Adoption Network Cleveland was grateful to be featured by Isabel Lawrence at WKYC Channel 3 - Cleveland on this #GivingTuesday, which took place this year on November 30, 2021.

Executive Director Betsie Norris shared some of the fundraising challenges we have experienced during the pandemic, and why community support is so important this year.

Thanks to the efforts of our amazing Adoption Network Cleveland Ambassadors, donors, staff and WKYC, we were able to exceed our $10,000 goal for #GivingTuesday. These funds join with other end-of-year donations in December to become the foundation of our support for programs in the coming year.

View the news segment on WKYC at: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/northeast-ohio/giving-tuesday-northeast-ohio-non-profits-ask-for-support/95-eb9801f7-266b-42ad-baf5-42b15af84898

If you would like to support Adoption Network Cleveland during this Holiday Season, there is still time! Give online at: bit.ly/BetheLightANC

CLEVELAND — Non-profits in Cleveland are looking for support after suffering financial blows during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Giving Tuesday, they are hoping the community comes together to lend their support, so they can continue providing services for those who need them.

“It’s a scary year for us this year, we’re kind of looking to see how we can make ends meet,” said Betsie Norris, executive director and founder of Adoption Network Cleveland.

Adoption Network Cleveland aims to support families and provide services and resources pertaining to all things adoption-related. Norris said they pick up where traditional adoption agencies leave off, both before and after the adoption itself.

“We support, educate, and advocate for people touched by adoption, kinship care, and foster care,” Norris said.  

The pandemic hit the non-profit hard as streams of support changed and waivered.

“Corporate support is down because of course, people are all waiting to see what happens. It’s been a challenging time for our local businesses,” Norris said. “A lot of foundations have stayed the course with us, but other foundations have changed their sights, at least temporarily, to pandemic relief. So we’ve taken a hit there."

Canceling large fundraising events that would typically happen in-person has negatively impacted Adoption Network Cleveland as well.

“Our fundraisers have not been able to be in person,” she said. “We’ve pivoted and done some things online, but it doesn’t raise the same kind of money that we typically would in a normal year. It’s been a struggle.”

Norris said, especially now, having the resources available to help these families is crucial. When she checked on Tuesday morning, she said they were already around halfway to their fundraising goal of $10,000.00

“These are kids that have already lost one family, at least, and so making sure that the family that they land in is strong and successful and resilient is really important to us and we’re really committed to that,” she said.

Non-profits are hoping that they receive support on Giving Tuesday, so they can continue giving back to those in our communities who need it most.

“These are kids that have already lost one family, at least, and so making sure that family that they land in is strong and successful and resilient is really important to us and we’re really committed to that,” Norris said.

Also featured in the news segment was Eliza Bryant Village.