Gladney Blog

The start of school is always one of my favorite times of year.  I love back to school shopping and I get really excited about school and office supply shopping.  I think it symbolizes- a new season and a fresh start.  And, who doesn't love a brand-new spiral notebook and fresh pencils with new erasers! 

I hope you have been following along on our virtual Superkids trip! We are so very grateful for the effort our partner orphanage in Taiwan has put into this project! They have worked so hard to get us the information we need to continue to work together to find homes for these kids.

Introducing Peyton! He is a smart, active, cheerful, and optimistic 8-year-old boy. Peyton communicates well with his friends and classmates and is a great ‘big brother’ to his little ‘brothers and sisters’ at his children’s home.

Meet Ryan! Ryan will celebrate his 7^th birthday soon. Ryan is an active young boy with a ready smile. We hear he has a positive attitude towards life and gets along very well with others. It is easy to make friends with Ryan, and you can often find others sharing their toys and food with him.

Jace is a healthy, 10-year-old boy who will celebrate his 11^th birthday soon! Jace was over 4 years old when he arrived at the welfare institute.  His file contains brief updates  on his progress from every 6-months since his arrival. 

2020 is a year full of defining moments that will be reflected on for years to come . . . challenges faced, losses grieved, lessons learned, flexibility shown, creativity generated, and new connections celebrated. As Gladney begins our new fiscal year, we feel hopeful and are balancing that optimism with realistic, strategic decisions and plans. Gladney is not immune to the challenges many individuals, families, and organizations are currently facing. Just as family will always be essential to our mission of Creating Bright Futures Through Adoption, you will always be essential to Gladney—we need you.

Chance is a healthy and outgoing 10-year-old boy. He is fond of swinging on a swing, singing, dancing, and playing badminton. Chance gets along well with his peers and is very willing to participate in classroom activities. He attends school and is fond of learning English.  It is easy for Chance to express his emotions and he can calm himself down and be reasoned with when he is upset.

Leverage your social networks, corporate connections, and other affiliations to build a brand of advocates for adoption. The most effective way to enhance Gladney’s presence in the community begins with our existing advocates: YOU.

I’ll never forget Jade’s final adoption day in court. We were surrounded by families just like us. We were all there out of love and a shared understanding of the struggle to become a family. I remember when they called our names to come up before the judge. The lawyers had prepped Brian and I beforehand on what we would be asked and what to say. When the lawyer asked Brian to state our daughter’s name, Brian was able to get out her first name and then burst into tears. It was our commitment to loving her forever. It was an amazing feeling to give your whole heart to a tiny little human. She has changed our lives for the better. We are so thankful her birth mother chose us. 

This weekend another human trafficking story played out on the news. More than three dozen children were rescued across the state of Georgia during a human trafficking bust that involved state and federal agents. The team dubbed the case “Operation Not Forgotten”.