Community Outreach for National Adoption Month
In celebration of National Adoption Month our staff at Children of All Nations and Great Wall China Adoption engaged in community outreach projects around Austin, Texas.
Adoption Knowledge Association
Staff members manned a booth for families to explore the process of international adoption and ask questions to the adoption consultants. GWCA/CAN staff also gained some wonderful insight by taking part in the many adoption related seminars provided by the AKA organization. Staff attended education sessions headed by experts in the fields of occupational therapy, attachment disorders, neural development in early childhood, loss and trauma. CAN and Great Wall staff was also able to network with other entities in the adoption world to build a stronger net of resources that could be offered to adoptive and potential adoptive families.
Church Outreach
Many churches took part in an effort to reach out to their congregations’ needs for information on adoption and orphan advocacy on Orphan Sunday. CAN was the representative for International, infant domestic and embryo adoption programs. The goal was to get an idea of how we can make a bigger and better impact on the community in this regard by combining our services and education with the church’s outreach, the community in need and the facilities. Next year, during National Adoption Month in Austin Texas, CAN and community churches will be serving a greater number of families with answers to their questions.
St. Edward’s University “Careers in International Social Justice Employer Panel”
One of CAN’s International Adoption Consultants was a panelist representing Children of All Nations and Great Wall China Adoption. The panelists were asked to help the students interested in International Studies prepare themselves for a job in international advocacy or justice. They were asked to describe the daily work and also the challenges that they face every day in their unique positions. The main theme from the panelists in regards to advice for the students was that having experience that sets you apart from all the others will take you far. The panelists described the internships and volunteer work that they did to gain this type of experience and how it helped mold their talents for future jobs. Also they gave a good sense of why they do the jobs they do, and how they were not planning on having that job, but that it was indeed the right fit for them in the end given their unique experiences.
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