May 12th – Florida Picnic
Children’s Home Society of Florida – Jacksonville Campus
3027 San Diego Road
Jacksonville, FL 32207
May 12th, 11-3PM – Fresno Area Picnic
City of Clovis – Railroad N&C
(Corner of Peach & Alluvial)
Clovis, California 93612
Neighborhood Calendar
Holt events, picnics, camps and more!
A list of Holt Happenings in 2013!:
California
July 28-August 1, Camp Rockin U—Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old (day camp is July 31)
Georgia
July 21-25, Calvin Center—Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old
Nebraska
April 20, Omaha—Gala Dinner & Auction benefiting children in Holt’s care in the Philippines, Embassy Suites, La Vista, 5:30 PM
New Jersey
August 4-9, Camp Louemma—Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old (day camp is August 8)
September 28, Princeton—Gala Dinner & Auction, Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, 5:30 PM
Oregon
July 14-18, Camp Angelos—Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old (day camp is July 17)
Wisconsin
July 7-11, Camp Lakotah—Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old (day camp is July 10)
Get the Info
For Holt Adoptee Camp information, contact:
Debby Hanson at debbyh@holtinternational.org
For Events information, contact:
Shonna Wells at shonnaw@holtinternational.org
For Holt Heritage Tour and Adult Adoptee Tour information, contact:
Sara Higgins for China tours: sarah@holtinternational.org
Paul Kim for Korea tours: paulk@holtinternational.org
Courtney Young for adult adoptee tours: courtneyy@holtinternational.org
Follow Us All the Way to Winter Jam!
Join Holt on Twitter!
Mention @holtintl with the hashtag #Holt20in12 for a chance to win Jam Nation access passes for 2 to a Winter Jam Concert!
Once we reach 2,000 followers, a winner will be selected at random!
Here’s what the winner will get!:
*FREE & EARLY ADMISSION to one Winter Jam show of your choice
*SEAT OF YOUR CHOICE prior to general admission donors
*LIMITED EDITION JAM NATION T-SHIRT
*COLLECTIBLE JAM NATION PLATINUM ACCESS PASS & lanyard
*EARLY BIRD ON SITE MERCHANDISE SHOPPING prior to the general admission doors opening
*EXCLUSIVE JAM NATION Q&A WITH JAM TOUR ARISTS(S)
*Jam Nation Insider Emails – be the first to know Winter Jam news before the general public!
*Discounted Winter Jam merchandise
Lifelong Memories…Lifetime friends
A journal entry from a member of this summer’s Holt heritage tour to China
By Maggi YiJu Liebetrau
Traveling to China was an eye-opening experience. I had the opportunity to see my birth country, learn about the Chinese culture and experience the friendliness and openness of the Chinese people. Most were curious about why 23 Chinese girls were in a large group with Caucasians. But when it was explained that we were adopted and the Caucasians were our parents, most of the people were excited for us. Experiencing the Chinese traditions was exiting. I went to a market in my home city and saw how ordinary people make a living by selling cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables, livestock, and clothing. In America, we don’t see something that big and productive every day.
The country itself is big and beautiful. We went to the countryside and saw the mountains. I liked seeing some of the famous tourist sites, like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. But I really enjoyed seeing the sites that weren’t so well known. We attended a foreign language school and took a couple classes with the students there. I was surprised to see that the schools are so different than they are in the United States. I enjoyed seeing the students’ reactions to Americans coming to their school. They spoke very good English and Chinese.
Going back to Mother’s Love, my orphanage, in Nanning was very touching. I saw the old building where I was taken care of for a couple months before moving to a foster home. We were the last group to go the orphanage before it was to be torn down. It is sad to know that my orphanage will no longer be there, but brand new buildings for all the homeless children and disabled orphans are there for the children to grow up in.
I was fortunate enough to get to meet my foster parents. That made me really happy. They were happy to have me come back and meet them. They told lots of stories and gave me a picture of my foster mother and me on the day I was adopted – a special memory that I will never forget. I now feel more complete about where I came from and know who touched my life before I was adopted and brought to the United States.
If you are considering joining next year’s tour, I would recommend it. It’s a great experience. I feel more at peace with myself, and I can say I’ve seen China at it’s very best. Holt was really good to us and we were treated with only the best.
I not only made lifelong friends – friends who truly understand what I’ve been through as an adoptee — but I made lifelong memories too.
Go, Team Holt!
Ten Holt supporters need YOUR support as they run for the children in Ethiopia. Holt adoptive mom and member of Team Holt Cathy Morin shares her story below.
I look forward to the Holt marathon every year! This will be my fourth year as a member of Team Holt.
I learned about Holt International through some good friends who adopted two beautiful children. When I started looking into adoption, I knew that Holt was the agency for me. On April 3, 2008, about one year after starting my adoption journey, my son Jack came home and was delivered into my arms on what turned out to be the best day of my life – the day I officially became a mom. I remember so many things about that day, and every day since then with my little guy has been a joy.
As a participant on the Holt team, I am spreading the word about an amazing agency and raising donations to help the agency continue its vital work around the world.
I will be running the 10K portion of the Omaha marathon this year. My goal is to raise $400 for Holt’s Ethiopia program. Will you help me? Any donation amount is appreciated, and 100% of the donation goes directly towards maintaining and growing Holt’s Ethiopia program.
Thank you,
Cathy Morin
Help Cathy reach her goal! Click here to support Cathy and the rest of the marathon runners!…..
Hey, New Jerseyans!….Got any plans for September 24th?
Join Holt in Princeton, New Jersey for a night of food, friendship, fun and, most of all, helping children in Holt’s care!
Holt has a long history of commitment to children with special needs. We strive to ensure that expenses are not a barrier between a child with special needs and a loving adoptive family.
This year’s Gala Dinner and Auction will raise money to support Holt’s Children with Special Needs Adoption program — helping to bring children with special needs home to their families.
A message from Jackie Miller, Gala Chair:
On Saturday September 25, 2010 the idea for an annual New Jersey Holt Gala Dinner became a reality. New Jersey Holt families had enjoyed an annual dinner in the past, but this time we were challenged with making a fun evening into a gala event. Despite a small but wonderful dinner committee, I wasn’t sure we could pull it off.
The evening was a mix of a silent auction, make a difference and live auctions. Parents, adult adoptees, community members as well as many of the Holt staff came together to make the New Jersey dinner a very special event. We enjoyed the food, the camaraderie, and the knowledge that each of us was helping New Jersey families who had adopted a child with a special need.
Late into the evening, a committee member whispered into my ear that the evening’s proceeds were at $20,000. I was so overwhelmed by everyone’s support and generosity that it was difficult to announce it to the group.
Currently, we are in the process of planning the 2011 New Jersey Holt Gala Dinner for September 24, 2011. It will be held at the Princeton Westin. We are currently seeking dinner sponsors and donated auction items.
I would love to see everyone at the dinner in the fall!
For more information about the Holt Gala and Dinner Auction in New Jersey and to RSVP, Click here
Seven Summers at Holt Camp
Recently, Holt’s senior writer, Robin Munro, sat down for an interview with Josiah Bell, a Holt adoptee born in Korea and raised in Alabama. This summer will be Josiah’s seventh season working at Holt’s adoptee camps – a six-week commitment for leadership staff, five weeks for counselors. When not at camp, Josiah works as a freelance artist specializing in portrait work for adoptive families. He currently lives in Birmingham, but plans to move to Brooklyn, NY at the end of the summer. View a couple of Josiah’s adoptee portraits below.
So this will be your seventh summer working at Holt camp?
This is my sixth summer on the leadership staff. The first year, I was a counselor.
What are your responsibilities as a leadership staff member?
We prepare the camp curriculum and schedule, and manage the counselors and camp staff.
How do you prepare the curriculum every year?
We have a foundation of subject matter that we talk about, such as race and identity. Every year, we tweak it. We brainstorm ideas of new and fun ways to relate those ideas to campers.
What’s an example of a fun way you relate issues to campers?
We always talk about identity on the first day. That helps us ease into being able to discuss other subjects, such as race and adoption, in a group setting.
When we talk about identity with the youngest group, we ask them to name TV characters that have multiple identities. They usually come up with super heroes and Hannah Montana. We talk about how Hannah Montana is sometimes Miley Cyrus, but she’s also a daughter, a sister and a student.
We always close that day with having the campers write down as many of their identities as they can come up with.
What do you hope the campers will get out of that exercise?
We want them to understand that we have multiple identities and they’re always changing – and that’s a good thing.
We definitely make the point that being adopted is an identity. That helps the campers acknowledge that about themselves, and empowers them to take on that identity with confidence.
Did you go to Holt camp growing up? Continue reading “Seven Summers at Holt Camp”
Holt Picnics in Oregon: July 16th in Corbett, August 6th in Eugene
Hey there, Holt families in the Portland area – it’s time to get together again for Holt’s annual picnic!
I hope you, your family and friends can join us Saturday, July 16th, from 11-3 at Camp Angelos in Corbett, OR. Camp Angelos is also the site of Holt’s Oregon adoptee camp, which will begin the following day. (Day Camp, for parents and children ages 5-18, will be held July 20th.)
Holt’s camp counselors will be leading children’s activities at the Portland-area picnic. They look forward to meeting you and your children!
Please bring a picnic lunch for everyone in your party. And don’t forget comfy shoes, as you may want to hike Multnomah Falls trails before or after the picnic.
Also, don’t forget about the Eugene picnic on Saturday, August 6th, at Camp Harlow. RSVP for the Korean BBQ lunch today or anytime before July 25th.
After the picnic lunch in Eugene, Holt adoptive father Daniel Freed – a.k.a. “The Amazing Spaghetti” – will perform a magic show for the children.
The Camp Harlow pool will also be open after lunch in Eugene.
For directions to the park or to print an invitation for others, please visit us online at www.holtinternational.org/picnics.
President and CEO Kim Brown sits down for Interview with KACmedia
Kim Brown, Holt president and CEO, recently sat down with Kwon Cho, executive director of Korean American Christian (KAC) Media for the network’s “Faith, Power, and Influence” segment. In the interview, Brown discusses his adoption story and Holt’s humble beginnings, issues facing adult adoptees and adoptive families, and the future of Holt’s work.
“It’s a humbling position for me to be in,” says Brown. “I feel the weight of all the children who have been placed by Holt through the years, and I also feel the responsibility of the children who need homes.”
Brown also discusses Holt’s work as a child welfare organization…
“We are not just an adoption agency. We are concerned for the kids who don’t get the opportunity to find a home of their own.” We’re expanding what we’re doing, and we’re excited about being able to help more and more children around the world.
To see Kim Brown’s full interview, click the video below…..
Faith, Power & Influence #314 Kim Brown: “Rescuing Orphaned Children” from KAC Media on Vimeo
What are little boys made of? Join a webinar to find out…
by Sally Dougherty, Family Relations Director
Remember this. . .
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.
That’s what little boys are made of!
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and all things nice.
That’s what little girls are made of.
As a woman who was once a little girl, I admit, it’s not so bad to be described as “all things nice.”
But as an advocate for homeless children, I can’t help but seek a different nursery rhyme – one that highlights all the wondrous stuff of which boys are made.
Several years ago, word spread like wildfire about the need for families to adopt from China, where thousands of girls were being abandoned as an unintended consequence of the country’s one-child policy.
Today, this perception persists – a perception that girls need families more than boys.
But it’s a false perception.
In truth, there is a very strong need for families to adopt boys. As most families pursuing international adoption assume girls are in greater need, the most common request is for a girl.
This assumption has created another unintended consequence: today, boys often wait longer for families than girls.
This month, I’d like to introduce you to a couple of families who adopted boys. And I’d like to introduce you to one very special boy on Holt’s Waiting Child photolisting. He only has five months to find a family! Click here to read his story. Continue reading “What are little boys made of? Join a webinar to find out…”