COLUMBUS, OHIO – Gift of Adoption, a national charitable organization providing financial assistance to complete both domestic and international adoptions, recently awarded an adoption assistance grant to Columbus resident Jennifer Cameron. The grant provided the necessary funds to complete the adoption of her three-year old daughter Callie from an orphanage in China, giving her a permanent home and a chance to thrive.
“We believe having a family is the basic right of children everywhere,” said Gift of Adoption Ohio chapter board president Bob Gavlak. “Our goal is to make more adoptions possible and give as many children without families a life they otherwise may not have known.”
Gift of Adoption awards grants to parents in need of financial support to open their home to a child, eliminating the financial barriers that often stand in the way for families stepping forward to adopt. In Ohio, the organization has awarded more than $275,000 to unite 85 children with families struggling with the cost of adoption. Nationally, Gift of Adoption has awarded $5 million in adoption assistance grants to help complete the adoptions of 1,700 parentless children born in the U.S. and around the world.
In an effort to reach more children in need and better serve families across Ohio, Gift of Adoption launched its Ohio chapter in 2011. Headquartered in Columbus, the chapter and its leaders are committed to connecting more Ohio families with the financial support needed to complete adoptions.
The Cameron family of Dublin is one such family. Jennifer Cameron recently turned to Gift of Adoption to fund the adoption of her three-year old daughter Callie from an orphanage in China. Though the financial means seemed out of reach, she was determined to welcome her daughter home. To help make the adoption possible, Gift of Adoption awarded the family a generous adoption grant to provide the financial support needed to complete the adoption and give her daughter a safe and nurturing home.
Callie was recently welcomed home to Columbus, where she joined her six-year old sister Olivia, who was also adopted from China with the help of Gift of Adoption.
Ohio Chapter Welcomes New Leadership
Gift of Adoption recently welcomed new leaders to its Ohio chapter board of directors. The following Columbus residents will help Gift of Adoption expand its reach and build closer ties to the Columbus business community.
- Jimmie Irby is Managing Director at JP Morgan Asset Management. He resides in Westerville, Ohio with his wife and four children.
- Dave Lukas is Vice President and Co-owner at Grasp Technologies. He resides in Delaware, Ohio with his wife and daughter, welcomed home from China through adoption.
- Michelle Jackson is an author and Management Analyst at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. She is a mother of two and resides in Columbus, Ohio.
- Colleen Saunders-Chukwu is Director of Project Management at Nationwide Insurance. She resides in Pickerington, Ohio with her husband and two children.
The Gift of Adoption Ohio chapter is currently seeking leaders throughout Ohio to get involved as chapter leaders and help the chapter grow and reach more families and children in need. For more information on Gift of Adoption and to learn how to get involved, visit www.giftofadoption.org.
Gift of Adoption offers grants of up to $7,500 to provide families – regardless of race, religion, age or marital status – the financial support needed to welcome a child home. The organization prioritizes grants for the most vulnerable children facing what is possibly their last or only chance at adoption. This includes families who are working to unite or keep siblings together and those adopting children with critical medical conditions or kids aging out of orphanages.
About Gift of Adoption Fund
Gift of Adoption Fund is a national 501(c)3 charitable organization that inspires adoption by providing grants to qualified parents – giving children who need families a permanent home and a chance to thrive. The organization helps fund domestic and international adoptions of vulnerable and at-risk children. Visit www.giftofadoption.org to learn more on how to put adoption in reach for more of the 140 million children worldwide in need of families.