Executive Directors Corner

As the new Executive Director of AFSN, it has been my great pleasure these last few months to get to know this organization, its staff and the many families in our community who have come to depend on AFSN to be there for both the celebrations and the challenging times.   Just answering the phones has helped me to understand the valuable role that AFSN plays for each caller:

• -The parent who is in the pre-adoptive stage, waiting for that referral that will help them grow their family and want to talk to another parent who has gone through the same thing

• -The family of a child who is having a difficult time adjusting and wants help finding resources or support

• -Parents looking for information about support groups;

• -Adult adoptees who want information about searching for a birth parent;

• -Birth parents who are looking for a support group.

• -Adoptive parents who are looking for information or resources about specific topics that affect adopted children  and their families.

The unique role that AFSN strives to fulfill is to respond to any and all requests for information and referral regarding virtually any aspect of adoption.  It is this diversity that drew me to AFSN and it is this diversity that makes each day challenging and rewarding.
In addition to being the new Executive Director, I am also a “new” parent to a 12 year old daughter who my family adopted last year. Our daughter was adopted from the foster care system and has already added so much joy and love to our family.  In addition to Lex, we also have 2 sons, Tyler 25 and Evan 22.  My husband Jeff and I have been parenting now for almost 30 years as our oldest son Jacob, who passed away  when he was 12 ½,  would be 30 in August.  Everyone asks us why we decided to adopt at this stage of our life when our boys are on their own for the most part.  They think we should just be ready for that whole empty nest experience.  The answer is not what many of our friends understand, but makes perfect sense to us.  We believe she was meant to be with us, just like our boys.  It’s as simple as that.  She was meant to be with us.  People come into our lives for a reason, to enrich us, to challenge us and to bring us joy.  She has done all of those things.  She is an incredible young lady, who has had a lot of really crummy things happen to her, none of which were her fault, but yet, she just wants what every other kid wants, to be loved, to be safe and to have a place she can call home (well and the occasional chocolate binge and some cool new nail polish  )   If you can provide that for a kid, why would you not do it? Could there be any better legacy to leave behind? It has been said, “To love and be loved….these are the greatest gifts.”  It is not always easy, but is always rewarding and fulfilling.

If adoption has touched your life in some way then I hope you have looked to AFSN to be of support.  As we look at ways we can build the programming that AFSN offers and increase the support we offer families, please feel free to email us with ideas for services and programming you think would be helpful to adoptive families.  I am looking forward to this next year and despite the touch economy our goal is to make it year of growth, and continuing commitment to the well being of adoptive families.