Our friend Daniel, dispenser of parenting advice and other forms of wisdomHe is eager to help in a project to connect the many Ethiopian adoptive families in the Portland area and the Ethiopian immigrant community. We had an informal brainstorming session this week about the many amazing things a project like this could bring to our area. While we were in New York, we attended an event at the historic Riverside Church in Harlem that served as a wonderful example of what can happen when an adoption community blends with the immigrant community of their children's country of origin. The Ethiopian community of Riverside Church has come alongside the Ethiopian adoptive families in the area to provide Amharic lessons, cultural events (including home-made injera!), and general support. What an amazing thing.
an impromptu birthday song at Riverside Church in HarlemIf you live in the Portland/Vancouver area and are interested in seeing what we could develop here in the Pacific Northwest, please leave me a comment with your email address and/or write me so I can get your name onto a list. Daniel and I are hoping to have a meeting with anyone who might be interested in starting a group like this sometime around the end of February. Daniel is looking now for a location, and I am gathering together the families. We are excited about what could come, both for us as parents and for our children. Let's build our village.
If you'd like to join us, here is my email: ourownrooney at gmail dot com.
Abe with one of his several African grandmothers in Portland
13 comments:
You know I'll be there. Dan is excited too. I have a couple of other names for you also...so exciting.
Oh Lori - how wonderful!!! I'm so excited for you guys.
Riverside was wonderful wasn't it. I didn't realize the congregation is in New Jersey. I wrote to Getu who is going to help with a tutor perhaps.
i'm off to bed at this decent hour for once but had to say i'm so happy for the three of you.
We are in and will give you a couple emails of other families that Im sure would love to join....
love this.
We're in! I'll email you some others as well.
I am very much excited to meet all of you and brain storm idea that will benefit all of us.
We're closer to Seattle, but maybe could be involved?? We know several familes in the area as well who would be interested.
mwillis22@hotmail(dot)com
Kyle
you're doing it! awesome!
We are 2 hours from Portland on the Washington coast but maybe could be involved? Sounds like a wonderful thing.
burkhalter@wwest.net
susan
We are definitely in.
That is really wonderful.
It's interesting to contemplate how our ethnicity affects us. You would think not so much, but we are humans with attachments and brains.
That your son will grow up knowing his ethnic group accepts him and his situation will be huge, I think.
Knowing members of his ethnic group will give him an even greater sense of belonging that he'll already have from you. He's such a lucky kid!
Hi Lori,
Yes, we are interested in being a part of the group. Please add us to the list.
I've sent you an email with our email address.
Thank you
The Banfields
I live in Bellingham, wa, but my parents live in Vancouver. We're waiting for our referral right now. But I'd love to be a part of some events if we can!
janetbelleme@yahoo.com
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