Gladney Blog

So far, 2020 has been a weighty year in our country and in our world. In some ways, it feels like time is moving slowly, and yet, it is hard to believe it is already summer. As we continue to deal with COVID-19 and social distancing and identify how we can best support families in having conversations with their children about racism, we know flexibility and collaboration are key. We are listening, learning, and making connections, in order to serve our clients well. We have hope—the lessons we are learning and conversations we are having will lead to growth, resources to share, and a brighter future.

In January, Gladney proudly welcomed its latest addition – Adoption.com. 

Dear Friends,

Our passion and belief were as strong in 2019 as they were in 1887. Every Child Deserves a Loving and Caring Family. Because of you, 211 children started their new lives in a forever family last year. Whether from an orphanage or foster home, or from a courageous expectant parent making an adoption plan, EVERY one of these children deserves the security and love of a family, and you made that happen.

Spring typically brings sights, sounds, and feelings of renewal. I love flowers, and spring brings a theme of growth to my mind. As we deal with COVID-19 and social distancing, I personally feel like some areas of life are on pause, while other areas are busier than ever. There is underlying anxiety for most of us, along with grief and loss for many.

Whatever this season looks like for you, please know we are so grateful for you thinking of and supporting Gladney. While most of our staff members are currently working remotely from home, our caseworkers are continuing to serve expectant mothers who are making an adoption plan, care for teenage girls in foster care in the Gladney Home, advocate to find adoptive families for waiting children in state foster care and international orphanages, and be with adoptive families when their new children are placed with them. Our mission continues.

Even in this challenging season, Gladney daily witnesses a spectrum of growth—babies literally growing and meeting developmental milestones; children who have experienced hurts understanding what it means to be loved and cared for and learning to trust; adoptive parents acknowledging they need support and reaching out for connection and resources; and birth mothers processing their grief and loss, while being proud of who they are and of their children.

Thank you for your support and involvement in their growth. Because of you, Gladney will be present and meet their individualized needs in a personal way—step by step, through changing seasons of life … during their adoption process and for years to come.

As a videographer, I keep getting asked the same questions so I put together some tips to look and sound your best while video chatting:

I’m a fundraiser. That’s my defined responsibility for the important mission of creating bright futures through adoption. However, in this moment and honestly, always, I am not connecting with families to raise money for our important work; I’m connecting to raise their spirits. Today, it is essential that we collectively raise all those who have supported Gladney when we depended on them most. Now, they need us. They are depending on us to be strategic with our asks. Today, my ask has never been more clear: how can Gladney and I help YOU, our family? We all agree family is essential. Gladney believes every child deserves a loving and caring family, and that need will always be essential. Gladney’s Family for Life promise will always be essential. We are here for you. How can we help? 

I switched from working full time in an office to working full time from home in 2016 when we moved to Houston for my husband’s job. Although grateful to work for an organization that offers this flexibility, it was a big transition that took adjustment and a lot of getting used to. It also happens to be a big transition that much of the country has been forced to make in the past few weeks. As a work from home veteran, I am here to share my story, and offer you some of the tips I’ve learned to keep myself productive and most importantly…sane.

What a whirlwind of a week! Last Friday seems like a lifetime ago—so much has changed, and the amount of uncertainty and uneasiness is amplified times a thousand.  On Monday, Gladney made the decision to close its campus to outside visitors for the immediate future due to the COVID-19 virus.  Outside events on our campus were cancelled or postponed, and only essential personnel or vendors are currently allowed on campus to ensure the safety of our community.  If able, employees are to work from home.  Our CEO, Mark Melson, shared a video encouraging us that although things will look very different for the time being, business as usual will try to continue as much as possible.

It seems we have been bombarded with unsettling news for weeks.  And depending on your personality, social distancing could be your worst nightmare or your dream come true (under different circumstances).  For me, it's a little of both.  I have enjoyed some special blessings during this time.  For example, my daughter who is a college student several hundred miles away has been home.  Our whole family has enjoyed being together and playing domino games late into the night.  We have had dance parties and cooking contests and we have had some quiet moments too, like cuddling and watching movies.  There has been some blessings in all this chaos.

Sitting in church this past Sunday our associate pastor was delivering a message taken from the movie Frozen 2.  I’ll admit that it took me about two years to see the first Frozen and I have yet to see the second, however I did YouTube what she was talking about.  In the movie there is a song that Anna (Kristin Bell) sings called The Next Right Thing. Even though I haven't seen the movie, this resonated with me because the message seemed to be about overcoming adversity or tackling big problems by doing The Next Right Thing.