Adoptee Connection
Page 4
By Tuan-Rishard F. Schneider
As VAN was being formed, a difficulty arose: how do we organize VAN when we’re all over the United States? As things died down a little bit, people started to take initiative and step forward as leaders, which eventually was a calling for a conference meeting in Chicago. We met with an astonishing woman from Australia who has formed her own organization called AVI, Adopted Vietnamese International. Through the technology of the Internet, we would chat with her on various instant messengers and exchanged numerous e-mails. Finally, as we set a date for our Chicago meeting, we eventually met the very active and dedicated Indigo Williams, founder of AVI. She introduced our organization to another resource and source of encouragement, Linh Lam of Mam Non. What AVI brought to us was the international aspect of connecting to the Vietnamese Adoptees. What Mam Non brought to the meeting was looking at the next generations of Vietnamese adoptees. Mam Non was formed to be supportive towards families with adoptees from Viet Nam, and for those families that are Vietnamese adopting from Viet Nam. With these two resources that are already established, it would be easier to incorporate our organization. AVI has reached out to the international adoptees, and we (VAN) want to reach out to the national ones. As we have the adoptees to help with speaking on panels, or forums, we now looked to share our experiences. But with who and how? Fortunately enough, we met another established organization called the Catalyst Foundation. As Public Relations & Media Liaisons for AVI and VAN, a speaker for Mam Non, and a board member of the Catalyst Foundation, I have incorporated myself to help each one connect with one another. Thus, a Vietnamese Adoptees Heritage Camp is being held in Minnesota. As our organization has reached out to other adoptees, we are able to help the Catalyst organization fill in the counselor positions for Vietnamese adoptees to be counselors, as Mam Non is willing to help draw both parents and adoptees to the camp. In just 6 months of the first reunion, many great opportunities and organizations have popped up to show support and leadership towards my generation and the future generations to come.
I now have a new job. A job I wake up in the morning and love going to: I work for the Children’s Home Society of Minnesota, the same agency that I was adopted through when I was younger. I don’t get to work directly with adoption, but as one of the very active and verbally proud Vietnamese adoptees that work there, I do get all the concerns and questions working with Vietnamese adoptees. As the Executive Assistant to the Vice President, I do get to get better hands-on feeling of what it’s like to work for a very successful (NPO) non-profit organization. And from this experience I have been incorporating my knowledge and education to help VAN and the other organizations out. I finally found my ideal job that ties my full time work within my extra-circular activities and involvement within the Vietnamese and adopted Vietnamese community.
If you would like more information on any of the organizations go to the following web sites:
(VAN) Vietnamese Adoptee Network http://www.egroups.com/group/VNAdoptees or email Joshua Woerthwein (Co-Director, jawshoouh@earthlink.net) or Christopher Brownlee (Co-Director, ccbrownl@hotmail.com)
(AVI) Adopted Vietnamese International http://www.adoptedvietnamese.org or email Founder and Director Indigo Williams at info@adoptedvietnamese.org
(VAN/AVI) Tuan Schneider (Public Relations & Media Liaisons trfs@hotmail.com)
Mam Non http://www.mamnon.org or email Founder and Director Linh Lam at llama@mamnon.org
The Catalyst Foundation http://www.catalystfoundation.org
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