AAI Family Quilt--A Longstanding Tradition

The AAI Family Quilt is coming along nicely! If you have made a donation to AAI and would like to see your name on a leaf, star, butterfly, or other items that will adorn the quilt, just contact us!

Did you know that fundraising quilts are a longstanding tradition in the United States? Recently, an AAI supporter wrote a blog post about these quilts, and featured the AAI Family Quilt as example. You can read the entire (very interesting) blog post HERE.

AAI Volunteer trip -- Join us in February!!

2012 Short-term Volunteer Trip
2/26/12--3/8/12

Chris Little and Susan Poisson-Dollar, AAI Board President and former AAI Director of Development respectively,  will be leading a short-term volunteer trip to Ethiopia for a maximum of 14 participants.  The dates for this year’s trip are February 26^th – March 8^th, 2012.  Chris and Susan have each visited Ethiopia numerous times and also have significant experience hosting volunteer groups both in the U.S. and Ethiopia.  They enjoy sharing their love for and knowledge of their “adopted” country with new people.   We had a wonderful experience in November of 2010 and you can read more about it at this link.

The land cost for the trip is $1300 and includes airport pick-up in Addis, lodging (single occupancy, discount for sharing), transportation and some meals in Addis as well as a donation to Adoption Advocates International’s humanitarian projects in the country.  Flight costs will depend on the participant’s home city but are currently ranging between $1400-1700 round trip from most parts of the country.  Participants will have the option of joining either of the group leaders on their flights or of arranging one independently.  Depending on the interests of the group, excursions outside of Addis can be arranged and the travel agent we are working with can also help organize add-on tours to other parts of Ethiopia. 

All participants will be expected to get a criminal background check prior to the trip or submit one received in the last two years.  They will also be asked to carry supplies for AAI’s partner orphanages and other nonprofits as well as to make a commitment to do some fundraising prior to or after the trip. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required by January 15, 2012 to secure a spot on the trip and participants are also required to have health insurance and to purchase a travel insurance plan (generally very inexpensive).  Please contact Susan Poisson-Dollar for more details or to reserve your spot on the trip.   

There will also be opportunities to tutor children, teach English, work at our facility for developmentally-delayed children (Opportunity House), and to experience Ethiopian traditions by visiting typical families.  We may be asked to paint rooms and do other similar projects at partner orphanages.   Excursions will include trips to shop for fairly-traded handicrafts, visits to  other nonprofit projects serving orphans and vulnerable children and a dinner at a cultural restaurant featuring traditional dance and food. 

   

Temesgen and MOWA official visit Port Townsend, WA

Last week, AAI lawyer Temesgen and a MOWA official visited Port Townsend, WA and had dinner with a number of AAI families.  Chris Little, AAI Board President and adoptive parent of many, sent these pictures in and reported that everyone had a great time.  In addition to joining local AAI families for dinner, Temesgen and the MOWA official also visited a school, several private homes and the Port Townsend courthouse where many adoptions are finalized. 

The bidding is on!!

2011 AAI Holiday Project Auction

Open for Bidding!

Head right over to this link to get a look at 100 beautiful gift items that benefit AAI's ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ethiopia and Ghana.   Jewelry, artwork, clothing and household items and vacation opportunities await you there.  Get your holiday shopping done extra early this year and your gift recipients will also appreciate that your purchase did "double duty" and helped an orphaned or vulnerable child in one of our programs.  The items were all donated by friends and supporters of AAI, many of whom are adoptive parents.  

 

Holiday Project Auction Starts October 1!

Check out all the great Holiday Gift Ideas!

Wouldn't you like to get your holiday shopping done early this year and benefit a good cause too?!   The 2011 AAI Holiday Project kicks off this year with a silent auction of over 80 beautiful items.  The online auction starts October 1 but you can start previewing the items now at this link !

As the saying goes --"Bid early and bid often."  All proceeds from the auction benefit AAI's Humanitarian Projects.  Read more about them at our website under "Humanitarian" and elsewhere here on the AAI blog.  

Thanks for shopping!  We will still be having our annual Holiday Project Fund Drive after the auction and offering you the opportunity to have a special holiday card sent to someone special who will love knowing that your gift benefited an orphaned or vulnerable child in one of our programs. Great gift idea for the many people on your list who already "have everything."   

Read the latest AAI newsletter here!

Password-Protected Waiting Child Page on AAI Website

Help spread the word!

We just added a new feature to the AAI website -- a password protected page with photos and information about waiting children in all of our international adoption programs.   The first page features a healthy 11 year old boy from Burkina Faso, a pair of young brothers from Ghana, and a little girl in our Republic of Georgia program among others.   We plan to put up new pages every few weeks so once you obtain your password, please keep checking---maybe you will find your child there one day!   Contact Johanna in the AAI office to find out how to obtain the password.

Feel free to post this link to any adoption groups you are involved in, your blog, your Facebook page etc.  Many of the children we will feature have special needs and we want to find families willing to help them develop to their full potential. 

*** NOTE:  We have just learned that some browsers and computers are experiencing difficulties with accessing the page.  If you can't, please email Johanna above (click on the link) and she can send you the information directly.  Thanks--we're getting lots of interest already!! 

Help Us Expand Opportunity House!

AAI's Opportunity House Project in Ethiopia currently provides loving care and individualized therapy and training for thirty children with serious disabilities.  Twenty of the children reside on the Layla House compound and another dozen live at Kibeb Tsehaye, a partner orphanage cooperating in the project.  Our agreement with the Ethiopian government involves expanding OH's services to include fifty or more children over the coming months.  To achieve this, we need YOUR help!

There are two easy ways to contribute to Opportunity House and know that you have helped to make a child's life infinitely better.    Please consider sponsoring an OH child with a recurring donation of $35 a month or more.  In return, you will receive a photo and child report on a specific child at least twice a year.   We also need one-time donations for the purchase of needed equipment (as seen in these photos), the salaries of trained professionals and to pay for the staff training sessions we are doing for the children's caregivers.  If you would like to know more about specific OH needs and how you can "sponsor" a physical therapist or staff training workshop, please contact Merrily Ripley.  

Thanks to AAI parent Mike Erickson and volunteer Sophie Brill for these nice photos of children benefiting from Opportunity House services.