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Other => Off-topic => Topic started by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 06:58:39 PM



Title: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 06:58:39 PM
I am just curious if people would be interested in helping my wife and I pay for adopting a child with bitcoins?

I am working with my church and the adoption agency that we're probably going with (we're still deciding which to use) to see if we can make these donations valid IRS write-offs for those in the USA.

Each donor -- no matter how much they contribute -- would receive regular updates as we go through this process.

The current top 5 donors would be thanked in every post I make as part of my signature.  All donors will be thanked in each update.

If you are interested in helping, please let me know and I'll send you an address for donations.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: TheAlchemist on June 27, 2011, 08:41:44 PM
Good luck on the adoption!  It would be great if I could send the money through the adoption agency.  I can donate in BTC or USD or maybe my national currency if I can.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 08:53:16 PM
It would be great if I could send the money through the adoption agency (preferably in the U.S.).  I can donate in BTC or USD.

I truly appreciate your generosity!

I will let you know how to donate money through the agency when that is all arranged and decided upon.

Right now, I'm looking at the Cradle (http://www.cradle.org/) -- but we haven't committed to going with them yet.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Kman54 on June 27, 2011, 08:59:41 PM
You should consider if maybe now is the right time to adopt a child if you can't afford to actually go through the process? If you are resorting to begging for money online to strangers you might want to think about if right now is the right time.

Either that or its a scam


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: bitcon on June 27, 2011, 09:00:53 PM
maybe next time go with funeral donations for your dead mother.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: tymothy on June 27, 2011, 09:02:26 PM
Hey guys,

My grandmother's really sick. Could I have some money to pay for her operation?

-Thx


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 09:03:47 PM
You should consider if maybe now is the right time to adopt a child if you can't afford to actually go through the process? If you are resorting to begging for money online to strangers you might want to think about if right now is the right time.

Either that or its a scam

I didn't mean this as begging -- I thought that perhaps other adoptive parents would be interested in donating.

The fees aren't due all at once.  The adoption process often takes two years to complete.  I am positive that we can cover the costs in that time.

I promise it is not a scam -- but, of course, you have no reason to believe me.  No worries -- don't pursue this.  :)


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 09:04:34 PM
maybe next time go with funeral donations for your dead mother.

My mother is alive and well.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Jack of Diamonds on June 27, 2011, 09:06:10 PM
Have to agree with the sneering posts above.
How will you raise a child for 18 years if you can't even pay for the adoption but have to beg for bitcoins to finance it

Sounds like a Nigerian type 419 scam, but if you are actually adopting then hope all goes well.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: qualia8 on June 27, 2011, 09:21:14 PM
Have to agree with the other posters here: I have no idea whether your scamming.  You probably aren't, but how do I know?  This is why I donate to reputable, audited charities only.

My advice is to bet everything you have on BTC and if you win the musical chairs game, you can buy a kid, I mean pay the fees. Alternative plan: go to Vegas and bet it all on black, as many times as you need to double your money.

If it works out, you can contact me for tip address.

(Sorry to be lighthearted about adoption.  It's very cool what you're doing.)


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: aral on June 27, 2011, 09:21:45 PM
Hey guys,

My grandmother's really sick. Could I have some money to pay for her operation?

-Thx

10 BTC on its way over now bro


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 09:26:12 PM
Have to agree with the sneering posts above.
How will you raise a child for 18 years if you can't even pay for the adoption but have to beg for bitcoins to finance it

Sounds like a Nigerian type 419 scam, but if you are actually adopting then hope all goes well.

We will be able to afford this.  I was just hoping people in the bitcoin community might feel like helping be a part of it.

If you don't want to help then certainly no one is forcing you to.

I can understand why people might think this is a scam -- and that's fine -- once more, just don't bother donating.

Some people have gone through this process for themselves and like to "pay it forward."

My wife and I consider money we've donated to others in this position as part of our tithe.

This wasn't meant to come across as begging -- the adoption will go through whether anyone from this community donates or not.

I don't know the 419 scam -- I'll have to google it.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 09:28:40 PM
(Sorry to be lighthearted about adoption.  It's very cool what you're doing.)

It's cool.  When I posted the message, I didn't mean for it to come across as a scam.

I liked TheAlchemist's response more and more now -- he's willing to donate to the agency.  That takes the possibility of fraud out of the equation.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 27, 2011, 09:39:50 PM
This is just me -- and please don't take it the wrong way.

If I was curious if this was a scam then I'd call my bluff.  I'd donate exactly 0.00000001 bitcoins.  It would cost a small amount for the transaction fee, but it would certainly tell you if this was a scam or not.  Then you could share the fact instead of a hypothesis.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 29, 2011, 02:19:08 AM
The next step in our adoption is a meeting at our church.  They have two adoption support groups -- one for domestic adoptions and one for international.  The next domestic meeting is next week Thursday -- the 7th of July.

I am also waiting for replies from two agencies with my initial questions.  Stuff about how many adoptions they've done last year, how many of those were domestic.  What costs do the adoptive parents have to pay for towards locating a birth mother.  Things like that.  I sent the questions a day ago -- I hope they can answer the questions this week.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: BitcoinPorn on June 29, 2011, 02:25:25 AM
I sadly see the wrong in someone who is attempting to take a child out for adoption asking for donations.

I think everyone else fails to realize that a poor pair of parents is probably still better than a foster home.

Best of luck Threshold with the whole adoption process, I hope it works out well and you come out of this with a great family :)


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Current-C on June 29, 2011, 02:56:52 AM
Quote
Have to agree with the sneering posts above.
How will you raise a child for 18 years if you can't even pay for the adoption but have to beg for bitcoins to finance it

As someone with significant experience in the adoption process I'd just like to add that asking for donations is quite common since adoption can be very expensive (far more so than having a biological child).  Many families cannot come up with the large amount of up front cash and rely on friends, family, and financing in order to pay for the adoption services, even if they're quite capable of supporting the child later on. 

Best of luck in your adoption Threshold!


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: peach on June 29, 2011, 03:16:25 AM
This type of thread posted in the "Bitcoin Discussion" section makes me sad, and is reminiscent of whenever I'm approached by some intimidating guy who regurgitates canned story about how he needs gas money for his children to go to the doctor, or he needs to get home, etc.

Even if your story is earnest, we have social welfare programs designed just for this. And adoption costs aren't that much money, especially if you put away 100 bucks a month for a few months specifically for that.

Also, if you have a family to take care of and are barely making it financially, do you really think you should be making speculative investments?

P.S.: If you need to beg, do it in your signature.   ;)

tl;dr: I hold no sympathy for you. Someone lock this thread.



Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Current-C on June 29, 2011, 03:29:12 AM
Quote
And adoption costs aren't that much money, especially if you put away 100 bucks a month for a few months specifically for that.

Adoption costs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.  That said anyone who wishes to donate should probably do their due diligence, and yes this thread probably does not belong on the main page.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 29, 2011, 11:22:54 AM
Best of luck in your adoption Threshold!

Thank you, Current-C.

I can move the post -- I wasn't sure what message board would be appropriate for it.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: mouse on June 29, 2011, 12:17:13 PM
so much fail in this thread, and I'm not referring to the OP.

OP, all the best with your adoption.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Adam on June 29, 2011, 12:25:10 PM
How much do adoption costs normally run?  I'm sure you know this by now, but the federal government will give you a tax credit for all your expenses up to the first $13,170 to pay for adoption costs.  File form 8839 with your taxes.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8839.pdf


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: BitcoinPorn on June 29, 2011, 12:35:34 PM
Thread made in wrong forum, not the best decision.

If he is still going through with the adoption, which I'm pretty sure a thread that was shit on won't stop this, you are a fucking saint :)  I respect adoption so much, and if I ever thought I could afford it, I might end up asking for donations too lol

However, still wrong forum, if anything a mod should just delete irrelevant posts and pop this over in "Off Topic"


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: tymothy on June 29, 2011, 12:41:32 PM
Thread made in wrong forum, not the best decision.

It should go in the "Buying" forum.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on June 29, 2011, 12:44:37 PM
OP, all the best with your adoption.

Thank you, mouse.


Quote from:  BitcoinPorn
However, still wrong forum, if anything a mod should just delete irrelevant posts and pop this over in "Off Topic"

Good call, BTCP -- I'll move it to Off Topic.

Quote from:  Adam
How much do adoption costs normally run?

Adam, it can really vary from agency to agency.  My friends adopted two boys from Ethiopia and it came to $40,000.  The agency we're currently leaning towards will cost around $30,000 for a domestic adoption.


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: Threshold on July 09, 2011, 05:15:32 PM
Things are moving forward.  This past Thursday was our church's domestic adoption support group.  My wife and I met about 7 other families that have either finished domestic adoptions or are, like us, going through the process.

We, my wife and I, were able to decide to go with the Cradle (http://cradle.org) and I sent them an email Friday asking what to do next.  They replied that we need to start with a general adoption introduction course they offer.  Coincidentally, I had already signed up for that very course.  The next one they have is online and will be offered on Thursday the 28th.

We're very glad to be moving down this path.  :)


Title: Re: Funds for Adoption
Post by: BitcoinPorn on July 09, 2011, 05:18:09 PM
So awesome!  Congrats, I hope it keeps progressing positively for you :)