Two Days Until Angel Tree!

It's only two days until Angel Tree officially starts and donations start counting towards the Angel Tree goals!

Did you know it's also two days until something else?

Previously unknown to me, November is Adoption Awareness Month.
Wow, I'm guessing this is either an intentional overlap or the best of coincidences.

What was less exciting were the statistics.

The ad I saw was Canadian-based (useful since I am Canadian) and stated that 21% of Canadian families consider adoption at some point in their family, a great positive statistic.
Unfortunately, the most current stats for Canada I've seen place children eligible for adoption in Canada at close to 30000 and the hundreds of children internationally helped by organizations like Reece's Rainbow are a drop in the bucket compared to the number of children looking for families. So what happened to all the interest? What makes families hesitate, drop back, and say no even when they know they are being called towards adoption.

Fear and finances, if I had to make a guess, are the two biggest killers when it comes to adoption dreams and that is why, although I also love the organizations who go in and work with orphans in their home country, my heart returns to places such as Reece's Rainbow.

The RR community address both of these dream killers in such a unique way.

International adoption is hard, expensive, and in many cases a battle on so many fronts - emotional, financial, physical, mental, paperwork (is that it's own category). Reece's rainbow provides the financial help through Angel Tree, 5/5/5, and year round fundraising to help families meet the financial burden in a timely manner. Which, for some kids, literally means the difference between life and death. The truth is for a family on the edge about to give in to the fears and the seemingly insurmountable odds, having a grant gifted could be the encouragement they need to bring their child home rather than walk away like so many in that early 21%.

Reece's Rainbow also provides another venue of support in it's people. So many people in the RR community be they staff who walk you through your questions or families who blog about the ups and downs of life pre, post, and during adoption honestly communicate about the reality of adoption and life in country for these kids rather than the misinformation and borderline fear mongering that seems to abound. I'm not saying it's easy or without struggles, neither do they but these families who pour out their lives and invite readers on their journey provide some much more wisdom/information/ and an honest ability to "count the cost" than any promotional material ever could.

If you're curious check out some of my favourites

http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.ca/  - (the Nalle family adopting number 2, warning reading their posts about the Lost Boys is eye-opening and you won't be able to hide behind the line"I didn't know" ever again)

http://nataliekeller.blogspot.ca/ - (not updated very often anymore but her posts mid adoption are beautifully honest regarding the adoption process)

http://angeleyesadoption.blogspot.ca/ (no longer updated but some great insight into life post adoption)

Do some reading, challenge some assumptions, and don't forget Tara ;)

Happy (almost) Adoption Awareness Month.