Famous...well....almost famous

        So, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last week or so, let me break the news to you: we’re famous now. Seriously, we’re multimedia superstars! I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it, but if you haven’t, let me get you up to speed on our new-found fame. A few weeks ago, Marcia Walker from The Salem Leader came by the house to talk to us about our Can Our Yard Night Fundraiser and our adoption in general. We had a nice conversation for about an hour or so before she left. We didn’t ask when it would be in the paper because, quite frankly, we didn’t know if she would even find any of our story newsworthy. I mean, granted, the whole can in the yard thing is interesting in a whole “those people are weird” kind of way, but is it really worth dedicating a story in the paper to? Apparently it was, because we opened the paper last week to find our picture in there. (It’s also online, hence the term “multimedia superstars”)

http://salemleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=54&SubSectionID=276&ArticleID=6947&TM=82175.33

       It was great to have the article in the paper, and the fact that they even wanted to include it in the paper was awesome. The whole reason we’ve been so open about our adoption process is that we’ve wanted to be a resource for others thinking about adoption, so getting our information out has been great. We also like anything that publicizes adoption more. After all, if someone sees us in the paper, whether they’ve ever met us or not, it might make them consider adoption. And with all the children in the world who need homes, the more families that are willing to adopt, the better.

      But for all the things that were good about having that article in the paper, there was one thing that bugged me about the whole situation. It was that this was even news in the first place. Granted, dumping cans in someone’s yard to help them raise money is news, but the adoption process itself, and even fundraising to pay for it shouldn’t be. One of the biggest hurdles that separates people who think about adoption from people who adopt is that the costs become too much. Most people can’t afford to just write a check to cover adoptions. Fundraising is the key that allows average people to take on the above average cost of an adoption. Personally, nothing would make me happier than seeing adoption fundraisers in the newspaper every week. The more common fundraisers become, the more kids are finding loving homes.

       I know fundraising can be kind of a touchy subject. Some people may even say, “Hey, it’s your choice to adopt. If you can’t pay for it, that’s your problem.” And I understand that completely. But if having a fundraiser, whether it’s for us or someone else, helps get a child who needs a home into one, then I’d be happy going to fundraisers every weekend. I hope that’s one of the things people take away from this blog and our openness about the process is that, even though you think you can’t afford to adopt, there are options. Our greatest goal is that this causes other people to talk about adopting. And while I can’t afford to pay for other people’s adoptions at the moment, maybe I’ll win Powerball or something and I’ll pay for a lot of them. Maybe it will even be yours. Just tell people your adoption was financed by some multimedia superstar.