As our Both Hands project comes to a close, I'm getting lots of questions about our adoption, so I thought I would post a few FAQs here for easy reference. As of today, we have raised just over $16,000 through Both Hands! It's not too late to give... just visit https://bothhands.org/project/ganson-236
But first, here is a short 5-minute video about our Both Hands project. Be sure to watch all the way to the end to see Ms. Nat, who is so sweet:
FAQs:
Q:How much money do the Gansons need to raise?
A:The total cost for them to adopt two children from Haiti will be between $45,000-57,000. They have received some grants and have paid a good bit themselves already, so they really only need another $20-29,000 to finish paying for all the adoption costs. (That means that, from this point, another $4,000-$13,000 raised through Both Hands would give them everything they need!)
Q: What happens if the Gansons end up getting more money than the amount they need? (i.e. If their Both Hands project raises $27,000, but their adoption costs end up only totaling $25,000?)
A:A couple things could happen. First, the Gansons could actually be reimbursed from Both Hands for some of the adoption costs they have already paid themselves personally (approx. $14,000). This would obviously be a huge help for them to get some savings back as they prepare to add 2 more kids to their family...or they could use it on certain things that aren't officially considered "adoption expenses" (i.e. vaccinations recommended for overseas travel, certain in-country expenses when they travel to Haiti, etc.) If by some miracle the Gansons raise enough money to pay all their adoption costs AND be reimbursed for previous adoption expenses, the remaining money would be given to other adopting families who are doing Both Hands projects.
Q: Does all of my donation go to the adoption expenses?
A:YES! Both Hands raises money for it's operating expenses separately so that 100% of the money that comes in via this fundraiser can go toward the cost of the family's adoption. The one exception is if you pay online with a credit card or paypal, a percentage of that will be deducted to pay the credit card/paypal fees that they charge Both Hands. Both Hands doesn't use this money; it's only for the fees the credit card charges.
Q:How did you pay for all the materials on the work day?
A:Everything was donated or underwritten by local businesses. Most of the work we did was labor-intensive, although approximately $2,000 worth of supplies were donated! (Donating businesses are listed at the end of the video.)
Q:Is my gift tax-deductible?
A: Yes! Both Hands is a 501c3 organization and all gifts are tax deductible.
Q:What if I want to give, but can't now?
A:The Ganson's Both Hands account will stay open until their children are home and the adoption is finalized. (This could take up to another 3 years unfortunately.) So anyone can give any time until then! (Just visit https://bothhands.org/project/ganson-236)
Q: Where are the Gansons at in the adoption process? What does the timeframe look like?
A: They started the process last March (2015). Their home study and all the paperwork US-side are done, and their dossier was sent to Haiti. Their paperwork officially entered the central social services agency in Haiti on March 9, 2016, so now the long wait begins for them to receive their referral. It is estimated to be another 1-2 years before they receive a referral, and a total of 2-3 years before their children come home. (This actually works well for them because they have requested 2 children ages 5 and under, so in 3 years, their youngest biological child will be 7, leaving a nice age gap between her and the oldest adopted child, if they get a 5-year-old.) Janelle has a goal to update this blog sometime this summer with all the "God-things" that have happened since they said "yes" to this adoption: http://gansonfive.blogspot.com/, and this will be the place they write adoption updates as they progress.
Q: Why is adoption so expensive, especially when kids are in desperate need of a home?
A: To adopt one child from Haiti, it would cost approximately $30,000. To adopt 2, it will cost between $45,000-57,000. (The difference mostly depends on which orphange the children end up coming from and whether they double fees for sibling groups or not.) There's no great answer to this question, except that it is a very long legal process that involves "checks and balances" at what feels like every government agency at local, state, and national levels - in two different countries! In some ways, it helps to weed out those who aren't serious about taking on the challenge of raising a child from another culture, and it definitely helps to deter those who might have ill-intent. The main goal is to protect children (who have already suffered trauma of one kind or another) from being placed in harmful situations. Someone once said, "It feels like you're paying a ransom for the kids," and the thought hit me (Janelle), "That's exactly what we're doing. We are paying a ransom for their lives, and I'm okay with that. If it was one of my biological kids who was left orphaned in a third world country, I would move heaven and earth to pay whatever I needed to to get them home!"
Q: Why is the process so long to adopt from Haiti?
A: There are two answers to this: For one, they are a third-world country, and things just don't operate like they do in the US. Their central social services office that oversees all adoptions in Haiti doesn't even have air-conditioning (and loses electricity several times a day), and there is no "online" way to match parents and children... it's all paper and pen. Offices run out of ink for a month at a time, or things close down because of political unrest. It can be a mess.Secondly, Haiti joined the Hague convention in 2014, which overall is a good thing that ensures adoptions are done well and with integrity (to cut down on child traffiking), but as they have tried to transition to the new system of doing things, it has bottle-necked many of the applications, making the wait time longer "than normal." The Gansons are okay (at this point!) with the long wait, since they wanted their youngest biological child to be a little older when her siblings come home anyway.
Q: What did you accomplish on your work day at Ms. Nat's house?
A: Projects we completed:
- Took out the back door which was rotting and not closing correctly and replaced it with a brand new door (door donated by Home Depot)
- Replaced three windows and reframed them (windows reduced priced from Lowes; paid for by Ecclesia construction)
- Fixed framing on other windows (supplies paid for by Ecclesia and Vineyard Church of Rock Hill)
- Scraped and painted all trim and cement on the house (all paint donated by Home Depot, painting supplies paid for by Ecclesia)
- Repainted the front porch and outdoor furniture (spray paint donated by Lowes)
- Landscaped the yard and flower beds/planted flowers (flowers donated by Lowes, Wilson's Nursery, and Sheila Sanders)
- Cleaned out the attic, shed, back porch, and other areas of the house and hauled off all the trash: 2,870 POUNDS worth!
- Tore down and hauled off wooden structures outside
- Added railings to steps on the back
- Replaced crawl space door
- Repainted the front door and mailbox
- Cleaned out and repainted kitchen cupboards, put down liner, washed and organized contents
- Deep-cleaned most areas of the house (wash windows, flip mattresses, dusting behind furniture, etc.)
- Organized office nook
- Replaced all blinds
- Sprayed perimeter of house for bugs and weeds (spray donated by Lowes, weeds were sprayed by a lawn-maintenance worker nearby who caught on to what we were doing and wanted to help too! :))
- Basic HVAC maintenance
Q: What is Both Hands?
A:
The short answer is: Both Hands is 501(c)3 non-profit organization “serving widows, orphans and adoptive families.” Both Hands helps families raise funds for their adoptions while serving a widow through home improvement projects. ( A hand for the widow, a hand for the orphan.) Visit https://bothhands.org/about/our-story for the amazing story behind this incredible organization!
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