History
The following article, originally printed in the Winter 2005 issue of Bethany's LifeLines magazine, describes our board president's involvement in the opening of our Rochester office:
Kathy D is a woman with a passion. A stay-at-home mom with five adoptions under her belt, she has a passion for adoption-and how it serves both waiting children and birthparents. Her passion and prayer has been a driving force behind the opening of a new Bethany office in Rochester, NY. Kathy and her husband Paul adopted their first child when they'd been married for 3 years. They were eager to adopt a child whose race made it harder to find an adoptive family. They adopted their second child through Bethany's Indianapolis, IN office, and when they moved to Rochester, they called Bethany in the hope of adopting their third child. They learned that the closest office was in New York City, a five-hour drive away. Saddened, but still eager to expand their family, they adopted their third, fourth, and fifth children through other avenues in Rochester.
Through the fall of 2003 and the winter of 2004, God was showing Kathy circumstances which pointed her to the need for a Bethany office in Rochester. There was not a full-service Christian adoption agency in Rochester that could provide birthparent counseling, homestudies, international adoption, and post-adoption follow-up. Local pregnancy care centers were eager for a Christian agency where they could feel confident referring adoption-minded clients. The 1-800-BETHANY hotline and Bethany.org website were receiving inquiries from families in the Rochester area, even though they weren't being advertised at all. Kathy learned that in order to open a Bethany office in Rochester it would be legally necessary to operate under the NJ/NY office that served clients in New York City. This was a great blessing since the NJ/NY office had 40 years of knowledge and experience to share. Kathy also learned that she would need to gather a group of people who were also passionate and willing to work to get a Bethany office opened. It seemed like an insurmountable task, but God provided - the NJ/NY office was eager to work with her to explore opening a satellite office, and over time, friends and acquaintances heard about Kathy's passion and the need for a Christian adoption agency in Rochester.
Today the Rochester satellite office of Bethany Christian Services is a reality. Still very small, but growing steadily, the office offers birthparent counseling and will soon be adding international adoption services. Kathy spends most of her volunteer time networking via phone and email, and chairing the steering committee that advises the satellite. God is taking the faithful efforts of His saints and using them to impact lives. To learn more about the Rochester, NY office or about what it takes to open an office in your area, please call 1.800.Bethany or fill out our contact form.
