Adopt-A-Tag! (Update)

UPDATE (12/1/2018):

We are a week into our Adopt-A-Tag fundraiser and over HALF of our tags have been claimed for a pledged amount of $5297! We are overwhelmed with gratefulness for our friends and family that have given to us or will be giving to us soon to contribute to this dollar amount.

YOU ALL ARE AMAZING!

Thank you so much for believing in us and supporting us on this journey. Every time we take a tag down, we know we are one step closer to bringing our daughter home!

We still have a long road ahead in general, and more specifically in this fundraiser. We have 64 tags remaining and would love to see a few more of these claimed. There are some bigger numbers left, but there is always the option of claiming a tag together with someone else if you would like. If you would like to help us take down a tag, please comment below with the number you want to claim. The number on the tag equals the dollar amount you desire to donate.

Once you have claimed a tag you can send donations through the Cash app ($echolsadoption) or Venmo (@echolsadoption).

We will be making our first payment to our agency within the next week! Be on the lookout for an update with our progress on our family blog in the next couple of days!

Original (11/25/2018):

Thank you for taking the time to read this. You will hear us say this many times; your support means the world to us. We cannot take the journey we are about to take without your prayers and support!

We recognize that some may question the process of fundraising for adoption. Some may ask “why are they raising money for adoption? It’s their kid. Why don’t they save their own money?” We fully recognize that it is asking a lot for others to help us financially. We offer this in response to this feedback:

1. If we had the finances to pay for our adoption we would do so with joy. However, most international adoptions now cost about $40,000, making finances the main reason that people choose not to pursue adoption. We will be contributing our own funds throughout this process, but we do not have enough on our own.
2. Much of the cost associated with our adoption will be due within the first year of our process. There is no financing option like with a house or car. If we do not pay by the specified deadlines we will not be able to move forward in the process.
3. We recognize the importance of being good stewards with the donations we receive and as such have created a “Financial Accountability” page on our blog where you will be able to see what we owe and when we have paid it. We also recognize the importance of being good stewards of our money outside of the adoption process. We live within our means and will continue to do so throughout this process.

We have lived our lives openly and authentically, so feel free to send us a private message if you have any other questions or concerns.

With that said, we are ready to dive in to our first fundraiser, which we are calling Adopt a Tag. We’ve created a wall of 150 numbered tags which correspond with a dollar amount. If you would like to give, this is how it works:

– You will pick the number you want to give. For example, if you pick 22 you will give $22.

– If a number you want is taken, you can choose multiple numbers. For example, 1 and 9 to make $10.

– You can choose your number by commenting below, texting us, emailing us, etc.

– Once you’ve claimed your number, you can give through Venmo (@echolsadoption), Cash App ($echolsadoption), check or cash

– Once your donation is received, we will write your name on the tag showing that it has been claimed. These tags will be saved and

            will be given to our daughter one day so that she can see all of the amazing people that played a part in her adoption story.

THE AMAZING PART: No single person will be giving more than $150, however, if all of the tags are claimed it will add up to over $11,000!

In the next few months, we will have over $8000 due so this would be an incredible start!

In the course of this likely two year (or more) process, we intend to do more of the traditional fundraisers that you might expect like t-shirt sales, bake sales, etc. We recognize that this fundraiser is purely about giving without getting anything in return. We cannot bless everyone with something for giving, but at the end of this fundraiser we will do a few drawings from our tags. Those people will receive a free t-shirt when we do our t-shirt fundraiser. We want you to give how and when you feel led to do so. If you are open to giving now, great! If you would like to wait for a different fundraiser, that is great too! Know that whatever you choose to do is so appreciated.

This fundraiser will go from now until December 9. We will provide periodic updates with our progress!