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Some of us can remember a time when finding another family that adopted from Latin America was done through word of mouth, knowing someone who knew someone who had, searching the Internet chat groups, meeting at informal playgroups, etc. Fortunately, in 2002 a small group of families took the initiative to put together Latin American Adoptive Families of Wisconsin, Inc.
2002
The first LAAF-WI newsletter welcoming families to join our new support group was produced for October-December 2002. The newsletter outlined the purpose of the group: (1) provide support, guidance, and information for families wishing to adopt from Latin America; (2) establish playgroups for adoptive families; (3) schedule social events for adoptive families; (4) plan cultural events to celebrate Latin American heritage; (5) publish a quarterly newsletter; and (6) sponsor projects in developing Latin American countries which will improve the quality of life for children living in those countries.
In October 2002 our private Yahoo Group was created for our members.
2003
The organization started holding quarterly board meeting in March 2003. Our mission statement was created, members volunteered to fill the officer positions, and requests for additional volunteers were expressed. Our organization became official when we filed Articles of Incorporation with the State of Wisconsin on August 7, 2003, and obtained our EIN number.
In 2003 our organization started to grow very quickly. We sent out the first annual directory of members to families, and held the first annual Fiesta in November with 80-100 people attending!
2004
Our first brochure was designed for distribution to new families, agencies and companies requesting information about us. The Membership Committee was formed and a membership database was set up. We also added a new email Yahoo Group especially for our waiting families. Bylaws were signed in April 2004 so we could begin the IRS paperwork to obtain non-profit status. We were excited to participate in the Adoption and Foster Care Resource Fair.
2005
To our surprise, we were still growing rapidly! The Social Activities Committee was formed to help coordinate and promote our social events. Our first annual summer picnic was held in July with just over 100 people in attendance. In the fall, we held our first annual Apple Holler event at an apple and pumpkin picking farm.
LAAF-WI began a partnership with the School Sisters of St. Francis in the Familias Unidas Project by sponsoring two of the houses at Guadalupe Homes in Guatemala. We all pulled together and held a fundraising rummage sale to earn $1,200 to donate to the two homes!
A lending library was created to house our literature, adoption related handouts, books, magazines, DVDs, videos and CDs. We were pleased to again take part in the Adoption and Foster Care Resource Fair.
2006
In a continuing effort to reach the goals of our mission statement, several standing committees were developed in 2006. With the formation of the PR/Publications Committee, we were thrilled to have our logo designed, give our newsletter a facelift, and create our own website!
Our Education/Outreach Committee was assembled along with five new board positions. Since we had over 300 member families throughout the state, we created five regions with regional representatives. This was a great way to ensure a geographically diverse organization; continue to incorporate members all over the state, as well as expand publicity for our organization. For the first time we exhibited at the OURS Conference in De Pere in March. We also promoted adoption at the Babies R Us “National Adoption Day” event in November.
To meet our growing demands the Fundraising Committee was established. Using our logo, LAAF-WI apparel was made available for purchase. The committee also worked hard to include a raffle during our annual Fiesta.
Due to popular demand, a Cultural Committee was put in place. The committee works continuously to meet the cultural needs of our organization, standing committees, and events.
2007
As LAAF-WI continues to grow (over 450 families), we realized all of this growth would not be possible without the team effort which has been displayed over the past years. 2007 brought us a fun-filled MayaWorks sale, the annual events we’ve come to look forward to, and the gift of having found each other to share all of this.
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