When local couple Ben and Mary Alexia Howard announced their plans to adopt, they knew the process would require fundraising and the support of family and friends. What they never expected, however, was such a strong response from the community and many people who did not even know the couple.
“We are just so surprised and taken by the generosity; I don’t know what word to use,” Ben Howard said. “It makes me realize what a great town Owensboro is.”
The couple, who is going through Faithful Adoption Consultants, said they are thankful for an agency that holds the client’s hand through the entire process.
“It’s more than just about getting a baby; using a faith-based agency was important to us. We have friends who went through this same process and had wonderful things to say about them,” Mary Alexia Howard said.
After the home study and creating their portfolio, the couple said they will become active. At this point, the fundraising becomes particularly important to them as the adoption fees, background checks, home study, and portfolio review are all due up front.
“We are amazed at God showing up through the community,” Mary Alexia Howard said. “One person gave us an unexpected check saying ‘adoption changed our life; we want to help you, too.’ We’ve had people reach out to us that we didn’t even know that wanted to help because they had struggled with infertility.”
After kicking off fundraisers such as a raffle and three successful yard sales, the couple said they were encouraged by the support. Many local businesses reached out offering to help by donating a percentage of their sales or creating a product marketed towards the adoption process.
“People have made themselves available even in little ways like dropping off breakfast while I was out there working the yard sale for 14 hours — just complete giving,” Ben Howard said.
The couple hopes to keep the momentum going with their Howard Adoption Dash 5K next weekend.
“We are so excited about this fundraiser, as it’s one of our final fundraisers scheduled to help bring our sweet baby home. We are hoping that friends and family will choose to participate near and far to help us on our journey,” Mary Alexia Howard said.
The virtual 5K will take place on Oct. 17 and 18 with the opportunity to win prizes in one’s age group. The registration price of $35 includes a Comfort Colors T-shirt, and 100% of the proceeds from the event will go towards their adoption fees.
“Our goal is for 100 people to sign up to run this race with us, and so far we have just over 30. We really want to reach our goal so we can get that much closer to having our baby in our arms,” Mary Alexia Howard said.
Registration is open through Friday, October 16th at https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/Owensboro/HowardAdoptionDash.
