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Message from the Executive Director

We hope this message finds each of you safe, healthy and in good spirits. As the world continues to adjust to a new norm, we at KAAN also continue to explore different ways of connecting with the community. 

We had our first Virtual Happy Hour in April, and hope to host more. We are also launching KAAN Community Conversations. These conversations will take place via Zoom and  will have a general topic to center conversation around. The inaugural KAAN Community Conversation centered around racism and COVID-19

During this time of shelter-in-place and quarantine, many of the adoptee groups have moved to virtual opportunities to connect. In this newsletter you will find several of the groups who are working to stay connected virtually. You can find their events listed on our Community Calendar as well. 

Sincerely and with gratitude, 

katie@wearekaan.org

 

This month our blog is featured a piece on Creating Community for Adoptees During COVID-19. It featured a roundtable discussion with several leaders from the different adoptee organizations. 

Our Meet the Your AC series features Aeriel Ashlee, PhD. and Alyson Yost


 
Introducing a new blog series: Community Contributor Spotlight

Here we focus on stories of leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the community. These are the stories of individuals in the community and their businesses, products, and services. Many have given back to the community, and this is our way of bringing their stories to you. 

Our first spotlight in this series is Stephen Johnson with Hyseun House. You can read this spotlight feature and find more information here. 
Below are some of the adoptee organizations who are holding virtual events and opportunities to connect. 
Jacquelyn Wells, Director of Community Outreach, Also Known As Inc.
Briefly describe your organization:
AKA is a non-profit organization for transnational adoptees based in the NY area. Our mission is to empower the voice of adult international adoptees, build cultural bridges, transform perceptions of race, and acknowledge the loss of the birth country, culture, language and biological family experienced by international adoptees. I help run Social Media, Event Planning, and community outreach.
What is the best way to connect with your organization?
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! jwells@alsoknownas.org
Check out our website: www.alsoknownas.org (and please subscribe to our monthly newsletter!)
Feel free to follow us on social media to keep up to date with our upcoming events!
www.facebook.com/alsoknownasinc
www.instagram.com/also.known.asinc/
What virtual opportunities are you offering in response to COVID-19
We have been running virtual events since the pandemic began, and we hope to continue to do more. To create safe spaces for our members to gather, feel heard, understood, and unwind has been a wonderful thing, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Here are some examples of the media we used to promote the events so you can get an idea of the types of events we’ve been running on Zoom. We hope you’ll attend our next one!
Tommy Gentzel, President of the Association of Korean Adoptees San Francisco.
Briefly describe your organization and what you do:
The Association of Korean Adoptees San Francisco (AKASF) is a non-profit, adoptee-led volunteer group in the San Francisco Bay Area that brings hundreds without access to Korean Adoptee communities together through educational, cultural, social, and community gatherings to help all grow in their unique adoptee journeys. We are a member of the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) network.
What is the best way to connect to your organization?
www.aka-sf.org
What virtual opportunities are you offering in response to COVID-19
AKASF held a virtual discussion group for local KADs to discuss social vs. physical distancing, isolation, and how these experiences intersect with being transnational adoptees. In the COVID-19 public health crisis of 2020, safely coming together in a virtual space was a way to connect and collectively discuss ways to cope. A recap of the event can be found here. We will be hosting more virtual events throughout the year.

 
Ami Nafzger, Chief Officer Executive from Adoptee Hub.

Links to website or ways people can connect with your organization: www.adopteehub.org
What virtual opportunities are you offering in response to COVID-19:
We are holding two-three sessions of Birthsearch process virtually and making the information available virtually.
 
Chris Deytrych, President of Korean Adoptees of Chicago (KAtCH). 
Briefly describe your organization and what you do:
KAtCH exists primarily to support and serve the adult Korean adoptee and transnational adoptee communities in the Chicagoland area, building positive connections and a networking within the larger transracial adoptee and AAPI communities. 
Best way to connect with your organization:
Website, or Facebook
What virtual opportunities are you offering in response to COVID-19:
KAtCH has hosted several virtual opportunities. Most recently, KAtCH hosted a webinar about the sexualization and fetishization of Asian men and women.
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Twitter
Link
Website






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KAAN · PO Box 140022 1625 Walker Ave NW · Grand Rapids, MI 49514 · USA