MAPREC

Metro

Atlanta

Parents of

Russian and

Eastern European

Children

MAPREC was formed in 2004 when I was finalizing my adoption of my daughter Alesia from Russia. There was no local FRUA chapter, and I wanted to connect with other parents in the Atlanta area. I posted notices on forums, and got together a core group of about a half dozen families. Word spread.

I wanted MAPREC to simply be a way to gather and visit, not a formal dues paying organization with a lot of rules and formality. Today, it’s simply a list of folks on my Yahoo e-mail, and I notify everyone as events are planned.

The first few events were picnics at Hammond Park. Some were well attended, some not. I soon learned that with busy families, it’s better to limit gatherings to 2-3 times a year.

In January 2005, when Alesia had only been home a few months, we held the first Russian Christmas Potluck dinner, at Allatoona Lake in Acworth, in a space at “the beach.” It was a rousing success, and we gathered more members into the fold. It was the first time I met Mike and Sharon Wilkie, who have been staunch supporters and helped me out tremendously. Mike and Sharon had adopted their first son, Simon, and were waiting to travel to get their three other children.

In summer 2005 we had a picnic at Pace Academy, where Judy Body is a teacher. We didn’t have a good turnout, but the families there seemed to really enjoy the relaxed visiting, and there was plenty of equipment for the kids to play on.

The 2006 Russian Christmas Potluck dinner was held at my house, in Northeast Atlanta. We had a good turnout, and everyone had fun. In 2007, we again had it at my house, and suddenly the house felt WAY too small! In 2008 we held it at a local church, and everything went really well.

I currently list about 45 families on my e-mail membership list, and I hope to attract more members.

The lovely thing about our gatherings, to me, is that parents have the ability to connect with other parents and share “war stories.” We all share the unique experience of having brought children home after long trips, great expense, and usually some setbacks along the way. No-one understands the struggle better than a fellow parent.

The children also get a chance to see a large group of kids who, like themselves, were adopted by Americans. They get to see they are not the only kids in Atlanta with a special heritage. They get to play and be kids.

I looked around at the folks eating dinner at the 2008 Christmas potluck and thought, this feels like a family reunion. In a way, MAPREC is a family, where everyone is welcome, and we provide fun and fellowship. That’s what I always want it to be.

Dee Thompson

Please e-mail me at thompsondee@bellsouth.net if you'd like to be a member of the group. There's also a Facebook group for MAPREC parents.