Who doesn't want to celebrate Mother's
Day and Father's Day? Especially those of us who moved heaven and
earth, traveling around the globe, to become parents. I know we
surely do. But here, in this message, FRUA celebrates the other 363
days a year of parenthood. The day-after-day, challenge-after
challenge, joy-following-joy, messy, sweet, exhilarating, exhausting,
sometimes lonely, better-if-shared, thankful days that require
patience, love and fortitude. FRUA celebrates all of you, every day,
and the families we have built. We celebrate with our eyes open,
always focused on our mission; to provide hope, help and community
for adoptive families.
Change....
There has been a lot going on at the
FRUA, INC national level. Based on the 2013 national survey, this has
been a year of change, as we set out to act upon the wishes of
members and those who want to belong. Here, some highlights of the
changes over the past few months:
Ten FRUA regional chapters
Since earlier this year, With the
involvement of the leaders of FRUA chapters, and a recommendation of
a FRUA chapter leader task force, FRUA has shifted from inconsistent
metro-focused chapters to ten regional chapters, covering all fifty
states. The FRUA regional boards are composed of volunteer leaders
spread across each region, with volunteer representatives from Parent
Organized Districts(PODs) that can bring FRUA families together
wherever family clusters are located.
Major contact with our children's birth country
embassies
FRUA has made
a concerted effort to establish a place at the table regarding
national adoption policy, and in helping to keep the doors of
adoption open in Eastern European and central Asian countries. Over the past two years, we
have significantly stepped up our communication with the embassies of
our birth countries, meeting with them, most for the first time, to
share information about our family support mission of hope, help and
community for adoptive families.
While the next issue of The Family
Focus will include a more detailed report, I made formal calls in
February and March of 2014, on the embassies of Kazakhstan,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Republic of Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Armenia.
I'll continue to reach out to more of the twenty two foreign
embassies of the countries from which our children have come. Last
year I met twice with the Ambassador of Ukraine, and plan to meet
with the embassy again this summer.
Last December, continuing our
cooperation with The Institute of International Education,
FRUA-Colorado hosted a group of independent media Russian journalists
at my home for dinner. I remain in touch with some of these
journalists, to help get factual information about our families to
the Russian people,
I have received a formal invitation to
attend a US-Russian Forum on Capitol Hill, June 16-18, representing
FRUA. The gathering focuses on areas of cooperation in culture,
business and science. Attendees will include the Dept. of State, members
of the United States Congress, the Russian Embassy, University of Moscow, and the
Russian Cultural center.
New, 21st century
database tools
With the launch next weekend of the
new FRUA Member Center, linked to www.frua.org, FRUA will address a major need; making it easier for members to join and renew, adding efficiency for regional chapter leaders, and preparing to create an enhanced member resource center. Stay tuned for the email announcement message on our around 5/24, and after the roll-out, follow this link to Join or Renew .
Happy May,
Jan Wondra
Acting Chair
FRUA, INC. National Board of Directors
