I think about my mother everyday.  Her memory is always with me.  In many ways, she and unwed women like her are the reason why Land of Gazillion Adoptees exists.  Because of this, I fully support the Korean Unwed Mothers Families’ Association (KUMFA) efforts to raise $7,000 for its facility HEATER, which provides care for Korean mothers who keep their children.  Please read on for additional details, “like” the “Fundraiser Page for the Korean Unwed Mothers Families’ Association (KUMFA)”, and consider making a financial contribution today.

Thank you in advance — KOV

Some Facts About Unwed Mothers in Korea

• Contrary to public perception, 3 in 4 unwed mothers are aged 25 and over and have completed high school or spent some time in college. Their children comprise a mere 1-2 percent of South Korea’s annual live births.
• Maternity facilities operated by adoption agencies have a 37% child-rearing rate compared to 82% for non-agency run facilities. Because most maternity facilities receive government subsidies and are therefore semi-private, they have the authority to refuse or to discontinue services to mothers who are deemed “too troublesome.”
• Although 89% of Korea’s children who are placed for adoption come from unwed mothers, more and more unwed mothers are choosing to rear their children according to recent studies.

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The mothers and volunteers of the Korean Unwed Mothers Families’ Association (KUMFA) need your support to raise $7,000 to keep HEATER open.  Please consider sending a monetary gift at the $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 level. 

The mothers, volunteers, and friends involved with KUMFA, the efforts of which was featured in the New York Times a few years ago, advocate for the rights of unwed pregnant women, unwed mothers and their children in Korea. KUMFA’s goal is to enable Korean women to have sufficient resources and support to keep their babies if they choose, and thrive in Korean society, rather than feel compelled to place their children for adoption.

As a part of its efforts, KUMFA opened HEATER, a facility that provides care for mothers who keep their children. Each year the facility houses and feeds 24 mothers and their children. Two mothers and their children stay at HEATER for two months at a time. It is a unique place in that, unlike other facilities in Korea, HEATER accepts mothers who are older and/or have children. Some of the children need medical attention.

The mothers, volunteers, and friends of KUMFA need your support to keep HEATER open in 2012. The operating costs for HEATER is $7,000, which covers rent, utilities, food and supplies. KUMFA currently doesn’t have $7,000 in its 2012 budget and so HEATER may have to close its doors if the mothers, volunteers, and friends of the organization are not able to raise the money.

Please consider offering your support to keep HEATER open by donating at the $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 level. Giving is easy. You can PayPal your gift to KUMFA’s e-mail (kumfa.volunteer@gmail.com) or PayPal your gift to KUMFA/HEATER volunteer Shannon Heit’s e-mail (shannon.heit@gmail.com).

The mothers, volunteers, and friends of KUMFA are very thankful for your consideration, and hope that you’ll join them as partners in their efforts to sustain and improve HEATER so that they can best serve Korean mothers and children.

Questions? Please contact the following individuals:

Shannon Heit, KUMFA Volunteer, shannon.heit@gmail.com
Dr. Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, jkwondobbs@gmail.com
Kevin Ost-Vollmers/Land of Gazillion Adoptees, kostvollmers@gmail.com