I have BIG news!
I am in the process of domestic newborn adoption!
I am beyond excited and doing everything I can to be prepared to welcome a beautiful new life into my home. As part of my adoption process, I have started a crowdfunding campaign. It may surprise you to hear that adoption related costs can easily total up to $40,000 or more. I am so grateful for the AdoptTogether platform to help ease the financial burden that could easily overwhelm adoptive parents.
Becoming a single adoptive parent won't be possible without the love and support from my friends and family. Financial contributions aside, I hope that by inviting you into this process you will see yourself as part of the community I hope to build around my child as he/she grows up. Thank you for simply being a part of my circle through this journey.
Hello friends!
Many people ask when they see me how the process is going, so I wanted to share a small update.
My first fundraiser is underway! I am collecting sneakers that will be repurposed via Got Sneakers? and I will receive a donation to my account for every pair of sneakers that I send in. I sent in my first full bag as you can see in the picture. This is an ongoing fundraiser, so if you have any used sneakers in your closet that you need to get rid of please set them aside for me! I am happy to arrange pickup from you! Several friends have already asked their own family and friends for used sneakers to collect for me and I appreciate that so much!
The next item on my checklist is to complete some improvements at my home. This is not required for the home study, but I would like to get these projects out of the way before I take on the task of home study and things move too quickly to be able to tackle any repairs. On the to-do list is rebuilding both of my aging decks, repairing some water damaged flooring and some bathroom updates among other things. (When I moved in, both of my bathrooms had carpet! Yuck!) Thankfully, I finally found Ronald Sanders Home Improvement and I am on their list! Getting a commitment to these kinds of tasks is no easy feat in today’s economy. It has literally taken me months to find someone to commit to the work. I hope they will be able to get started on my projects in the next month or so after they finish the projects that they have ahead of me.
Once they get started I will have a better idea of a Home Study Application submission date. I am aiming to submit it around the time that they will be finishing up. Once a Home Study Application is submitted, the social worker has 90 days to complete everything required. Thus, why I am waiting until the home repairs have started!
Thanks to already generous donations, I now have enough money in my Adopt Together account to cover half of the cost of my Home Study! Initial home studies in NC for domestic adoption cost around $1500. I cannot say thank you enough!
Please continue to pray for me and ask for updates when you see me! I am so grateful and humbled at the love of my community!
Until next time,
Joanna
