One fundraiser changes many lives

MT. PLEASANT — This world is far from perfect.

There are children without families.

There are widows in need of assistance.

There are, however, men and women who feel called to help them.

Both Hands is an organization that helps facilitate the two needs being met into one project.

“Our purpose is to help Christian adoptive families fund their adoptions by coordinating a service project fixing up a widow’s home,” the Both Hands website states. “Our vision is to see the day when finances are not an obstacle for Christian families who are led to adopt, while simultaneously serving every widow in need of home repairs.”

This organization finds motivation through a specific Scripture.

“Here are the beliefs and way of life that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault. When widows are in trouble, take care of them. Do the same for children who have no parents …“ (James 1:27 NIRV)

Both Hands matches hopeful adoptive parents with widows in need of service, and funds are raised via pledges much like those made for a fun-run.

The Lipper family of New London is partnering with Both Hands to raise funds for their own semi-open domestic infant adoption, though they want to work with the birth mother to decide the best openness of the adoption.

“Before we were married, there was an adoption Sunday at the church we attend,” Alyssa Lippe said. “God just kind of placed it on our hearts and we have just been waiting for the right time. Last year things just kind of lined up to pursuing it.”

Their goal is to raise $15,000 and utilize a $3,000 matching program through Both Hands and LifeSong for Orphans.

They came across Both Hands in their online searches to raise funds for their adoption.

According to Iowa Adoption Attorney David A. Grooters, a domestic infant adoption can cost between $5,000 and $40,000.

The Nelson Law Firm of Waterloo states that the average cost for Domestic Infant Adoption in the United States is around $37,0000.

Through private fundraising and the assistance of their church, the Lipper family had already raised $20,000 before partnering with Both Hands.

The family currently consists of Alyssa, Jacob and their three biological children.

Jacob and Alyssa, however, have always desired a large family, and according to Alyssa, “It is time for a new baby in our home.”

Seven-year-old Beckett is the family’s oldest daughter, followed by 5-year-old son Koeber, and their daughter Jyelle, who will be 3 this week.

“The kids are over the moon excited,” Alyssa said. “We talk about it every day.”

Saturday June 4, the family teamed up with friends, family, and church members to provide services to a widow from their congregation.

“It’s really cool to see what a group of people can do in a short amount of time for the good of the Kingdom,” Alyssa said of the experience. “We are so thankful for everyone’s help and their willingness to serve alongside us.”

The couple had approached two other potential widows before finding one willing to accept their help, and in turn help them.

While Alyssa would like to respect the widow’s privacy she was able to provide some information about her.

The Lippers and team were able to help care for a 96-year-old woman, whom Alyssa characterized as incredibly sweet.

The widow was married to her husband for 73 years and this would have been their 75th year of marriage.

“God put [this widow] in our lives for a reason,” Alyssa said.

Jacob and Alyssa took time to sit down with the widow and discuss what work needed done.

They landed on doing many external updates including painting the porch, providing landscaping which contained her late-husband’s geode and rock collection, and creating a new pathway to walk from her clothes line to her back shed.

“She always gets in trouble form her granddaughter who lives next to her because she shouldn’t be walking around on that unlevel ground,” Alyssa said.

“You’ve really gone beyond,” the widow said, “It’s really nice.”

The Lippers do not currently have a specific infant lined up, but Alyssa says they are in the active pursuit, at the moment with five agencies.

Their next steps are to wait until they are presented with possible situations in which they can present their family to a birth mother.

Alyssa says that the presentation is the perspective adoptive family’s opportunity to let the birth mother get to know them so she can make a decision about which family she would like to care for the child.

The family is currently still raising funds to meet their goal of $15,000.

To donate to the Lipper’s adoption fund visit bothhands.org/lipper-9967/

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com