Rachel, Andy, and Baby Laurel

What brings couples to our Adoption Program? The great desire to love and parent a child of their own.

Rachel, a local interior designer, and husband Andy yearned to become parents, but had struggled with infertility throughout their marriage. After researching adoption programs, they decided on Volunteers of America and qualified as prospective adoptive parents.

At Volunteers of America, birthmothers select parents for their newborns placed in adoption. Their social worker cautioned Rachel and Andy that waiting for a baby could be difficult. It was, and the couple relied on their faith for patience and hope.

Rachel decided to keep busy by volunteering with the Adoption Program’s annual fundraiser, the GolfStar Classic. At the tournament this spring, Rachel looked at a photo display of adoptive children and their families and hoped that her and Andy’s child would be featured at next year’s event.

It will be. After 16 long months, Volunteers of America’s social worker personally went to their home on a recent Saturday morning to deliver great news. They had a daughter, and they would be united with her on Monday. They named her Laurel Elizabeth. This new family couldn’t be happier.

For decades, Volunteers of America has united thousands of adoptive families such as Rachel and Andy’s. Though adoption practices have changed over time, our basic goal remains the same—find a loving home for every child who needs one.