Seventeen people ran as “the Holt International Team” in the recent Omaha Marathon and raised over $6,400 for children in the care of Holt’s Ethiopia program.

“We had a blast and raised our expected goal for the children in Ethiopia,” said Holt team organizers Juliet Brown and Cathy Morin. “Along with those that ran for Holt, we also had more than 20 volunteers who worked at the Holt water station.”

Eleven-year-old Holt adoptee Emma Frerichs ran the 10K route and received second place in the 15 year old and younger division.

We send a big thank you to Holt International supporters who participated in the Omaha Marathon on September 28. These funds will have a dramatic impact upon the lives of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable Ethiopian children who need families of their own.

Holt Ambassadors volunteer their efforts to raise funds and find families for children in Holt programs around the world.

by Alice Evans, Holt managing editor

In facing what is a growing crisis, China’s Health Ministry reported early this week that about 13,000 children have been hospitalized from drinking contaminated milk, with another 40,000 having undergone outpatient treatment.

Jian Chen, Holt International China program director, said that most Holt-supported projects in China use imported formulas that are not on the list of tainted formulas. But some local orphanages may have used tainted formula.

“Throughout China, all orphanages appear to be very active and using all precautions,” she said.  “Some orphanages are taking children for ultrasound checks if they were fed one of the tainted formulas, especially if the formula had a large amount of melamine. The government is covering all medical expenses.”

“We know that families are concerned about what may have happened to their children, especially those who have already been matched with a child,” said Jian. “Holt is doing its best to gather information from authorities from orphanages in which we have matched children—and to let our families know.”

A Holt International adoptee reports from the Paralympics in Beijing

by Kari Banta

Kari Banta is one of many young wheelchair athletes that the U.S. Paralympics Committee invited to write an essay on what disabilities mean to them—for a chance to go to Beijing. One of 25 winners from hundreds of entries, Kari traveled to Beijing as an observer of the games with Justin, her older brother, who provided assistance in posting these reports. This was a dream come true for Kari, who was adopted through Holt International at the age of 5 from Thailand.

Wednesday, September 17:
The most fun we’ve had at an event was wheelchair rugby. We watched the United States play Australia for the gold, and we won (also the United States has never lost to Australia). The crowd was nuts, faces painted, even louder and crazier than the sitting volleyball game. It seemed like every American in Beijing showed up. So what is wheelchair rugby? There are four players on the court at a time; the wheelchairs are bulwarked with all kinds of metal plates; and the goal is to wheel the ball past the back line of the court. Just like you’d imagine, they crash, flip, fly and do anything they can to get the ball into the end zone. It is not a polite game, and not one that you can play without being willing, even eager, to hit the floor hard. What’s interesting is that it’s the only sport in which women can compete on the same team as the men. The bronze-medal game (between Canada and Great Britain) had two women playing, and they were really good. We didn’t get back to the hotel room until after 11:30, and I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed…. Read the rest of this entry »

Four Holt International–related women were selected as “Angels in Adoption” and honored this week at a gala in Washington, D.C. by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). They are Cindy Bigelow, Sandy McLaughlin, Mary Masterson and Dana Gresh.

The CCAI is made up of members of the U.S. Congress. Angels are selected by members of CCAI to recognize extraordinary commitment and accomplishments on behalf of adoption. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Angels in Adoption Program. Read the rest of this entry »

by Alice Evans, Holt Managing Editor

We ask you to join us in helping these poor families, in the name of Jesus: “I was hungry and you gave me food… I was a stranger and you took me in.” (Matthew 25:35)

Holt International senior executive Dan Lauer is currently on the ground in Haiti, working out of Holt Fontana Village and the heavily hit village of Montrouis, where Holt does family preservation work. Speaking by telephone late yesterday afternoon, he reported all children at the Holt Fontana Village to be safe and well and already back in school. But there is heavy flood damage in nearby villages, with roads out and chaotic scenes of houses filled with rocks and mud from the mountains. Suffering from the blast and aftermath of three recent hurricanes, children and families in Holt International care in Haiti need our help now more than ever, he reported.

“The houses in Holt Fontana Village weathered the storm well,” Lauer said. “Peter Fontana did a great job in choosing the original site and locating the houses relative to potential water damage.” Lauer noted, however, that Holt contracts with a nearby resort for the water supply to the Village, and because of damage to the resort’s equipment, Holt currently must pay to transport water in tanker trucks from Port-au-Prince. Water costs $100 per load, and so far four loads have been necessary. Read the rest of this entry »

A Holt International adoptee reports from the Paralympics in Beijing

by Kari Banta

Kari Banta is one of many young wheelchair athletes that the U.S. Paralympics Committee invited to write an essay on what disabilities mean to them—for a chance to go to Beijing. One of 25 winners from hundreds of entries, Kari is currently in Beijing as an observer of the games with Justin, her older brother, who is providing assistance in posting these reports. This is a dream come true for Kari, who was adopted through Holt International at the age of 5 from Thailand.

Friday:
We’ve made it here safe and sound, spent the night in a freezing cold room (they gave us warm blankets, though), and taken showers in the crazy shower/ bathroom… there’s no separation between shower and the rest of the room. The highways all have flower-boxes along the sides of the rails. There are trees and bushes and flowers growing everywhere in the perfect 75, sunny, light breeze, but smoggy-smells-like-faint-burning-rubber city. We have to walk 300 yards to the Bird’s Nest stadium, which is such a pain—I mean, why can’t we just rent a room in the Bird’s Nest? Well besides that we are located on the Paralympic green our hotel is great. I tried to buy contact solution yesterday, which was a fun exercise in not communicating. I figured out how to say “cleaner” and brought my contact case, but the word I was using seemed to mean something akin to “Windex.” We’ll repeat this experiment in the grocery store, where I’m sure fewer people speak English. Okay, off to breakfast and then the Water Cube to watch swimming and then later, sitting volleyball. Read the rest of this entry »

A Holt International adoptive mom acknowledges her daughter’s goals, capabilities and future plans

by Kathy Booms

As the school year is just getting under way, I have yet to meet my daughter’s teachers. I wonder what they think of Kara? Are they as amazed of her intelligence as I am? Or are these feelings of amazement reserved just for parents, as a base to brag about? Do they struggle daily, as I do, trying to answer her inquisitive questions? How do they handle her boredom?

I wonder all this because my daughter has planned out her life—in great detail. She has spent time checking into colleges, paying close attention to curricula, location, cost and post-graduation employment opportunities. She has requested, yes requested, applications. Her next plan is to look into available scholarships, and she plans on receiving many. She has maintained all A’s without a blink of an eye. She has participated in extracurricular activities, such as soccer, band, piano lessons, 4-H, church-related activities and every chance to help those younger than she. And yet every step of the way she has maintained a normal balance in life, remembering to be a kid, too. She has many friends, none who know what they want to be when they “grow up.” Living in the rural area that we do, many have not heard of choosing colleges, planning for the future and so on.

My husband and I are very proud of her. We could not have asked for anything more. We strive daily to give her the family values and lessons to continue on this road to life. She has had to deal with much more than most her age already. And we feel that she can handle anything that comes her way. She is a strong, independent, intelligent and very determined young lady. Many professionals admire her, encourage her, and stand back amazed at the conversations they hold with her. Many smile and are filled with pride, knowing they helped to mold this young lady into who she is today.

And although we hoped she would take her future seriously, we never thought it would begin just yet.

So who is this wonderful young lady, you might wonder? She is our 11-year-old daughter from China. She has blossomed into this beautiful flower and has touched the lives of most everyone she has encountered. And she plans on becoming a doctor. At this point she has not decided if she will be a pediatrician or a family doctor. But she will be a doctor, nonetheless. She plans on returning to our rural area to practice. Not caring that she probably could make even more money by going further away. She knows there are people here, friends and family, that need good care, too. Read the rest of this entry »

by Sally Dunbar, Family Recruitment Specialist

Despite the threat of a hurricane, this year’s Holt Family Picnic in New Jersey proved a great success. Highlighted by the presentation of the Molly Holt Award to Holt International ambassadors George and Michele Smith, the picnic entertained 21 Holt families at all stages of the adoption process.

Hurricane Hannah was making its way up the eastern U.S. coastline at 25 mph with the possibility of arriving in New Jersey the same time as the picnic, bringing with it an estimated 3-5 inches of rain and winds up to 50 mph. Holt staff and local picnic coordinators knew the impact on attendance was a given, but the wind and rain held off until 2 p.m. The kids didn’t seem to notice a tropical storm was on the way—they hit the playground equipment as quickly as possible. Most families set up their picnics in the covered pavilion, which made for great interaction and mingling. Families included those whose children are grown adults and those just considering adoption through Holt—with all stages in between. A panel of adult adoptees shared their adoption stories and fielded questions from parents.

Molly Holt Award
The presentation of the Molly Holt Award to George and Michele Smith, local picnic coordinators, offered a special highlight. The award is given each year to one family or individual for selflessly volunteering their time and service with loving care and concern to help homeless children around the world. George and Michele Smith are adoptive parents of a son, Colin, from Korea. For the past 14 years, George and Michele have led the picnic planning committee in New Jersey. Read the rest of this entry »