Membership

As a member of FRUA and the Michigan Chapter, you can take advantage of these and more benefits:

Opportunities to network and form friendships Opportunities for our children to get to know each other Opportunities to share resources and helpful hints Subscription to Family Focus, the National FRUA quarterly magazine Subscription to the FRUA-MI newsletter FRUA-MI email discussion list Invitations to local parent networking meetings, playgroups, and other events Inclusion in all mailings and notices, including regional activities Eligibility in our Grow Bag Program for traveling families Ability to take advantage of our Family Connections program

Enrollment information is available at the national FRUA web site, or call the FRUA hot-line at (703) 560-6184. Or contact our local membership coordinator, Julie Sitek, via email or by phone toll-free at 1-866-441-3097.

FRUA is probably the cheapest part of the adoption process at only $35 and includes 8 newsletters annually. We are currently concentrated in the Detroit area because that is where local families have organized events. If families in other parts of the state want to plan regional events (big and small, formal and informal), we can provide ideas, help, advertising in the newsletter and, of course, information on the website.

When you join FRUA you automatically become a member of both the national group and the Michigan chapter. Two common questions people often ask are: “How does National FRUA spend the dues it receives?” and "What does FRUA National add to the chapters?”

Some of the ways your dues help FRUA and FRUA-MI include:

Regional rebates

Portion of the dues returns to Michigan for our local chapter

Hotline

Telephone support line for families in areas without chapters

FRUA and FRUA-MI Websites

including the FRUA Chat board

Newsletters

Expenses associated with the quarterly newsletters (2 sets = 8 newsletters annually)

FRUA-MI Directory

Expenses associated with producing and mailing the directory

Info packets

Production and mailing of brochures and other information about FRUA services and chapter activities

Welcome packets

Production and mailing of Family Focus, brochures, printing of the booklet series, info and welcome packets, envelopes, copying, postage and more

FRUA co-sponsoring of events

Co-sponsoring regional heritage camps, regional conferences, and non-FRUA conferences

Orphanage support projects

On-going projects to provide supplies to orphanages

Poster project

Each FRUA family receives 3 Forever Families Through Adoption (FFTA) posters to be used for outreach

Scholarship program

Up to 5 members with waived dues for financial reasons

Chapter reimbursement

One time $100 reimbursement to new chapters
One time $150 reimbursement for chapters filing non-profit incorporation

FRUA provides additional creditability to our local chapter by giving its name and reputation in a variety of ways:

• FRUA participated in a recent Russian delegation visit by the US Embassy in Moscow and United States Information Agency (USIA).
  
  
• The Human Rights Watch contacted FRUA before coming out with their report on the state of orphanages for "disabled" children.
  
  
• The November 1999 cover of Chosen Child Magazine featured the FFTA poster
  
  
• FRUA works with International Children's experts. Dr. Jenista (FRUA-MI member) sends out over 300 FRUA informational packets annually as part of her literature to eastern European adoptive families. She would not have contacted us if FRUA were a not a national organization. (FRUA provides Dr. Jenista with the preprinted materials and she inserts them into her reports.)
  
  
• FRUA has been able to break through the barriers of the Russian government in order to provide orphanage support with the Kolomna project.
  
  
• Current national FRUA membership is over 1700 families.
  
  
• There is strength in numbers, especially when united in a common purpose. We are all working together and the synergy created has made a huge difference in children's lives.

Mary Ellyn's personal experience:

“My husband and I joined FRUA in early 1997 when we began the adoption process. We didn't adopt Alex until March 1998. In 1997 and 1998 there was no Michigan chapter but we felt there was value in supporting the efforts on a national basis. The investment in joining has been repaid a zillion times even before we had a Michigan chapter. Currently Michigan is one of the largest chapters in the country and we're less than 3 years old.”