Spring 2013 Newsletter

2500 Churchman Avenue • Indianapolis, IN 46203(317) 787-3412 • GivingBirthToHope.org

The Promise of a Lifetime

Renee Hummel

Late last September, St. Elizabeth|Coleman Pregnancy & Adoption Services received a letter from a birthmother who placed her infant son for adoption with our agency nearly eighteen years ago. In the letter, Su-san asked if she could send a card and letter to be placed in her son’s file for him – in case her son ever tried to establish contact. Susan had learned from our website that we prom-ise free lifetime support and counseling for any woman who has placed a child for adoption through our agency. She won-dered if this commitment would still apply to her since she had placed her infant son for adoption so very long ago.

One of our counselors responded to Susan, confirming our promise of support and counseling to her without charge for as long as she desired. Susan and the counselor had a wonderful initial conversation and have

continued to meet at the agency office over the course of the last several months.

Susan is poised, successful, and intelligent. She feels blessed to be married to a support-ive husband and they have a family of their own now. In our counseling, Susan shared that she has always felt that she made the best decision as a young, single, high school girl to place her son for adoption. She did have the support of her loving family but outside of her close family and friends, Su-san has not had anyone in the last eighteen years to discuss the loss and grief related to her sacrifice of placing her son for adop-tion. Although the baby’s biological father was involved in the adoption process, Su-san struggled with some resentment toward the birthfather and his family for not being more emotionally supportive.

During her visits with the counselor, Susan has been able to share her adoption story and talk about the wonderful life and family she has now. Susan continually expresses the gratitude and comfort she feels when speak-ing with our experts in adoption – knowing she is free to share from her heart the loss and grief she has experienced without fear of judgment and with assurance of privacy.

Like so many women with Susan’s life ex-perience, she wants to help other young women and girls who have placed children for adoption. Susan plans to share her story as a speaker at our next Birthmothers’ Lun-cheon. This annual event is held in May and honors all birthmothers who have placed with St. Elizabeth|Coleman – fulfilling the promise of free lifetime support and coun-seling for any woman who has placed a child for adoption through our agency.

Dear Friends, In September 2012, I celebrated my 20 years of service with St. Elizabeth|Coleman. I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful people in many different roles throughout the years, including a Parenting Class Instructor, Intake Worker, Birthmother Counselor, Home Study Supervisor and Director of Adoptions. St. Elizabeth|Coleman has gone through many changes since my arrival, yet the mission has always remained the same. What a blessing it has been to be a part of over 600 families created through adoption. I thank God every day for the wonderful staff and work that is done through St. Elizabeth|Coleman.

Renee HummelDirector of Adoption Services

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Creating Memory Boxes

In 2012, St. Elizabeth|Coleman offered a new support group to birthmothers that had pre-viously placed a child for adoption with our agency. This group provided an opportunity for birthmothers to come together and use their arts and crafts skills to decorate “memo-ry boxes.” Memory boxes are given to the new birthmothers after they have made an adop-tion plan for their child. A birthmother can then use her box as a safe place to keep any memorabilia of her baby and store new pic-tures and letters from the adoptive couple.

A group of birthmoms get together and fill each box with items to help new birthmothers through the emotional grieving period after the adoption. Each box contains a journal, photo album, lotion, candle and an encourag-ing note from the birthmom decorating the box. These memory boxes not only benefit the new birthmothers who receive them, but also help the women who come together to “give back” by sharing their own adoption journey.

The Christmas Gift Program was created to bring joy, happiness and a very Merry Christmas to all of the families and children that we serve. The staff at St. Elizabeth|Coleman is grateful to have the opportunity to help mothers with Christmas gifts for their families every year. This year, we served the largest num-ber of families, and subsequently children, than any previous year at the Christ-mas Gift Program.

A total of 46 families with 135 children received gifts.

In addition, we referred 15 families with 45 children to the Crisis Office Christmas Store.

Thank you to all our generous supporters whose charitable giving continues to help countless families through our Christmas Gift Program. We would like to give a special thanks to:

• Daughters of Isabella • ERMCO • St. Francis Gift-A-Family • Holy Spirit Parish at Geist • Indianapolis Motor Speedway • Mercer & Belanger • St. Jude Parish • St. Roch Parish

One mother expressed her thanks to these donors saying, “You have helped in more ways than you know. You have brought brightness to an otherwise dim Christmas. Your generosity is so greatly appreciated.”

Another mother stated, “Your kind hearts make me and my family very thankful.”

One woman spoke of her experience with St. Elizabeth|Coleman saying, “I have never been a part of an organization that has taken the time to help and care for me as much as St. Elizabeth|Coleman. Since I made that first phone call to you I’ve experienced nothing but love, dedication and care from every-one I’ve worked with…I love you all.”

2012 Christmas Gift Program

• St. Mark School • University of Indianapolis • Emily Hummel & Friends • McAtee Family • Terry Quinn & Family • Schaler Family • Kaylyn Marks & Family

Christmas donations for mothers & children from Daughters of Isabella

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Infant Donations Wish List

1. Newborn diapers2. Receiving blankets3. Onesies (size 0-3 mo.)4. Sleepers5. Baby bottles

6. Baby wash & baby shampoo7. Baby lotion8. Small fleece blankets9. Diaper ointment10. Teethers

Back by popular demand, St. Elizabeth|Coleman will be creating a new calendar for the year 2014, which will include pictures of our adoptive families and their children. We invite you to submit your pictures and stories to share the joy of adoption with others. The new calendar will have

a variety of themes throughout – such as Daddy & Me, Mommy & Me, holiday and vacation pictures. Adoptive families will receive more specific details regarding the calendar in May 2013. Stay tuned!

Agency Calendar

Volunteer Opportunities

•This summer, St. Elizabeth|Coleman needs help with lawn mowing and/or general yard work on our 9+ acres of land.

•We need help all year in our Donations Center sorting and organizing the in-kind donations and preparing donation requests for mothers and children. • At Christmas time, help is needed in preparing Christmas gifts for families.If you are interested in volunteering or making an in-kind donation, please contact Priscilla Kamrath at (317)787-3412.

Birthmother Celebration EventWe are happy to announce that St. Elizabeth|Coleman is planning its third annual Birthmother Celebration Luncheon. The luncheon will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at the Shriner’s Temple at the Old National Cen-tre in Indianapolis.

This event is a way to honor all our Birthmothers and their courageous decision to choose life for their children by the selfless act of placing their children for adoption. Be looking for more information!

Walking for DreamsSt. Elizabeth|Coleman invites you, your family, friends and pets to join us in this year’s Walking for Dreams 5K walk around the beautiful Down-town Canal at Buggs Temple on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

This walk provides a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and celebrate with other adoptive families, agency volunteers and friends, while supporting our agency. Set your individual fundraising goal and donate online. Register online with the St. Elizabeth|Coleman Team which is found in the Catholic Charities section at www.walkingfordreams.org.

Upcoming Events

A foursome and Chair enjoying the 2012 golf scramble while helping St. Elizabeth|Coleman. Left to right: Ray Smith, Dan White, Golf Tournament Chair Steve Coffman, David Siler, Addison Hummel

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Make plans now to join us for the 12th Annual Bob Coffman Tournament at Bluff Creek Golf Course in Greenwood on Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 1:15 p.m. Please join us for a fun afternoon in support of our agency. We would love to have 4 groups of foursomes.

Please contact Priscilla Kamrath, (317) 787-3412, ext. 29 for more information.

Bob Coffman Memorial Golf Scramble Our Volunteers

Rolls Royce team gave a fresh coat of blue paint to our support group room and constructed furniture for the support group mothers.

Holy Spirit School junior high students sorted and organized the in-kind donations to be given to mothers and children.

St. Elizabeth|Coleman has a long history of creating families through the adoption of children both domestically and internationally. For more than 10 years, our agency has provided home studies for families seeking to adopt children from foreign countries. The services provided include 27 countries such as: Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Russia, Uganda, Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. In 2012, we served 23 families who were seeking home study approval to adopt internationally. St. Elizabeth|Coleman is also involved in overseeing the post-placement reporting requirements necessary for each of these countries. What a wonderful honor it is for our staff to support the parents and follow the lives of the children when they arrive home.

Recent legal changes and global relations have changed the face of international adoptions over time. Standard countries such as Russia and Guatemala have closed to adoption, while new countries such as the Congo and Ethiopia show increasing hope. The Hague Treaty remains in effect, and new laws are emerging to protect the process of safely placing orphaned children into their forever families through government regulation. Toward this effort, St. Elizabeth|Coleman has taken the steps to become and remain COA accredited. This is a critical component for families working with Hague accredited placing agencies and conveys to all our prospective families that we are prepared to provide the best adoption home study experience possible.

International Adoption Update