Local families give back to orphanages who gave them their most precious gift
MARQUETTE -- A group of eight local families who have adopted children from Guatemala gathered in downtown Marquette today to celebrate their loved ones. They want to give back to the orphanages that made them parents.
Marquette residents Laura Linna and Jason Jilbert feel blessed to be parents to their four-year-old son, Harrison, who they adopted from Guatemala.
"It has made our lives very complete and gives us so much joy," said Linna.
They, along with three other U.P. families, adopted children from an orphanage called 'Semillas de Amor,' in Guatemala, meaning 'Seeds of Love."
Every few weeks, they gather with five other U.P. families who have children from Guatemala.
"We want the kids to have their common ground together and as they grow and know where they're from," Linna said.
They call themselves 'Roots and Wings,' and with a difficult economic and social climate now impacting international adoption, they hope to help the Semillas de Amor orphanage.
"It's really important right now for us to try to come together and give," Linna said., "just to keep the home afloat and the children with the basics."
Like Harrison's grandfather, local businessman, John Jilbert. With the help of a few local businesses, Jilbert donated a commercial washing machine to the orphanage so they could spend less time on laundry and more time with the children.
"They mentioned they needed a commercial laundry washer, and I just happened to have one in the warehouse," said Jilbert.
The machine will allow the orphanage to get larger loads of laundry done at once, saving money, labor and time. But they need even more help in these difficult times, and the families of 'Roots and Wings' are looking to their communities.
If you would like to donate money to Semillas de Amor, visit their Web site at www.semillasdeamor.org.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC