Michele Fried on Adoption STAR’s Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

CEO and Founder of Adoption STAR, Michele Fried expresses her gratitude and appreciation for Adoption STAR’s Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony. The event happened last night 3/13/13 and was very well attended. To view the pictures taken at last night’s Open House please click here.

michelefriedcuttingribbonHow do I express how special yesterday was? The Adoption STAR Open House & Ribbon Cutting of our main office has been a work in progress for several months. Under the capable hands of our Development Associate, Kristin Ackerman and her team of volunteers, they prepared a day to remember.

Michael Hill, Associate Director put together the Ribbon Cutting ceremony and agenda and though I was privy to the schedule, there were built in surprises placed on the schedule that I did not know about!

One of the first was the words from the Honorable Alec Deull, an Adoption STAR board member and retired family court Judge who so eloquently shared that in his years as an attorney and magistrate, he had never met an organization like Adoption STAR who genuinely puts children and families first.

Elly’s Angels a foundation created in memory of Elly Kausner was a recipient of a thank you award yesterday, for their financial generosity and volunteerism with Adoption STAR. The award was presented to Laura Voight, Elly’s sister. However, we were honored and surprised when Mr. Kausner, father of Laura Voigt and Elly Kausner spoke thanking Adoption STAR for the work we do in placing children with special needs in honor of his daughter’s memory.

Another special surprise was when Melissa Luckey, an Adoption STAR mommy, spoke on behalf of the Rochester Adoption STAR families and presented me with a beautiful bracelet (made especially for me!) I was and am so very touched and will be wearing that bracelet often.

The final surprise for me was that the employees of Adoption STAR got together and purchased a leaf on our Family Tree in my honor as their Guiding Star. Their words, their gesture and this beautiful leaf will always mean so much to me.

From Amherst Town Councilmember Steven Sander’s words thanking Adoption STAR for touching his extended family and the community at large to The Amherst Chamber’s presence with their giant scissors and ribbon cutting and generous welcome, to the private conversations and hugs that occurred throughout the event, I can’t thank you all enough for making this day so special.

Our entire staff was also touched by the attendance of two special STAR families who experienced losses in 2012 when their daughters unexpectedly passed away. Adoption STAR grieved alongside those families and was able to honor their children’s memories by unveiling special leaves on our tree and providing gifts to those little girls’ siblings. Experiences like these make as realize that we are so much more than an adoption agency. We truly strive and have become a member of the family. Our Family Tree represents this trust, love and hope for the future.

If you weren’t able to join us, and especially if you haven’t yet been to our completely renovated main office, please stop by to see us. You will be amazed at the changes, our growth and the warmth that you find. Even if you are geographically distant, I still encourage you to look at your calendar and compare it with our agency calendar and select a time to visit us that will maybe coincide with an event that you can participate in!

Thank you for being apart of our Family Tree and for supporting Adoption STAR in our work!

“I think you will all agree that our roots are firmly planted here… in Amherst. And that our branches have blossomed and have touched many lives . . . I am confident that our branches will continue to blossom and grow and touch many more lives.”

~Michele Fried, Adoption STAR Founder & CEO
At the Open House and Ribbon Cutting, March 13, 2013

To view the pictures taken at last night’s Open House please click here or go to http://suereardon.zenfolio.com/adoptionstarribboncutting

Read More on What is Happening at Adoption STAR: Our Calendar of Events for 2013, Our Grand Opening!, Spring Fling and Egg Hunt, Seeking Parenthood: Coping with Infertility, Have you ever thought about International Adoption?