Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Mellott. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Adoption Finder, Inc was founded in June 2019 by Heather Mellott while caring for her grandma, who was diagnosed with cancer. Adoption Finder is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that consults and educates adopting families through the adoption process and provides pregnancy and maternity care to women in need. And connects expecting mothers with other options such as adoption (if they want to explore adoption) and supports foster youth in need. We help people in all 50 states with supplies, resources, education, and support.
The Adoption Finder journey began with the vision and hoped to help women, adoptive families, and children. Heather was sitting at her desk one day in her California office (at the time) and had the inspiration to make a difference in the lives of women with an unplanned pregnancies, adopting families, and foster youth. She felt compassion for families, women in crisis, and children in challenging situations. At least one person you may know, someone who fits in one category. If you don’t, I would be surprised. After much market research, it was found that there are approximately 2 million hopeful adoptive families in just the USA alone! Heather’s goal was to create a platform to help expecting mothers and adoptive families connect, reducing the cost of adoption and incentivizing more people to adopt. On average, a private adoption can be $40,000 or more. Most families in America don’t have that kind of money to spend. The free Adoption Finder App is a solution to this issue. Not only can people utilize an innovative way to use technology, but they can cut the cost of adoption through identified matching on the app. The goal is to help women and families connect, chat, and ultimately make an identified match. This is just one of the many steps of the adoption process, but it hopefully removes one of the largest barriers we found, financial strain on families. This should allow families to invest their hard-earned money into their family and make sure the adoption goes smoothly with the other steps required by the state law. Each state has different adoption laws, and we always recommend working with a knowledgeable adoption lawyer in your state.
Heather began working with app developers to create a matching app and accomplish an innovative approach to this gap. There is currently a beta version of the app available in the App Store or Google Play store. Heather also wanted to create a safe and supportive way for women to feel empowered to raise their children through family preservation. Adoption Finder, Inc helps hundreds of women all over the USA with pregnancy care support and supplies. It is one of the largest programs the organization focuses on. The Pregnancy Care Program consists of supporting expecting mothers with: maternity supplies, baby supplies, baby registry support, fundraising, (some) bill support, local resources, job resources, resume support, educational support, connecting to federal and state programs, and shipping a care package full of supplies each mother needs to prepare for her little one’s arrival. Pregnancy Care Packages include baby clothing, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottles, bibs, maternity clothes, breast pumps, and more. Sometimes items are prioritized based on the mother’s needs and donations. Baby registry support has been a huge blessing for expecting mothers. Social media has helped many women receive support from generous donors. If you know a woman needing support, please have them reach out by visiting our website adoptionfinder.org.
Adoption Finder has made huge efforts to support foster youth and foster families. The most common way the organization has been able to do so is by providing supplies to youth and families by creating foster youth care packages. These packages include hygiene products, socks, headphones, bath stuff, hats, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, snacks, etc. Adoption Finder has recently connected with other Foster Care Nonprofit Organizations to make an even greater impact. Adoption Finder hopes to make more connections in the foster care sector to bring more support to youth and foster parents.
“Change often starts small. We don’t have to change the world because that’s a huge task, but we can change the lives of those around us with love and support. Our giving and support grow as our organization grows, ultimately impacting thousands of people all over the USA. Together let’s bridge the gap.” – Heather Mellott.
To learn more about what Adoption Finder is doing and to stay connected, visit our website adoptionfinder.org or follow us on social media @adoptionfinder. If you want to get involved or donate funds/supplies, email us at info@adoptionfinder.org.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our journey as a nonprofit organization has not been easy, but most things worth doing are not easy. Our greatest challenge is consistent funding for our programs and services. As we continue to grow and the need increases, we rely on generous company donations, individuals, grants, and fundraisers to make the impact we do each day. We are always looking for corporate sponsors and people who want to make a generational impact by supporting our programs.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an entrepreneur at heart, so I have always had plans to run my businesses. I currently run a nonprofit organization called Adoption Finder. We help, consult, and educate adopting families, support women with an unplanned pregnancies, and foster youth. I also started a consulting business called ATX Web Builders, LLC (atxwebbuilders.com) to help federal and private clients manage, educate, organize, and complete projects in various fields. I am most proud of our charity work yearly through Adoption Finder. We have helped hundreds of women in crisis all over the USA and are working towards a scholarship program to help adopt families. It is an honor to meet and help impact many lives generationally.
What sets me apart from others is being able to do so much with so little. When I started Adoption Finder, it was just a vision and a hope to make a difference. I have had to think outside the box every step to make things happen. Our organization is donor and grant-funded, so we have done so much with little funding. We have helped so many families and women in need. But specifically, our success is in our lives impacted and changed by what we are doing.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We are always looking to partner with companies, individuals, and other organizations to maximize our ability to meet the tangible needs of the people in our programs and services. We are always looking for volunteers and to connect with people who are passionate about what we are doing.
Pricing:
- Pledge $5 Donation
- $25/month donation
- $100/month donation
- Custom giving options
- Baby Supplies Donations
Contact Info:
- Website: AdoptionFinder.org
- Instagram: Instagram.com/adoptionfinder
- Facebook: Facebook.com/adoptionfinder
- Twitter: Twitter.com/theaforg
Image Credits
Adoption Finder, Inc
