Dear Members of NAFA,
The Members of the Board met last Sunday to close out the 2014-2015 year and plan for the upcoming 2015-2016 year of NAFA events. We declared the past year a success! We hope you were able to attend one or more of our events. We work hard to keep NAFA present. We want to celebrate our uniqueness yet also the common bond we share.
In June we mailed membership forms to those whose membership has lapsed. This is a significant number because previous attempts brought low return. We are happy that many families have chosen to stay with us. But we need more! Currently we have 90 current memberships. We would like that number to be over 100. A larger community assures diversity and that we can make an impact in the adoption world. Our events are primarily social in nature—but within that the emotional support for both parents and kids is immeasurable. I have talked to teens and young adults who grew up in NAFA. They always say that it was important to have friends who understood who they are and what they may be going through. I have talked to parents of these young adults. They still cherish the friendships they have because of NAFA. These are parents who knew the pains of wanting to be a parent. They share the stress of maintaining a relationship with a birth family. If you haven’t been with us in a while, I suggest you attend an upcoming event or help with an upcoming Baby & Toddler Care Class. See if you feel that NAFA is a positive presence and if you want to renew. Below is a recap of events from 2014-2015 and a sneak peak of what is coming in 2015-2016.
November 2014: “Jump High & Celebrate Adoption!”—in honor of Adoption Awareness Month we gathered at Sky High in Beaverton. We’ll repeat this event in November with a new format to accommodate a variety of ages/skills.
February 2015: Skate! at Mt. Scott Community Center. We had fun, but attendance was lower than usual. Next February we will replace this with Splash! at a TBD pool.
April 2015: Splash! At Mt. Scott Community Center. We have the pool exclusively which is gives room for lots of fun on the slide, rope swing, easy river and hot tub. This event will be in February 2016. Look for a new event in April 2016.
July 2015: The crowning glory of the year is our Annual Campout. This was the second year at Nehalem Bay State Park on the Oregon Coast. We had a good turnout and a welcome reprieve from hot temperatures. If you haven’t already, see photos on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestAdoptiveFamiliesAssoc Dates for next year are July 15-17, 2016. Reservations are open October 15, 2015 at reserveamerica.com PLEASE reserve early because this campground fills up fast!
Baby & Toddler Care Class: Last October we had to cancel class due to low registration. We rebounded in the spring with 10 families in February and 9 families in May. Our next class is Saturday, October 24, 2015 If you are interested in helping with a breakout session or have a new baby that would look so cute as the live baby in a bath time demonstration, please contact Diane at diane@nafaonline.org
Waiting Family Meetings: There were 5 meetings last year with topics such as attachment, legal aspects of adoption and an Adoption Panel. Remember these meetings are open to anyone in the community no matter what stage of adoption they may be in. For more info see our website, nafaonline.org , or contact Diane at diane@nafaonline.org
Each of these events is subsidized by NAFA. At some events we charge a small amount (roughly ½ of actual cost) and the rest is paid by NAFA using membership fees and donation money.
Thank you for a wonderful NAFA year and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
NAFA Board of Directors: Diane (President), Christie (Vice-President), Yvette (Secretary), Lee (Treasurer), Marcia (standing member), Sue (standing member), Elisabeth (standing member)