[adoptionblessings]

November is Adoption Awareness Month and a time for those of us touched by adoption to raise the knowledge of adoption, its blessings and issues to others. Some ideas for sharing about adoption with others:

1. Buy some great adoption books for adults or kids (or donate some of your extras) to your organization, group, school or church library. Encourage your local library,church, or school to have a display of adoption books sometime in November or for the month.Tapestry books www.tapestrybooks.com has some great adoption book titles. Most libraries have forms for suggesting library books or magazines to be purchased for the library. Find some current adoption best selling books and/or Adoptive Families Magazine and suggest they add them to the library.
If you belong to a book group locally or online, suggest they read a book with a positive adoption story together for their next book choice.

2. Share your adoption story openly with friends, family, co-workers verbally, by letter or e-mail. If your church, organization or community has a newsletter, ask if you could share your adoption story and experience as an article. Or share an adoption poem or tribute to adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents. Contact your local newspaper editors/radio stations and suggest they focus on adoption in November. Or offer an adoption story or article or even offer to write one- about your personal story, adoption group or a book review on adoption.

3. Find some others locally who are touched by adoption and start an adoption support group in your community meeting at a church or library. A sharing and support group to connect others touched by adoption, for educating about adoption or connecting parents to begins some playgroups to connect adopted children. A wonderful resource for persons touched by adoption to be encouraged and find fellowship!

4. Share with others about the SAFE HAVEN law for new born babies whose mothers cannot care for them- and where they can privately bring their baby to designated public places of safety and care instead of abandoning them. Ask your local newspapers, TV. stations or Radio to raise the awareness of this in November.
http://probation.co.la.ca.us/public_info/safeheaven.pdf

5. Order some Adoption stickers from Cafepress.com or other online merchants and stick them on all your mailed correspondence

6. Host an open house for your local adoption group or organization and serve light refreshments. Invite the public. You might host a panel of those touched by adoption- adult adoptees, birth parents or adoptive parents to share their stories or answer questions by a moderator- Great for adoption education! Or see if your local mall might let you set up a small table sharing adoption information, support groups or reunion registries.

7. Send some cards of encouragement to those you know touched by adoption!

8. Have a garage sale or book sale and share all or some of the proceeds to support a local Crisis Pregnancy Center or Pro-life organization or adoption group. Have brochures at your sale sharing about these groups/services and contact numbers.


9. Encourage young adoptees to write a story or poem or prose on adoption or to do a drawing. A great way for adoptees to express their feelings and perspective on adoption. If permission is received from the child and parents, share these in local media, newsletters, bulletins or online.

10. Rent a movie for your family/friends or group that portrays adoption in an educational, realistic and positive way. Biblical adoptees such as Moses and Esther and those separated from their birth families- Joseph and Samuel are stories of encouragment and faith. Currently there is a movie in theatres on the life of Esther- One Night With the King. Anne of Green Gables, PollyAnna, Tom Sawyer, etc. and many other classic literature portrays orphans and adoptees and their jouneys.

Share your ideas for raising the awareness of adoption during Adoption Awareness Month.