Gratitude

First of all I would like to say a gigantic THANK YOU to everyone who showed your support at the garage sale.

We live in the best community in the world!! The show of love and support was outstanding. It makes me all emotional to realize what a solid support system we have here - great neighbors, great friends and great people. We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity and caring. Full of gratitude!!

The sale was a great success!! I believe the last count we were at about $1500,and we haven't even added up the recyclables money yet! Fantastic!! We are all wonderful :)

On another note, I had a dream last night that our referral came in. For some reason, it was a little baby boy. I got to meet his mother. I was crying and bouncing off the walls I was so happy. So since I woke up and realized that I was dreaming I have been feeling a little down this morning. I hope that one day I will be able to cry those tears of joy and scream with excitement. I pray for that day every day. I will keep at it until we bring our children home. Thank you all again for helping us take another step in that direction.

Good News!

I got to go on Global Edmonton tonight to talk about the restructuring plan!
Yahoo!

All is looking good. What a difference from almost 2 months ago when our world shattered. This is totally an answer to our prayers, and a resounding echo to our mantra from the very beginning "Yes We Can!"

Late Friday night we received a restructuring plan from BDO Dunwoody that outlines a very viable plan to allow our adoptions to be processed. Each family has been asked to contribute a $4000 renewal fee which will allow the agency to resume operations and complete our adoptions.

Another huge blessing is that many of the creditor's who were not families have agreed to reduce their claims, which have kept the restructuring costs lower.
There will be a new board of directors, and the new agency will be closely monitored by both the Trustee as well as the Government.

I am trying to remain cautious, as this plan hinges on the approval of the majority of creditors at the creditor's meeting on Sept.21st. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we wait to exhale.

If you want to check out the news clip from this evening, go to the following link and click on Sept.7th evening news - it is about 8-9 mins in.

Thank you all who have maintained your love and support through these past 2 months.

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/index.html

Waiting for a re-structuring plan

For those of you you haven't been following the unitedfamiliesofimagine.blogspot.com blog, we are anxiously awaiting a re-structuring plan this week. I have no idea what to expect. The creditor's will all get a chance to review the plan and then cast a vote in favour or against. If this is a viable plan I cannot see it failing, but that remains to be seen. We are holding our breathe.
When we began this process last year around this time, I dreamed about sharing this Christmas with our new children. That was probably unrealistic even in ordinary circumstances - I suppose. But I am still keeping the faith. And I am dreaming that next Christmas (2010) we will all be together.

Abebech Gobena Orphanage

I stumbled upon this video while on youtube. I am posting because this woman's story is similar to the one in the book "There is no me without you" by Melissa Faye Greene. If it was not for brave people like these women, then there would be many more children on the street in Ethiopia.

Please write to your MP

Dear Mr/Ms MP - Just Copy and Paste
Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code:

Dear MP

I am writing to you regarding the recent bankruptcy announcement of Imagine Adoption, based in Cambridge, Ontario. This agency was one of only two that is currently licensed to complete adoptions in the country of Ethiopia. Many families from all over Canada (once approved by a provincial adoption agency) have become clients of Imagine Adoption. It has been reported that there are over 400 families that are directly affected by this tragedy.

In the long process to adopt, these families have invested both emotionally and financially in order for Imagine to fulfill not only a legal contract, but their dreams to complete their family. It is imperative that the contract be fulfilled and that these families may bring home their long awaited children from Ethiopia, whether they have received a child referral already or not.

This has been an already very long journey for most of these families. They did everything by the book. They trusted Imagine and the government who licensed them. I am asking that the government now take action to support all the families affected.

I am writing to you to ask for your help; to immediately determine a solution to facilitate and complete all of Imagine Adoption's active files affected by this bankruptcy.

It is imperative that the federal government take an active role in ensuring the well-being of the many hundreds of children and Canadian families who have found themselves completely at a loss in this situation.

We trust that swift government action will accompany the bankruptcy announcement of Kids Link/Imagine Adoption and we await your timely response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Families of Imagine Adoption (FIA)

Families of Imagine Adoption
Dear friends and family,

Below is a letter that was written by a waiting adoptive mom. It is a form letter that can be cut and pasted to your blogs or websites, if you so wish. Please read it and join the cause:

Dear,

Over 400 Canadian families have had their dreams of adopting a child internationally shattered. Imagine Adoption, a Canadian adoption agency that facilitates international adoptions declared bankruptcy on July 14, 2010. http://www.bdo.ca/extranets/imagineadoption/index.cfm

The families that have been impacted by the bankruptcy of Imagine Adoption have started a petition and are fundraising to demand that the government take action to ensure that every family have the opportunity to complete their adoption and bring their children home.

As a supporter of international adoption, we need your help to spread the word. Please post a link to our blog on your website and send it to all of your contacts. Many voices are stronger than one.

Here is the link to the new blog that our families have created: Families of Imagine Adoption: http://unitedfamiliesofimagine.blogspot.com/

You can find the link to the petition and opportunity to donate in the right hand column of the blog

Our hopes of a family are greatly threatened by this turn of events, not to mention the significant financial investment in the adoption process. Many of us were on the verge of being matched with a child at the time of Imagine Adoption's closure.

For many of us, starting another adoption process is financially and emotionally impossible. Signing on with an adoption agency is much like discovering you are pregnant - from that point on you are a parent, expecting and planning for the arrival of your child (children). We have already endured significant emotional and financial hardship dealing with infertility or similar issues. For others, the loss of time spent in the Imagine process means some families are now too old to become adoptive parents. Their dreams of becoming a family have been crushed by the irresponsible mismanagement of this adoption Agency. We do not deserve this.

We believe it is the responsibility of the government, and agency acting on Imagine Adoption's behalf during this time, to do everything in their power to ensure that the adoptions of already contracted families are able to continue.

Thank for your support,

http://unitedfamiliesofimagine.blogspot.com/

The Families of Imagine Adoption have come together and created a blog.

Please visit this blog for all information pertaining to the Imagine Adoption Bankruptcy.

Pass this blog on to everyone you know! Post it on facebook, use it as a signature on your email. We are making a difference!

THANK YOU!


http://unitedfamiliesofimagine.blogspot.com/