The Hub (August 2024)
Director's Corner
Dear friends,
There's something magical about summer cookouts that brings people together. Whether it's the shared laughter, the delicious meals, or simply the pleasure of being outdoors, these gatherings provide a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our bonds. They remind us that amidst our busy lives taking time to connect with others is invaluable.
As we look forward to our Adoption Network Cleveland Annual Cookout, what truly stands out is the joy we find in sharing our experiences. Our collective need for community unites us yearly, bringing together new faces interested in search support, parents who join our family support groups, and individuals we supported two or thirty years ago. They all keep showing up at events like the cookout, not just to socialize but to share their stories and answer the question, "Am I alone in feeling this way?"
We would love to have you join us for the Annual Cookout and General Discussion Meeting on August 17th at Edgewater Park. From 12:30 - 2:00 pm, we will meet for a special in-person meeting, offering an opportunity for Cleveland area folks to come together and share experiences (childcare is provided, bring a folding chair). From 2:00 - 5:00 pm, we will come together for food, games for the kids, entertainment, music, community, and fun! You are welcome to join us for one or both of these summer events.
For local and out-of-town friends alike, we have some other great virtual events coming up, including the return of our Monday Evening Speaker Series in September. Check out some of the great speakers we will have and register below!
In the spirit of community,
Betsie Norris
P.S. Showing up is what makes the day special, but we would love a headcount. If you plan to attend the Annual Cookout, please click here or use the links below to register.
On the Blog
Emancipated Youth: "A Title that Reflects My Resilience and Determination"
by Savannah Johns
Our newest team member, Russ Lang, is an individual whose journey through the foster care system is a powerful testament to his strength and perseverance. "Being an emancipated foster youth means a lot to me," Russ says. "I am not ashamed of having grown up in the foster care system; in fact, I am proud to say I did."
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Announcing the Fall 2024 Monday Evening Speaker Series: Engaging Conversations
by Adoption Network Cleveland
"We work hard to curate content from as many different angles of the adoption experience as possible so that we can learn from and understand each other better," says Ty Cliffel, Director of Programs. "We try to balance content so that many perspectives and points of view are shared."
The winner of the Cleveland Sports Raffle will be drawn and announced at our Creating Futures Benefit & Silent Auction on September 14, 2024. Attendance at the event is not required to win.
Please help us spread the word by encouraging your friends and family to buy tickets, sharing our posts on social media, or clicking HERE to download a flyer to display in your community.
General Discussion Meetings & Support Groups
Click here for our full calendar.
General Discussion Meetings and Support Groups are held on Zoom, except for the one that is specified In-Person. These gatherings provide a safe place where people can share their feelings and experiences, get support from their peers, and learn from others’ perspectives. The meetings have an open discussion format and are attended by anyone with a connection to adoption or foster care, including adult adoptees, birth parents, siblings, adoptive parents, those that have experienced foster or kinship care, or DNA discoveries such as misattributed parentage or donor conception. Professionals are also welcome to come and learn from the shared perspectives of the constellation members. General discussion meetings are held on all but the fifth Thursdays (which occurs in February, May, August, and October this year).
August 7, 2024
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET
Special Topic: Shattering Myths: The Realities of Birth Motherhood
Please note: This group is open to all members of the adoption constellation as we explore a special topic this month. Join us for a discussion that dispels common misconceptions and stereotypes about birth mothers, explores the unique postpartum and mental health challenges they face, and addresses the misunderstandings and insensitivity that often surround their experiences. Learn how deeply adoption impacts their lives beyond the act of relinquishment, the critical need for mental health support, and the importance of recognizing and validating their ongoing grief and strength. This meeting aims to foster empathy, understanding, and better support for birth mothers within and beyond our community.
August 17, 2024
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET
In-Person General Discussion Meeting at the Annual Cookout
This special, in-person meeting will be held directly before the Annual Adoption Network Cleveland Cookout at Edgewater Park East Pavilion. It is an opportunity to come together in person and participate in a meeting. Please note that this meeting is for adults only. Childcare will be provided during the meeting for children ages 2+. Please indicate during registration if you need childcare.
Please bring a lawn chair which you can use for the meeting.
You (and your family) are encouraged to stay for the cookout after the meeting! Please register separately for the cookout portion of the event here.
Community Programs & Events
August 28, 2024
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET
What's New in Adoption?
Presented in partnership with the Maltz Museum; this event requires a small registration fee. Join us at the museum for an insightful presentation from adoptive parents, adult adoptees, and birth parents. Moderated by Betsie Norris, this session focuses on personal experiences, social justice, and adoption issues. The panel will include people on all sides of adoption sharing their stories and experiences. Panel members include:
Betsie Norris, Adoptee, Executive Director and Founder of Adoption Network Cleveland — Recognizing adoption as a lifelong process rather than a one-time legal event, Betsie founded the nonprofit in 1988 to provide support, education, and advocacy to others after her personal journey of searching for a reuniting with her birth family. She has led the groundbreaking and successful organization for 36 years, helping thousands and changing laws along the way.
Jennifer Collins, Adoptive Parent — Jennifer lives in Lakewood with her wife, Beth, and their 17-year-old Alex. Their 18-year-old son, Jacob, lives a half mile away in a wonderful group home for people with special needs. She has known their sons since they were weeks old and met them through the county foster care system. Jennifer is a special education teacher and Beth is an accountant.
Lindsey Huling, Birth Parent — Lindsey lives in Massillon with her fiancé Brian and two-year-old pup, Daisee. She is a birth mother to her 15-year-old son who she placed at birth. She and her son have maintained an open adoption, regularly seeing each other a few times a year.
Amy Zlotnik, Adoptee — Amy lives in Solon, with her husband, Mitchell, not far from her two adult children, Brandon and Kayla. She is an adoptee who reunited with her birth parents and two siblings when the Ohio records were unsealed in 2015. As they all live in the Cleveland area, they have been able to be a part of each other's lives and families.
August 17, 2024
2:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Annual Cookout & General Meeting
Everyone connected to Adoption Network Cleveland and their families are invited to join us at Edgewater Park for our Annual Cookout! This includes anyone who has participated in programs - past or present, volunteers, donors, board members, staff, community partners, and family members. There will be food, games for the kids, entertainment, music, community and fun! We will be providing drinks and main dishes. Please bring a side or dessert to share.
We will also be hosting a special, in-person General Discussion Meeting directly before the cookout from 12:30 - 2:00 PM at Edgewater Park. It is an opportunity for individuals in the Cleveland area to come together in person and participate in a meeting. Please note that this meeting is for adults only. Childcare will be provided during the meeting for children ages 2+. Please bring a lawn chair which you can use for the meeting. We ask that you register separately for the General Discussion Meeting.
Family Programs & Events
August 15, 2024
7:00 - 8:00 PM ET
Transracial Adoptive Parent Support Group
Adoption Network Cleveland and Transracial Journeys have joined forces holding a series of co-hosted monthly support groups for parents who have adopted children outside of their own race. This group provides an intentionally structured and supportive space where parents can hear from leaders with lived expertise and share their experiences, challenges, and successes in raising transracially adopted persons. This support group meets virtually via Zoom. Click here to read more,
August 19, 2024
6:30 - 8:00 PM ET
Recommended by LinkedIn
NAMI Family Support Group
In partnership with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), this Family Support Group is peer-led and intended for families and loved ones of children (18 and under) who are experiencing behavioral or mental health symptoms. This group is open to ALL regardless of connection to adoption.
This group encourages empathy, productive discussion, and a sense of community. You’ll benefit from others’ experiences, discover your inner strength, and empower yourself by sharing your own experiences in a non-judgmental space. Please join us virtually via Zoom on the 3rd Monday of each month from 6:30-8 PM.
September 7, 2024
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Adoption 101: Where Do I Begin?
Considering becoming a parent or expanding a family through adoption can be both exciting and overwhelming. There is so much information available about adoption that people often ask, "Where do I begin?" Adoption 101 is a workshop intended for people looking into adoption for the first time.
The program covers: types of adoption, adoption providers, three roads to adoption (public, private, and international), financial considerations, an adoptive parent panel, adoption is a lifelong journey, questions and answers, and ethics. The workshop is designed to help prospective adoptive parents prepare, build confidence, and make a decision about the best route for their adoption journey.
Adoption Network Cleveland is a neutral source of information, as we are not an adoption agency facilitating any adoptions.
Thank You! Our 2023-24 Monday Evening Speaker Series was a success. The series pauses for summer and will return in September. These programs are made possible through your donations, presenters volunteering their time, and the active participation of attendees.
Fall Monday Evening Speaker Series Presentations
Monday, September 9, 2024
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Adoption Memoirs: Inside Stories with Marianne Novy
Marianne will discuss her book Adoption Memoirs: Inside Stories, which discusses 45 published books and two memoir-like films, by birth mothers, adoptees, and adoptive parents, about adoptions including same-race and transracial, domestic and international, with the largest number written in the 21st century. These memoirs depict happy moments but also the lasting pain of relinquishment, the racism and trauma that some adoptees experienced, and unexpected complexities of adoptive child-rearing for which parents were sufficiently prepared. Read more about Marianne here.
Monday, September 23, 2024
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
An Adoptee's Reflections on Working in Adoption and Foster Care with Sandi Caesar
Sandra "Sandi" Caesar is an adoptee who, for many years worked as an adoption professional. She was born Cristina Rodriguez in Panama to a 14-year-old girl who parented her for most of her 1st year. Ultimately, she was placed for adoption by her maternal grandmother without the knowledge or consent of her birth mother. Sandi was adopted by a Black US Air Force family stationed in Panama at the time. Read more about Sandi here.
Monday, October 7, 2024
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
How to Bring Lightness to the Tough Stuff with Lauren LoGiudice
Comedian Lauren LoGiudice loves delving into difficult topics. A few years ago, she found out she was donor-conceived after a lifetime wondering why she was the odd-one-out in an Italian-American family, and has been creating comedy about it ever since. During the day she teaches comedy to non-comedians who are seeking to bring similar lightness to their story and in the process has discovered patterns and tools that can help you do the same. Read more about Lauren here.
Monday, October 14, 2024
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
The Gathering Place with Emma Stevens aka Linda Pevac
Emma Stevens aka Linda Pevac is the author of two memoirs, The Gathering Place and A Fire in Coming. Her adoption journey began with being relinquished as an infant and adopted by a mom and dad, with an adoptive brother who had also been adopted two and a half years prior. It's only in hindsight that Emma has been able to see how her entire life has been colored and altered by being an adoptee. In her first memoir, The Gathering Place, she shares of a magical place she's created where healing, comfort, and repair take place for the younger parts of herself who never felt safe, seen, hear, or understood. Read more about Emma here.
Monday, October 21, 2024
8:00 - 9:30 PM ET
Adoption and Suicidality Panel with Beth Sylverson
Adoption and Suicidality: Adopted people are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-adopted peers. Join the contributors to a new book, Adoption and Suicidality, in a discussion about how adoption impacts adoptees' mental health, and how we can all help prevent suicide. The panel, moderated by adoptive mom Beth Syverson, will consist of adoptees who have survived suicide attempts or chronic suicidality and parents whose child struggled with suicidality. Read more about Beth here.
Other Programs
While our location is Ohio, our knowledgeable staff can assist in searches without geographical limits. Opportunities for support are open to and accessible to all. If you would like assistance, please contact Karen Wyman for a personalized, professional analysis.
Join Our Legacy Circle
Help us LIGHT UP and power our Network! With your support, Adoption Network Cleveland will provide healing and fill the service gaps in the adoption, foster, and kinship care community for decades to come. Making a planned gift via a bequest, charitable gift annuity, or other vehicle ensures a stable future for Adoption Network Cleveland's programs and services. By including Adoption Network Cleveland in your estate plans, you will become a member of our Legacy Circle.
To see a list of our Legacy Circle members or learn more about leaving a legacy, click here.
Philanthropy does not require great wealth. When you give to Adoption Network Cleveland, you may choose what to give, how to give, and how your gift will be used. A planned gift may be designated to a specific program, our endowment fund at the Cleveland Foundation, or general operations for the organization's most pressing need.
If you have already included Adoption Network Cleveland in your estate plans, please let us know so that we can add your name to the Legacy Circle. Our team works with you in partnership with our Cleveland Foundation philanthropic advisors. For more information, please contact Betsie Norris at (216) 482-2314 or betsie.norris@adoptionnetwork.org.
We Need Your Help!
A Creative Way to Help Support Adoption Network Cleveland
With our Creating Futures Benefit and Silent Auction quickly approaching on Saturday, September 14th we are working to put together an exciting silent auction. Do you have any resources or connections that could help? The auction will be both online and in-person at the event. All donors will be recognized. Please help us if you can! We need items in by August 19th and are looking for these types of things and more.
• Get-Aways — a weekend or longer at a vacation home, resort, hotel or B&B
• Behind the Scenes —tours or experiences not typically available to the public
• Tickets — theater, sporting events, fun things to do
• Certificates — massage, haircuts, restaurants
• Beautiful Items — jewelry, art, wearables
There are plenty of additional ways to contribute to this year's auction! You can make follow-up calls to businesses from the comfort of your own home, pay visits to local retailers or businesses to follow up on donation requests, or make a donation yourself, whether as an individual or on behalf of a business. Interested in volunteering or donating? Contact Kelsey.Reilly@adoptionnetwork.org.
Adoption Network Cleveland benefits immeasurable from volunteers' dedication, shared time, and expertise. If you hope to volunteer but do not see an opportunity that fits you, please reach out and let us know you're interested via Julius.Jackson@adoptionnetwork.org.
Download a printable program calendar HERE!
Early Next Month...
September 3 DNA Discovery Support Group facilitated by Becky & Oliver
September 4 Birth Mother Support Group facilitated by Lindsey & Nikki
September 5 General Discussion meeting facilitated by JJ & Rosemary
September 7 Adoption 101: Where Do I Begin?
Our website calendar has full listings and descriptions of upcoming events.
To learn more about becoming a corporate partner, please contact Betsie Norris, Executive Director at betsie.norris@adoptionnetwork.org.