April 2003
501(c)(3)
Donations to Adopt-A-Family are now tax exempt! The Federal IRS ruled in March that Adopt-A-Family is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3). Furthermore, all donations made to Adopt-A-Family since our incorporation in November 2002 are grandfathered into this ruling. If you have made a donation to Adopt-A-Family since that time and need a receipt, please contact L Dowd. You can find us listed on the non-profit clearinghouse Guidestar (http://www.guidestar.com). We would'nt be enjoying this success without the professional, hard work of the people at the UI College of Law Nonprofit Clinic, including law students Jon Campbell and Christopher Smith, as well as Law Professors Cain and Koontz.
ON THE INTERNET
Visit the new Adopt-A-Family website at http://www.adoptafamilyiowa.org! Our website is a terrific source of information about us, including: 1. the home page has the text of the most updated AAF brochure; 2. financial statements; 3. a list of our financial sponsors; 4. a timeline of our organization; 5. all adopted family testimonials; 6. information about our farmers; 7. links to other websites about our family sponsors, CSAs in general, where to find other farmers in Iowa; and more! We could'nt have created our website without the help of EmPower Computing and the Johnson County Community Network.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY STORE
Adopt-A-Family now has items for sale to benefit our cause. You can view our art, photographs, jewelry and more on the website. If you prefer a print catalog, please telephone or write me.
THE SECREST FAMILY
The Secrest family has been adopted for a second year! Throughout the winter, the mother, Laura Secrest, has put tremendous energy and time in creating the home-based business Pax International Expressions, through which she sells her jewelry and art. The Adopt-A-Family Web Store is privileged to have for sale pieces of her original, beautiful homemade jewelry. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the sale of pieces on the website goes to Adopt-A-Family; the rest supports her family and her business.
In addition, you will find earrings created by Ms. Secrest for sale at Leslie Luxuries in Uptown Bills Small Mall and The Missing Peace. You can also request a catalog of her jewelry at: paxinternationalexpress@yahoo.com or by telephoning L Dowd.
Please help support this fledging business started by one of our terrific, talented and hardworking adopted family members!THE NZOMBO FAMILY
The Nzombo Family has been adopted for a second year! The following is a touching biographical essay written by a friend of the family and an AAF member.
Mpundu Eugenie Bwalya and her five children, Christian (14), Princess (13), Herve (12), Gaelle (10), and Jonathan (7), came to the USA from the capital city, Kinshasa, The Republic of Congo, Africa on August 25, 2001. Before applying for visas, they fasted and prayed for one week. God opened the doors for them and they walked out of the embassy with six visas in hand.
Eugenie's husband, Simon Nzombo, was unable to leave with them and still remains in The Congo. Their family had suffered much, including 1). physical assault, 2). the taking of their belongings, and 3). jail, at the hands of the new government officials.
Simon's aunt and cousins live in the Iowa City/Coralville area and were able to help her find a tiny rental house. The children were enrolled at Kirkwood Elementary and North West Junior High Schools. The first school year was very difficult for the children due to the cultural and language challenges. English was quickly becoming their fifth language.
A wonderful family lived across the street from them and took their needs to heart. They helped them survive those first few months, as Eugenie's money from The Congo soon ran out in our costly society.
Other than basic survival, the next most important step was to seek political asylum in the United States. All the necessary documents needed translation from French to English. Many of the papers were very difficult to read and more needed to be faxed from Africa by her husband. Local French translators volunteered their time and efforts. Simon was able to send enough money for one more month of expenses before losing contact with Eugenie, which, to this writing (January 28, 2003), has not been re-established.
Some would say the I met Eugenie by accident, but I believe that it was by Divine Providence, for coming to know her and her children has blessed my life greatly. Driving home from Aldi, I spotted a lady standing on the sidewalk looking down at torn grocery bags and scattered groceries. Figuring that I could at least give up a couple of my sturdy Aldi bags to aid her dilemma, I did. Upon speaking with her (she had been here only a few weeks), I realized that she was coming from the Iowa City Crisis Center and heading for a bus to go home to Coralville. I took her home, met her beautiful children, and fell in love with a most special family.
That's when I began to learn more about the wonderful people and resources we have here in our towns!
The Methodist Church provided her with a very competent lawyer who carefully worked on her asylum application, which has since been accepted and is now pending a personal interview. After 16 months of endless form-filling, hard work, sleepless nights, intensive study, many sacrifices while still mothering five very co-operative children, Eugenie now has her work permit, social security number, Iowa certification as a Nurses Aide via Kirkwood College and a full-time job at a local nursing home. The American Dream!
So how did she survive those months with essentially no money? She will tell you that God did it by means of the good-hearted people of this area and by local services available to those in need. Adopt-A-Family, Local Harvest CSA and local farmers are some of those very special people and programs. Through their generosity, Eugenie's family received fresh vegetables weekly during the growing season. They received a much needed new freezer. They received a huge turkey and ducks and chickens to store for future use in that freezer. There are so many tales of wonder concerning the day-to-day survival and necessary adaptations of the family to our culture, language, and ways, that space does not allow them now. Eugenie's family will not only make it in America, they will thrive and contribute significantly to our society. Adopt-A-Family and others can be proud to have been an important part of their transition.
A Friend and Advocate of Eugenie Bwalya and her exceptional family.
THREE MORE ADOPTED FAMILIES!
Adopt-A-Family has the resources to adopt three more families this year, in addition to the Secrest and Nzombo families, thanks to your support and help of many terrific charitable organizations in town!! You can look forward to learning about our families in future newsletters coming out this spring and summer.
NEW CSA FARMER
Meet Dianne and John Fuhrmeister, operators of Gooseberry Hill Subscription Produce! Adopt-A-Family is purchasing one share from their CSA this year. The following is a brief description of their business from their brochure:
The idea of a subscription garden involves growing, harvesting and delivering fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and baked goods, weekly, to customers. The subscription runs over a twenty week period from mid-May to mid-September. The service is designed for consumers that: would like to know how their food was grown; would like to develop a relationship with the grower; find Farmers' Markets don't work into their schedules; enjoy summer's bounty, but are unable to produce it for themselves.
In previous years, subscribers have received in their baskets: rhubarb, asparagus, snow peas, peas in shell, various lettuce varieties, spinach, several varieties of potatoes, green onions, mature onions, cucumbers, zucchini, morel mushrooms, apples, applesauce, strawberries, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet corn, beets, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, fresh baked goods, flowers, and herbs.
Each subscriber signs an agreement that emphasizes the partnership aspect of the arrangement, meaning, if there is an insect, predator or weather problem leading to limited quantities, or crop failures, the loss is shared between farmer and consumer.
It is Gooseberry Hill's philosophy to grow all produce as naturally as possible. Weekly baskets are always a pleasant surprise that keep the subscriber connected with the progression of the earths growing season. For more information, contact the Fuhrmeisters at: 3310 Lynden Hgts Rd NE, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.