Maybe your spouse isn’t on board…yet.
Maybe your kids are too little.
Maybe you can’t afford it.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the process.
There are many reasons families are not ready to dive into the adoption process even if they want to. The good news is that there are a conglomeration of other ways to serve orphans without adopting. There are so many ways to make a difference even if adoption isn’t in your future.
Here’s a couple (ok, more than a couple) suggestions to get your creative juices flowing. If you would like to move on any of these (or one you dream up), please contact Grafted Families. (Yes, I am not above shameless self-promotion).
- Pray for orphans and vulnerable children all around the world.
- Become an advocate for adoption and orphan care.
- Offer to clean or make a meal for a newly adoptive family.
- Throw an adoption shower for an adoptive family.
- Help adoptive families fundraise creatively.
- Sponsor an international orphan.
- Adopt a local social worker and show her how much she’s appreciated.
- Provide material needs to an overseas orphanage.
- Coordinate/volunteer at activities for orphan hosting programs.
- Babysit for a family who is trying to complete the adoptive/foster process while they have training, meetings, etc.
- Babysit for adoptive/host/foster family training or a support group.
- Be a weekly volunteer at St. Vincent’s a local group home for behaviorally challenged kids.
- Be a host family or family mentor for Safe Families who serves at risk families.
- Host an orphan through a short-term hosting program. (There are at least 3 going on this summer in our area.)
- Become a respite family for foster families so they can have a much-needed break.
- Serve on a short-term mission trip that reaches orphans.