Although only receiving funding in the summer of 2015, and not officially open to the community until October 2015, “Priya: A New Fund for Jewish Reproduction” has already helped one family in the Kansas City area to adopt a child. Other families are also in the system waiting to be helped.
Brooke Nelson, the Priya family fertility consultant with Jewish Family Services, said that she has already met with two other families who are dealing with infertility and using medical intervention. She is hoping that the Priya grants will be used to help these two families.
Annie Glickman, along with her husband, Rabbi David Glickman, founded Priya in Texas, where they lived before moving to the Kansas City area. They were instrumental in starting the program here as well.
“There is a period of isolation (when a couple is experiencing infertility),” Annie Glickman said. “We wanted to one day give back so that others would not feel isolated when they were going through it.”
Glickman continues to work on fundraising for Priya. Recently she went to the Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy BK Give group to inspire them to donate money to help the Priya program. She got more than she bargained for, as the meeting opened the door to an outpouring of names of couples who were having infertility problems and who needed financial and/or emotional help. Several of these couples then contacted JFS for more information about Priya.
“I have other contacts as well,” JFS’ Nelson said. “Many of these contacts have come about because of Annie (Glickman) speaking to the BK Give group of Women’s Philanthropy. It created a whole lot of conversation and connection.”
“The issue of infertility was going on, but no one was speaking about it. Since Annie’s talk, many more people are contacting me,” Nelson added. “So far four families have been in contact because of BK Give.”
“The greatest thing that happened (from the BK Give program),” according to Glickman, “is the awareness; the sharing of stories and creating a buzz.”
Nelson added that there is a definite need in the Jewish community for financial and emotional help for those facing issues relating to infertility.
“There is a need in the Jewish community,” she said. “To have professional careers, (many women) put off having children. Then they have infertility problems. It impacts people in a personal way and in their sense of identity.”
For many people insurance does not cover infertility treatments. And adoption costs are also very high. Although Priya cannot pay the entire cost of these treatments or adoptions, the program can provide some grants.
In fact, providing some money makes a difference financially and emotionally.
According to Nelson, the couple who received the first grant found that the Christian community offers many grants for families with infertility, but they were not able to apply for them.
“There are lots of support systems for Christians who adopt,” said Nelson, “but that has not been true here in K.C. for Jewish families. We do not have a support group for adoptive families yet. But it is something we are open to creating.”
The Priya program has already been the beneficiary of several grants, totaling over $30,000. This helps to pay for a portion of Nelson’s time at JFS to work with Priya. She is also the food and shelter team manager for the agency.
“I try to help couples see the options and the bigger picture,” she said.
Nelson can help couples in finding out about the different infertility treatments and doctors in the Kansas City area. There is counseling available for these couples, as well as a peer mentorship program to match people with those who have been through the infertility and adoption process.
But the most poignant part of the Priya Fund is the help and support it provides those in need. Although the family who has adopted does not want to be identified, their note after the adoption of their child, gives meaning to those working on Priya:
“Thank you so, so much for the generous $1,000 grant to help us with our adoption finances! We truly appreciate your kindness and support and feel honored to be the first family to experience help from Priya. Adopting has been the best thing to ever happen to us and you all have made it just a little bit easier to settle in as new adoptive parents.”