Intermix Hosts HelpUsAdopt.Org Fundraiser in the UES

From Grant Braswell on NearSay.com

Last night a sleek and successful charity event for HelpUsAdopt.Org graced Intermix on Madison at East 78th street.  The stylish clothing store for women opened their doors and provided event-goers with a space to gather.  They also generously gave people a 15% discount for anything purchased during the event. Men and women alike enjoyed donated snacks and a bartendress made amazing Voli vodka drinks that tasted like orangesicles. 

The event was organized primarily by Becky Fawcett (Co-Founder and Executive Director of HelpUsAdopt.Org) and Marissa Schneider (Chair of the Young Executive Board).  The fundraiser included a raffle, HelpUsAdopt.Org merchandise, and the debut of the organization’s movie that followed Becky’s trip across the country to visit families who have been helped by the charity.   A photographer captured sincere moments of gratitude and joy as an upbeat and well dressed crowd mingled to catch up and discuss their own family stories. 

HelpUsAdopt.Org is a non-profit organization that assists people in their adoption process, easing the financial burden of adopting.  It can cost over $30,000 to bring someone into your family through adoption. Many people who have the heart and wherewithal to bring up a child in their own home may not have that large sum of money on hand to get through the process.  HelpUsAdopt.Org  raises money to assist these individuals, and to date has given grants totaling over $250,000 in just 3 years.  What makes HelpUsAdopt.Org special is that unlike many adoption focused charities, HelpUsAdopt.Org  does not turn down applicants based on their family makeup or their religious views.  Too many organizations define what a family should look like and how they should feel about god.  Because it is still in a nascent stage, HelpUsAdopt.Org has the tough position of having to turn down many more applicants than they can aide.  Through continued fundraising and growth HelpUsAdopt.Org  hopes to bridge that gap in the upcoming years.

A big thanks to Intermix for providing their space, and all the other companies and individuals who donated to the success of the event and the organization itself.

Interested in helping the cause?  Check out their ‘getting involved’ page on their website: http://www.helpusadopt.org/get_involved.html

I sit on the young executive board and though I am not as active as I’d like, the organization’s mission is close to my heart.  As Becky says – ‘Imagine you didn’t have a sibling or child that is a foundation in your life.  You can’t.  That’s why we help’.  I am fortunate enough to have a biologically connected family, but to have been denied any one of them would be unfathomable.