http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/07/27/daily25.html
Women of Influence award winners were announced by Business First on July 29. Business First will present awards to area women who have made contributions to the community in 10 categories. Michele Fried (Adoption STAR’s founder and CEO) is one of four community professionals who will receive the Entrepreneur Award which honors women who are the chief executive, president or founder of a company or business venture that they helped start, build or significantly grow.
To read the announcement go to: http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/07/27/daily25.html?surround=etf
The Women of Influence Awards will be presented to 24 women on September 24 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens. The awards recognize the business acumen and community spirit of these women, Business First Publisher Jack Connors said. “The panel chose these women based on their ability to rise above a very talented pool of competitors,” Connors said. “We’re honored to recognize their accomplishments.”
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Monday, September 8, 2008
Adoption STAR is proud to be involved in creating a Chrèce in Haiti
Adoption STAR is proud to be involved in creating a Chrèce in Haiti . Chrèce (pronounced Cresh) is a French word for day care or nursery or orphanage. This Chrèce will be a one of a kind place. It will provide one-on-one care for children in need of adoption planning, in a small, family-like setting. All the children available for adoption will be placed with Adoption STAR clients. Undertaking an endeavor like this requires YOUR help. The cost of establishing such a safe haven requires financial support. An initial $2,000 is needed to be raised to help defray the costs of set up. Truly it is a very small amount. Imagine setting up such a program in the United States ? An example is that approximately $150 ( U.S. ) per month cares for one child in a Chrèce. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to Adoption STAR and earmark your donation to the Haiti Chrèce or Haiti Orphanage. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization so your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Please mail your donation in to Adoption STAR, 47 Plaza Drive , Williamsville , NY 14221 . THANK YOU! Another way you can help is bring this new Chrèce to your church. It would be amazing if we could identify a local church or churches that would help support this orphanage. Upon request to Michele@adoptionstar.com photos of this project will be shared with you.
To learn more about our international and domestic programs, please attend the Orientation Session on Sunday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm at 47 Plaza Drive , Williamsville , NY . Please email info@adoptionstar.com or call Amanda at 716-639-3900 to let us know you will be joining us!
To learn more about our international and domestic programs, please attend the Orientation Session on Sunday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm at 47 Plaza Drive , Williamsville , NY . Please email info@adoptionstar.com or call Amanda at 716-639-3900 to let us know you will be joining us!
Adoption STAR provides four inter-country programs
The Informational Session on International Adoption held on August 14 was a success with a packed room. Vera Valdivia, the agency’s International Program Coordinator was introduced and she presented two of the four country programs discussed during the evening. To learn more about Vera, visit her profile online: http://www.adoptionstar.com/agency_staff_profile.php?id=28
The agency is thrilled to provide four inter-country programs: Bulgaria , Hungary , Haiti and Jamaica and will be announcing others in the near future. Applicants nationwide will be considered. These are truly one-of-a-kind programs! For more information on international adoption through Adoption STAR, please visit this updated link on our website: http://www.adoptionstar.com/childplacement_international.php
To learn more about our international and domestic programs, please attend the Orientation Session on Sunday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm at 47 Plaza Drive , Williamsville , NY . Please email info@adoptionstar.com or call Amanda at 716-639-3900 to let us know you will be joining us!
The agency is thrilled to provide four inter-country programs: Bulgaria , Hungary , Haiti and Jamaica and will be announcing others in the near future. Applicants nationwide will be considered. These are truly one-of-a-kind programs! For more information on international adoption through Adoption STAR, please visit this updated link on our website: http://www.adoptionstar.com/childplacement_international.php
To learn more about our international and domestic programs, please attend the Orientation Session on Sunday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm at 47 Plaza Drive , Williamsville , NY . Please email info@adoptionstar.com or call Amanda at 716-639-3900 to let us know you will be joining us!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Adoption STAR offers International Adoption Programs!
Adoption S.T.A.R. is HAGUE ACCREDITED. We are extremely pleased to notify you that the Council on Accreditation (COA) has granted Adoption S.T.A.R.'s application for Hague Accreditation pursuant to the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA). Prospective adoptive parents considering an international adoption should know that, in order to be accredited, Adoption S.T.A.R. has been evaluated based on comprehensive standards contained in the accreditation regulations. All adoptions from Convention countries MUST involve an adoption service provider that is accredited.
We welcome you to join Adoption S.T.A.R. in your journey toward international adoption. We offer programs in Hague and Non-Hague countries.
European Countries
Bulgaria
Hungary
Caribbean Countries
Haiti
Jamaica
STAY TUNED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING NEW COUNTRY PROGRAMS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA AND AFRICA.
From the moment you begin the paperwork to the time you return home with your child, the Adoption S.T.A.R. Family Advocates are there to guide you through the international adoption process. These social workers can assist you by providing translators during your trip abroad, facilitate foreign court proceedings and guide you through the necessary immigration steps before you return to the United States.
We are proud to share that Adoption S.T.A.R. is an agency with one of the highest educational standards. Adoption S.T.A.R. will be available to you during your educational process. While your education begins pre-adoption, it is important for you to know that it continues post adoption as well. Educated adoptive parents will tell you that adoption is a life long process. Whether you adopt from a Hague country or not, the Adoption S.T.A.R. educational program has been instituted to enable you to succeed and compliments and assists in completing your educational requirements.
After you return with your child, you can participate in our post adoption counseling, mentoring and social networks services. Through numerous events and get-togethers with other adoptive families, you’ll be able to benefit from the continued support we offer to families after the adoption process is successfully completed.
One of the unique features about Adoption S.T.A.R. has always been committed to adoptees and their families long after the adoption has been finalized. Adoption S.T.A.R. believes that having an understanding of his/her birth heritage beginning with childhood helps an adoptee to succeed in life by giving him/her a positive appreciation for his/her dual heritage. Adoption S.T.A.R. has built a solid reputation in the adoption community on providing top-quality post-adoption services for adoptees and their families.
We encourage each adoptive family to take advantage of the many opportunities for learning, growth, and enrichment in order to enhance their family's overall international adoption experience. We hope you will consider Adoption S.T.A.R. as your international adoption agency.
For more information on the international options through Adoption STAR email us at info@adoptionstar.com or give us a call at 716-639-3900.
We welcome you to join Adoption S.T.A.R. in your journey toward international adoption. We offer programs in Hague and Non-Hague countries.
European Countries
Bulgaria
Hungary
Caribbean Countries
Haiti
Jamaica
STAY TUNED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING NEW COUNTRY PROGRAMS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA AND AFRICA.
From the moment you begin the paperwork to the time you return home with your child, the Adoption S.T.A.R. Family Advocates are there to guide you through the international adoption process. These social workers can assist you by providing translators during your trip abroad, facilitate foreign court proceedings and guide you through the necessary immigration steps before you return to the United States.
We are proud to share that Adoption S.T.A.R. is an agency with one of the highest educational standards. Adoption S.T.A.R. will be available to you during your educational process. While your education begins pre-adoption, it is important for you to know that it continues post adoption as well. Educated adoptive parents will tell you that adoption is a life long process. Whether you adopt from a Hague country or not, the Adoption S.T.A.R. educational program has been instituted to enable you to succeed and compliments and assists in completing your educational requirements.
After you return with your child, you can participate in our post adoption counseling, mentoring and social networks services. Through numerous events and get-togethers with other adoptive families, you’ll be able to benefit from the continued support we offer to families after the adoption process is successfully completed.
One of the unique features about Adoption S.T.A.R. has always been committed to adoptees and their families long after the adoption has been finalized. Adoption S.T.A.R. believes that having an understanding of his/her birth heritage beginning with childhood helps an adoptee to succeed in life by giving him/her a positive appreciation for his/her dual heritage. Adoption S.T.A.R. has built a solid reputation in the adoption community on providing top-quality post-adoption services for adoptees and their families.
We encourage each adoptive family to take advantage of the many opportunities for learning, growth, and enrichment in order to enhance their family's overall international adoption experience. We hope you will consider Adoption S.T.A.R. as your international adoption agency.
For more information on the international options through Adoption STAR email us at info@adoptionstar.com or give us a call at 716-639-3900.
Adoption STAR is Hague Accredited!
Adoption STAR is Hague Accredited!
Receiving a substantial accreditation rating by the Council on Accreditation on February 29, 2008, Adoption STAR was one of only 150 out of 300 applications to receive accreditation.
The standards for Accredited Agencies are high due to the Convention’s very important mission to strengthen protections for children, birth parents and prospective adoptive parents. Adoption STAR, also a member of the Joint Council on International Adoption, has long since felt that it’s mission to provide children with permanent loving families and to always work in the best interest of children is in line with the Hague Convention. The Convention truly provides a framework for countries to work together to ensure that adoptions take place in the best interests of a child and to prevent the abduction and trafficking of children.
Receiving a substantial accreditation rating by the Council on Accreditation on February 29, 2008, Adoption STAR was one of only 150 out of 300 applications to receive accreditation.
The standards for Accredited Agencies are high due to the Convention’s very important mission to strengthen protections for children, birth parents and prospective adoptive parents. Adoption STAR, also a member of the Joint Council on International Adoption, has long since felt that it’s mission to provide children with permanent loving families and to always work in the best interest of children is in line with the Hague Convention. The Convention truly provides a framework for countries to work together to ensure that adoptions take place in the best interests of a child and to prevent the abduction and trafficking of children.
International Adoption Informational Session
You are invited to learn more about the exciting new international placement programs the agency has to offer.
Some of the countries presented will be Hungary, Bulgaria, Haiti, Jamaica, etc.
RSVP to info@adoptionstar.com or call the agency at 716-639-3900!
This FREE informational seesion will be held on August 14, 2008 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm.
Some of the countries presented will be Hungary, Bulgaria, Haiti, Jamaica, etc.
RSVP to info@adoptionstar.com or call the agency at 716-639-3900!
This FREE informational seesion will be held on August 14, 2008 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Diversity Under One Roof
Diversity – under one roof
By Jordan Fried
NeXT Correspondent
As featured in The Buffalo News
All is silent, as if our presence has done some wrong. Slowly, whispers fill the air, discussing this unusual occurrence. I used to be embarrassed, for myself and for the rest of us, but the challenge of finding pride in it all was all the more rewarding.
I remember walking into a building any building. Be it a restaurant, a shopping center or a synagogue and noticing the stares. The two gossiping women in the corner, the rabbi and the cashier would lift their heads and strangely acknowledge my family’s presence. “I remember thinking, what could they possibly be staring at? Are we that beautiful?”
It wasn’t until junior high school that it hit me. “I have two African American brothers and three sisters with Down syndrome!” It wasn’t a shock for I’ve lived with these people, my brothers and sisters, for my entire life. Consciously, I knew what they looked like, but it simply wasn’t important. Even today, on a daily basis, I don’t realize the diversity of my family until I see my brother “picking-out” his afro while I catch myself thinking, “S---, I want an afro!”
As a child, I dealt with minimal teasing. After all, my peers often thought that having black brothers was “cool.” As for my differently abled sisters, their presence was bound to draw attention however, it became normal to cope with it. From early childhood, it became unmistakably clear that I loved my family, regardless of what the rest of the world thought of us.
It is of course frustrating to deal with the ignorance of people. “Black jokes” and “retarded jokes” were never humorous to me. They were simply things I’d frown upon. It was hard to turn away from the group of kids bashing “retarded” children but I like to look at myself as a leader and my morals enable me to lead by example.
It was once embarrassing, dealing with all the stares. However, it is my belief that embarrassment accomplishes nothing and pride strengthens everything. I take pride in my family and I love the way we choose to live. Let the gossipers and shoppers stare. Let them see my pride, my happiness and our love. Let them know that we function as any other family functions.
At the time of publication of this article Jordan Fried was a junior at Williamsville North
By Jordan Fried
NeXT Correspondent
As featured in The Buffalo News
All is silent, as if our presence has done some wrong. Slowly, whispers fill the air, discussing this unusual occurrence. I used to be embarrassed, for myself and for the rest of us, but the challenge of finding pride in it all was all the more rewarding.
I remember walking into a building any building. Be it a restaurant, a shopping center or a synagogue and noticing the stares. The two gossiping women in the corner, the rabbi and the cashier would lift their heads and strangely acknowledge my family’s presence. “I remember thinking, what could they possibly be staring at? Are we that beautiful?”
It wasn’t until junior high school that it hit me. “I have two African American brothers and three sisters with Down syndrome!” It wasn’t a shock for I’ve lived with these people, my brothers and sisters, for my entire life. Consciously, I knew what they looked like, but it simply wasn’t important. Even today, on a daily basis, I don’t realize the diversity of my family until I see my brother “picking-out” his afro while I catch myself thinking, “S---, I want an afro!”
As a child, I dealt with minimal teasing. After all, my peers often thought that having black brothers was “cool.” As for my differently abled sisters, their presence was bound to draw attention however, it became normal to cope with it. From early childhood, it became unmistakably clear that I loved my family, regardless of what the rest of the world thought of us.
It is of course frustrating to deal with the ignorance of people. “Black jokes” and “retarded jokes” were never humorous to me. They were simply things I’d frown upon. It was hard to turn away from the group of kids bashing “retarded” children but I like to look at myself as a leader and my morals enable me to lead by example.
It was once embarrassing, dealing with all the stares. However, it is my belief that embarrassment accomplishes nothing and pride strengthens everything. I take pride in my family and I love the way we choose to live. Let the gossipers and shoppers stare. Let them see my pride, my happiness and our love. Let them know that we function as any other family functions.
At the time of publication of this article Jordan Fried was a junior at Williamsville North
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