In Which I Use My Blog For Good, Not Evil

The thing about adopting is that, while you get to bring a child home to a loving family, a cushy bed and more toys and clothes than they'll ever need, you have to leave lots and lots of children behind.  Our agency operates orphanages in five provinces in Vietnam, housing hundreds of children who are not eligible to be adopted for various reasons.  No matter how many children we decide to adopt over our lifetime, there will be many left behind.  Those children lead good lives in clean facilities, where they are well-fed and loved by their nannies.  But they still live in orphanages, after all, and they miss out on some of the things we take for granted.

As we've been going through the adoption process (i.e., waiting, and then waiting some more), I have tried to think of ways that I could, in some small way, make things better for the kids who are left behind.  My mom and I put our heads together and came up with some different ideas, but the Perfect Thing didn't present itself until I called our agency and spoke to them about what was most needed for the children in Vietnam.  It's something so simple we wouldn't have thought of it ourselves:  playgrounds.  Those children need playgrounds. 

It seems almost frivolous when you first say it to yourself:  playgrounds?  But thanks to our agency's humanitarian aid -- which is their mission, first and foremost -- the children's basic needs are taken care of.  And yet, their needs extend beyond food, water and human interaction; through play, children develop their minds, bodies and imaginations.  Think of your own childhood and the time you spent swinging as high as you could, hanging upside-down from jungle gyms, spinning on merry-go-rounds, and hurtling down tornado slides.  These are memories that don't rank next to Christmases, birthdays, and vacations -- but that's kind of the point:  they're such a natural, fundamental part of being a kid that we almost forget about what a role playgrounds have in our growing up. 

It costs just $1,500 to build one playground in Vietnam.  We want to raise enough to build playgrounds at all five orphanages.  That's $7,500.  And you can help us get there.

My mom and I are sponsoring a couple of events in my hometown on September 29 -- a walk from playground to playground and a photography exhibit at my mom's cooperative art gallery -- and we're appealing to everyone we know (and lots of people we don't know) to support this effort. 

We're calling it Child's Play (get it?  GET IT??)  (We have a logo and everything, all official-like, but I am dum when it comes to Internet-y stuff, so I can't figure out how in the world to post it here.)  Because adoptive families in process (and their parents and siblings) can't give money, we are underwriting the event so that 100% of the proceeds will go to our Child's Play effort -- every dollar will go straight to the playground campaign.  (Please note that if you're an adoptive parent currently in process with Dillon International, neither you nor your immediate family can give money -- but your extended family, friends and coworkers can!) 

Here's where you come in:  if you feel so moved, mosey on over to Dillon's home page and scroll down to the middle of the page.  Click the orange GiveDirect button and fill out the form.  Be sure to put "Child's Play" in the Comments section!  Aaaaaaand, you're done!  (Unless maybe you want to send this link around to everyone you know, in which case that's Step 2, and I would be eternally grateful for that as well.)

I feel really goofy asking the Internet for money, but I figure if I can use this medium for something other than airing my own solipsistic musings, then I have to at least put it out there.  It's for the children, people!  Anyway, I'll keep you posted on our progress, and I will post pictures of the Child's Play events after Sept. 29.  And -- ooooh! -- if all goes as planned, hopefully by the time we travel they'll have broken ground or maybe even finished the playgrounds so I will get to SHOW YOU what YOU helped build, OMG! 

And now some pretty, pretty photos that my husband and I took on our trip to Vietnam in 2002, to tug at your heartstrings and put you in a giving state of mind. 

 

(Also, in case you're wondering, we are STILL at # 6 on the waiting list.  Come on, list!  Let's move!)

Comments

[Christine]

Love your blog. GO PLAYGROUNDS!!

[MsPrufrock]

What an absolutely fantastic idea. I will be passing the word on in my blog, for sure.

[-R-]

What a great idea! And I love your pictures.

[Tiggerlane]

What a fantastic idea! The simple ways our money can change the lives of those in other countries is one of the reasons I joined my local Rotary club...it is amazing how unfortunate others are, isn't it?

You are doing a wonderful thing - and will touch the lives of many children besides the one you are adopting.

[Kathy F]

The good news is -- I won't be "in process" much longer and will be free to donate! Great idea Meredith!

[Kelly]

What a creative plan! I hope there's something I can do besides pass on the info to friends and family...

Please let me know if you need any non-monetary assistance.

Kelly

[metalia]

This is such a lovely idea; I want to help! I'll make my way over to the site shortly,and I'll be thinking good, "move-the-Lawyerish-family-up-the-list" thoughts when I do! ;)

[maggie]

This is a lovely idea. Is Dillon the agency you are using?

And I love that you've got Harriet the Spy on your "bedside table". It reminds me that I need to put that on the list of books for my kid for later, like, when she knows how to read!

[Julie]

This is a wonderful program you are setting up. We will be sure to pass along to our friends and family. Amazing!!!