyone with a complete WAVE of them and I am so grateful for each and every participant!

 

We have been doing fundraisers for over a year and I completely understand why we are all running out of steam and extra cash! That is why I sincerely and genuinely cry over every dollar raised at this point.

 

Please know that if you helped by making a purchase, or by hosting, by sharing or by praying, we thank each and every one of YOU!

Total Raised through Completed Fundraisers: $404

Final Adoption Bug T-shirts Payout: $370
Adopt Together Payout: $500

Anonymous Angels Matching Grant: $1,000

($500 donated/$500 matched)



 

Total: $2,274

(Since Sept. 25th)

It Takes A Village!

One Dollar at a Time!

 

We were also blessed to receive an adoption grant for $3500 from "A Gift of Adoption" in October ! This will be paid directly to our agency once we are closer to traveling. What a HUGE blessing this is! (Our ONLY grant so far!)

Here is their link:

A Gift of Adoption Home Page

 

October is still Crunch Time! We are so close! His room is ready, his closets are full of toys & clothes, the therapy room is all set, and we are miraculously down to needing only $10,000 to be FULLY FUNDED.

 

I never thought this day would come! My husband is working LOTS of overtime, and I'm subbing every chance they give me and continuing to sell personal items to get our last fees paid. We've taken out loans, maxed out credit cards and applied for numerous grants.

 

CURRENT FUNDRAISER:

Greene Family "Buy Now"

Going on Now- Until all items gone

 

Buy Now- including Compelled Designs Pottery Necklaces!

"Non-Auction Auction" First Come, First Serve!

Buy Now! I'm giving everyone a chance to just BUY the items they want at SLASHED prices!! We don't have the time or energy left to run a full blown auction so here is your chance to score BIG TIME and start checking off people on your Christmas List! (You're Welcome!)

 

Click Here for Facebook Buy Now!

OCTOBER BUY NOW (Fundraiser Link)

 

_____________________________________

 

Completed Fundraisers! THANK YOU ALL!

 



1. Tupperware Party (COMPLETED)

Thank You! Amount Raised: $209

Thank you EVERY ONE! Great Job sharing and Praying!

Thank you Barbara Ingalsbe for Hosting!

Buy from her directly HERE:

Barbara Ingalsbe - My Tupperware Dot Com

2. Jamberry Nail Wraps! (Completed)

Thank YOU! Hostess: Sarah Stephens!

Amount Raised: $135

Check out her Online Store: Sarah Stephens Jamberry Nails

3. Matilda Jane Trunk Show

Thank You! Hostess Amanda Petitt

Amount Raised: $60.00

 

 4. Adoption Bug T-Shirts - Completed/CLOSED

(Raised over $500 in 9 months)

 

We began this fundraiser at the beginning of the year. In fact it was one of our very first! We were very sad to hear they decided to close their doors this month and we just feel very grateful we were apart of their legacy of helping families reach their orphans! Thank you, Adoption Bug!

 

 

 

As always we appreciate every single contribution and purchase. If you cannot find something to suit your needs within our fundraisers, please consider supporting our adoption by a direct tax-deductible donation:

 

Alejandro for the Greene Family

on Reece's Rainbow

 

(Our current "best guess" to be "fully funded"
is an additional $10,000)

It's a Tupperware Party! Sept 27-Oct 10th!

Wow this adoption journey has taken our family on lots of twists and turns down a curvy path! Now for the second time I'm back to being my 3rd grade self, this time discovering Tupperware parties with my mom and grandma! These are really fun memories for me, and YES, I am that person who searched ETSY high and low to find the brown, orange and yellow stackable cups we had in the 70's... so nostalgic!

Well NOW here we are a *couple* of years later and Tupperware is STILL GOING STRONG and is STILL an AMAZING Choice for so much of your kitchen needs-- not JUST STORAGE!!

We will receive an amazing 40% for every product purchased through the "fundraising catalog" via our link! We are closing in on our last $10,000 for our final fees and we appreciate every single dollar!

Greene Family Tupperware Party!

Thanks for checking it out and invite a friend!

As always if you cannot benefit from one of our fundraisers, please consider a direct donation!

Greene Family on Reece's Rainbow

September Update! Keep the Change Coming!

It's been a pretty busy crazy month but here we are, still plugging along! We have had to regroup and deal with a few setbacks, but we are still working toward our goal of traveling very soon to go get our son! We cannot thank everyone enough for your love, prayers, support, and donations!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE !

 

Yesterday in a whirlwind miracle we raised $5200 needed for our new agency fees!
 
Thank you to EVERY ONE who was in ANY way a part of this miracle! I try not to bog people down with the details of our adoption process, but we simply HAD to make this payment and we could not waste a SINGLE day or risk losing EVERYTHING we had worked for over a YEAR toward! 
Talk about STRESSFUL! YIKES!
  

A VERY HEARTFELT THANK YOU!

In addition to raising those fees, we were offered and MET
a $300 matching grant!
THEN we received word that we were being offered
ANOTHER MATCHING GRANT for $500!

Sometimes there are No Words.

Sooo... we are NOW collecting donations
to meet the $500 matching grant!
 
Donations should be made through THIS LINK:

Alejandro for the Greene Family
(our link to our Reece's Rainbow FSP)
 

 For every dollar you donate, someone will match it!
That means DOUBLE THE DONATION!

These donations can be used toward our
Chippin' In Across the USA
 campaign and giveaways as well.
(You just need to tell me you donated so I can include your name).

Last month we received an anonymous donation of $1,000 !
Thank you whoever you are!!
I decided to distribute that donation evenly to all the unfinished states in our Chippin' In Fundraiser!
So here are the new charts showing which states are in line
for the next giveaway!

Updated September 15th
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to
our FIRST 16 states!!

Total Raised so far: $2150 towards "Alejandro"!!

 

 

 

Next goal: States 17-20!

When we have four more completed states we will have another
$25 GIVEAWAY!

Every state is at least HALF WAY THERE!!

If we can get ALL 50 states to represent with $60, that will be $3000 toward our last agency fee or travel costs!

You can choose ANY remaining STATE you want-- your birth place, your current stomping grounds, home to your favorite sports team, or even just an underdog state...

Please chip in your Spare Change through our Reece's Rainbow grant page. Here is the link again:
Alejandro for the Greene Family DONATE HERE
OR
Use the PAYPAL LINK at the top right corner
of our Home Page (not visible from most phones)

We will keep collecting until ALL states are FULL!
 

Each time we complete a group of FIVE states, those who contributed to those 5 states will be included in a giveaway for a $25 gift card of the WINNER's CHOICE!  (Choose your favorite restaurant, store, a Visa gift card)

OR a $25 donation to any child on Reece's Rainbow

OR a $25 charitable donation of YOUR CHOICE!
You name it!

 

First 5 States Completed:

1. Washington

2. Idaho

3. Utah

4. Virginia

5. New York

Winner of the $25 Gift Card: Amoreena H. (WA)

 

Second 5 States Completed:

6. Oregon 

7. South Dakota

8. Missouri

9. Illinois

10. Michigan

Winner of the $25 Giveaway:  Courtney B. (MO)

 

States 11-15 Completed:

11. Indiana

12. Florida

13. California

14. Alaska

15. Ohio

Winner of the $25 Giveaway:  Undisclosed (California!)

 

States 16-20 Completed:

16. Alabama!

17. ???

18. ???

19. ???

20. ???

Winner of the $25 Giveaway: ???

 

States 21-25 Completed:

 

21. ???

22. ???

23. ???

24. ???

25. ???

 

 

 

"THANK YOU" Giveaways!

Once we have filled in ALL the STATES and raised $3000, the following will be given away:

 

  

$100 Donated to Reece's Rainbow

for any Family or Waiting Child of YOUR CHOICE !!!!

(Or any adoption fundraiser, You Caring site, etc.) 

view waiting children here:

Reece's Rainbow

 

 

ETSY $100 GIFT CARD
to Spend anyway you want!!

 

 

VISA $100 GIFT CARD

to spend any way you want!

As always we appreciate every penny!  And most of all we would appreciate your continued PRAYERS! 
PLEASE keep our family, as well as all the families whose adoptions are pending and short on funds in your prayers. These children each deserve a forever family!

THANK YOU for Supporting our Adoption!

 

August Update... We Think We Can! We Think We Can!

I'm not gonna lie... July was a bittersweet month... On a good note we celebrated our son's birthday with his future cousins here and yet at the same time longed more than ever to be with him.

Through a month filled with disappointments, ups and downs, and more red tape, my heart was constantly uplifted and encouraged through the amazing TpT fundraiser!

TpT Fundraiser ReCap

None of you can possibly imagine the impact this fundraiser had on our family, and more specifically on me. Its been like the ripples in a pond from a tiny little pebble, allowing your kindness to reach my heart and filled me up again.

How can I thank you?

To those involved in this fundraiser you might feel you were simply doing a good deed and helping an orphan come home to his anxiously awaiting family. You would be wrong.

This was not simply a monetary blessing, it was more. SO MUCH MORE. In addition to raising a unbelievable percentage of our remaining fees, this month-long rally for our son's future was a spiritual affirmation that we didn't even know we would be needing.

It is the reason I am still moving forward and not giving up.

A month ago when I looked ahead to July, I thought about one word: REFERRAL. For adoptive families for our son's country that is THE MAGIC WORD!! And we were 90% certain July was the month we would receive our referral, or in other words "start packing!" and "you did it!" We thought we were so close to having to arrange time off and flights and dog sitters.

(Sigh.) It didn't exactly go as planned.

I was in Wal-Mart buying luggage for Little "AC" when I received the e-mail. "(His country) has more questions. We'll fill you in tomorrow." UGH, Seriously???

In 10 seconds I went from "I wonder if he has a favorite color?" to "Oh GREAT NOW WHAT???"

Instead of getting the approval we hoped for, we received a less common second round of questions to address. His committee is being especially thorough, which is to be expected when placing a child with long-term special needs with a family, especially one currently without children. I understand their precautions and desire for due diligence. I cannot imagine the overwhelming responsibility they must feel when placing a child in a permanent home.

But it still stinks and I admit I have still been sad and angry. I have been bitter, confused and resentful. I have been a blubbering mess and I've been simply fed up. I have been impulsive and irrational and developed tunnel vision. "I WILL COME GET YOU!" and "We will not go down without a fight!" are common quotes in the metaphorical bubbles above my cartoon self's head.

So through it all, I go back to the TpT fundraiser.

We are talking about digital downloads for handouts, this generation's "go to" for what we called "dittos" back in the day. Mere collections of sight words and ABC's and other (AMAZING) fun stuff for classrooms and homeschoolers to drool over and enjoy. (I REALLY hope you snagged a bundle or two!). But in the grand scheme of things this are "just" handouts. Or are they?

"But behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

There you have it.

My Father in Heaven knew I would need this incredible display of encouragement and love. He knew I would need it this month of all months. He set things into motion long before we were dealt this blow and seemingly unnecessary delay. He planted the seed in these amazing teachers' hearts and I am so grateful they each acted on it.

They thought they were helping us pay for hotels and airfare and VISAS. But it was so much more. And that strengthens my faith and my resolve. That is what keeps me going.

I still fill with tears when I think of each of you. I look at the list of names and say my 100th prayer of gratitude, but I honestly have no idea who 99% of you are. All I know is that "KindergartenMama" and "RockinTeacher" are now enjoying the goodies in Bundle 2, I don't know if you are my neighbor or friend or my own mother.

I know the vast majority of you are strangers I will never meet.

I will never be able to thank you, but I want you to know you made a difference. This was more than a donation, this was yet another miracle along our adoption journey. Your generosity literally has changed the future of this boy, our precious son, this forgotten child of God. 

To the incredible person behind this brainstorm who reached out to her fellow colleagues, you know who you are and we thank you. You were a true gift from God.

Each and every teacher who contributed their talents without any compensation, we thank you.

Each person who shared this fundraiser with friends and colleagues, we thank you.

Each person who purchased these downloads, we thank you.

It's NOT Over Yet

Yes, we still have hoops to jump through. Yes, we still have an estimated $10,000 to raise. But I know something. I KNOW we are on the right path and we are not supposed to give up. And I will not give up. My son has not given up, and neither will I. He has been through so much in his young life and he is a fighter. And these delays are in my mind God's way of buying more time to prepare this child to receive us, to trust us, to eventually attach and bond to us.

Please continue to pray for our family. Pray we can find the right people to help us meet the current request and referral we need. (This has been a HUGE struggle and may prove very costly). Pray the professional's words will be inspired to cast away remaining doubts.

Pray for those involved in the decision process. Pray that I will continue to be buoyed up amid disappointment and frustration and anger. Pray I will feel peace more frequently and fully.

Pray for all those who have helped us over the past year get this far. Pray they will be blessed in their lives and families with all they stand in need of. I've learned it's those who struggle and hurt the most who are often first to reach out, and I pray for each of our supporters every day.

And pray for all the orphans waiting to be discovered and loved unconditionally. Pray for our sweet, precious, innocent boy whose heart is being prepared for changes he cannot imagine or understand.

And pray that September brings GOOD NEWS and successful fundraisers!

Our donation sites will remain open until we are fully funded.

Greene Family - Adopt Together

Can we donate by check? Yes, however donations given by check will be processed and posted once per month.

Checks can be mailed to:
Adopt Together
251 W Central Ave. #278
Springboro, OH 45066
      Please write "Alejandro/Greene Family" in the memo if you send a check, or the donation will not be credited to our grant.

You can also send check directly to us.
Greene Family
P.O. Box 219
Owensville, MO 65066