Who We've Helped
Adoption Grants
Through adoption assistance grants, Sophie's Foundation donors have help provide loving families to orphans. Below are testimonies from families who have received a grant from Sophie's Foundation. Thank you to all our supporters who have helped make these adoptions possible! The cost to adopt can run anywhere between $10,000 - $45,000, not even bringing into bear the extra expenses of travel, housing and other miscellaneous but necessary day-to-day items. Through adoption grants, Sophie's Foundation supporters are helping bring families together. Please consider joining us.
Chasity Schoonover
Sophie Elaine: Adopted June 2, 2011
From November 2010-April 4, 2011, I was matched with a birthmother who was expecting a baby boy. Unfortunately, that match fell through when the baby was born. I was heartbroken at the loss and I had also lost a significant amount of money on that match, which endangered my chances of being able to successfully adopt. However, I knew that God was still in control and was guiding my adoption journey, so I immediately asked to be put back on the waiting list at my agency.
Approximately two weeks after the failed match, I received notice that I'd been approved for a grant from Sophie's Foundation - it was such an amazing blessing and reminded me that I may not know what God has in store, but He certainly does!
Sitting at my desk on June 1st, I received a call at 11:52 am about a potential match. The agency wanted to make me aware of the birthmother's situation before they showed her my profile because she was due to have a baby girl the next day. I immediately agreed and at 4:15 pm, I received a second call informing me that the birthmother had chosen me and that I should be at the hospital at 9:00 the next morning.
After a whirlwind evening of celebrating, shopping, packing and preparing the house, my mom and I headed to the hospital on the morning of June 2. Sophie Elaine was born at 11:42 am - 23 hours and 50 minutes after the first phone call. She was in my arms by 12:15 and it was the most wonderful thing that I've ever experienced. Though small, she was perfectly healthy and perfectly beautiful. She weighed in at 5 pounds and 5 ounces and was 17 inches of pure blessing!
I had spent months saving and fundraising, but, due to the failed match, I was short of having the necessary funds to complete the adoption. Without the grant from Sophie's Foundation and a small loan from my wonderful brother, I might not be sitting here writing this letter while I listen to my baby daughter coo in her sleep. I am so very grateful for your help and I look forward to helping Sophie's Foundation in the future.
Christopher and Vanessa Jacobsen
Xiomara Maria: Adopted July 8, 2010
On July 6, 2010 a beautiful little girl was born at 3:37 a.m. Weighing 5 lbs. 14 oz. and 18 ¾ inches long. On July 8, 2010 she joined her forever family as Xiomara Marie Jacobson. X-i-o-m-a-r-a
Xiomara means “prepared for battle” and we feel that is an accurate reflection of our adoption journey. Not only that, but it is our hope and our prayer that she would be prepared to battle for the Lord throughout her entire life. She is given the middle name of Marie as that is Vanessa’s middle name and we wanted to pass on to her part of our family as she is now ours.
Throughout our adoption process we were able to see the hand of God guiding and directly us to our daughter Xiomara. Part of that guidance came in the area of finances. We are big believers that no amount is too small and Sophie's Foundation helped bring our daughter home through their gift of money to us. We appreciate them and how they honor God by helping the orphan.
We are settling into life as a family of 5 and we could not be happier. We hope you will all rejoice with us as the real journey of raising three girls begins now.
Chris and Cathy Johnson
Elijah Daniel: Adopted Nov. 30, 2009
Aaron Daniel: Adopted July 23, 2010
We were very excited to begin a family. We have had the desire to adopt children since we both were very young. Kip grew up in a home that was a foster home. His parents adopted two girls who became his sisters. When we decided to begin trying to start a family, we discovered some challenges. This confirmed in us our desire to pursue adoption, and to grow our family. We knew that God was calling us to adopt, and we had to trust that He would provide for us. The grant that we received from Sophie's Foundation was a huge answer to prayer, and we are so grateful! We have been on a difficult journey this last year, but God has carried us through all of our joys and sorrows. Here is our story that has taken place this past year:
I was working at my desk after school when the phone rang. It was my husband calling to tell me that we had been matched for adoption with a baby boy. We were overjoyed and couldn't wait to meet this child that we had been praying for. We met him at the hospital and loved him immediately. We named him Elijah Daniel, which means, "The Lord is My God." We were so excited to bring home our new bundle of joy.
We were blessed with 2.5 months with our Eli before he became sick. We took him to the hospital and found out that he was in liver failure. After a brave 3 week fight, our little boy went home to be with Jesus. Our time with Eli was too short, but we trust Him and know that one day we will be with our little Eli again. We have hope because Christ died so that those who trust Him will be with Him again someday.
The following months after his passing have been hard, but we haven't had to go through it alone. God has blessed us by revealing Himself to us in new and deeper ways. Our desire to have a family has continued, and we decided to put our name back on the waiting list for a second adoption. We knew that having another child wouldn't replace
Eli, but we also knew that God had good things for us as well. We have been so blessed and encouraged during that waiting period by friends and family who have prayed for another child for our family.
We recently were moving into a new house, and during the move we received a call from our social worker. She came over, saying she needed to approve the new house for our file, but when she arrived she brought us a baby gift and told us that we had been matched with a baby boy! We rushed to get everything ready and were on our way to meet him in less than 48 hours. We named him Aaron Daniel. Even as we type this letter, we are still getting to know this beautiful addition to our family and know that God has much planned for our future. This has been a hard journey, but God is good and we praise him for blessing us with two beautiful baby boys in less than one year.
Technology Assistance
Through generous donations of time and money, Sophie's Foundation has provided technological assistance to several orphan and adoption-oriented non-profit agencies and organizations.
Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief. SOAR approached Sophie's Foundation with a need for funds for continued web site hosting and maintenance for the already-existing web site. SOAR also had an Atrium portal for database management and ePub use and needed hosting, back-up and maintenance costs help. Sophie's Foundation awarded SOAR with the funds to cover all these IT needs for the next 12 months.
Mountains of Hope Childrens' Ministries. Mountains of Hope Children's Ministries management and staff would like to thank Sophie's Foundation for the website grant. Ever since the website was beautifully designed by Sophie's Foundation, Mountains of Hope has continuously received support from various organizations and individuals. Recently Mountains of Hope was able to receive clothes from Little Dresses for Africa, an organization based in USA. Children from the orphanage and those outside the orphanage benefitted. Many volunteers have been able to contact us. It's not because of our own effort but because of the website connection that we now have. Now the management, board, staff and well wishers of Mountains of Hope would like to ask Sophie's Foundation to continuously support their orphans through hosting their website.