On Wednesday November 19, my group and I volunteered at The New York Court located at 60 Lafayette. It was an amazing experience and we felt very welcomed. As we walked in to the part of the sixth floor, we were all surprised by the intimacy and comfortable feeling that lasted through the room. The reason this relates to child abuse is because when a child is taken away from their parents because of abuse, foster care is a very common alternative. ⅓ of the children who were being adopted this day were taken away from their parents because of abuse. As a group, we wanted to do anything we could to help this cause that appreciates the wonderful unification of families. First we helped set up snacks and treats on the table. I could do nothing but smile at the thought and compassion put into this whole event. When the children came out of their official adoption, they are greeted with a toy, backpack, fun pamphlet, and much more. The families gathered with smiles on their faces. Everyone was very thankful to us for being there, while we were very thankful to be there. They even had a sign that gave thanks to our school, and a wikipedia page explaining all about us. We were actually able to see some adoptions take place. It was very touching to see a family begin and how thankful and complete the family looked. The first little girl’s name was Rachel and the family was very kind. The judge was absolutely wonderful with the kids and the legal portion was not at all stiff or too professional. The judged asked both parents what this all meant to them, with emotional and meaningful answers you could feel the love. After everything would finish, she talked to the child and told them that when she counted to three, everyone would clap for them because everyone was proud of them. From the friendly families to the overall experience, I am very thankful to have been able to help.
