Dear Supporters and Community Members,

We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your continued support of The Adoptee Group (TAG). Your dedication to our mission has allowed us to make a meaningful impact over the last three years giving more than $24,500 of grants to adoptees and orphans in need through individual donors, and book sales.

In order to better serve our community in the long term, we have made the decision to temporarily pause our operations. During the next 12 months, we will be focusing on a restructuring of our organization. This period of time will allow us to assess our mission, enhance our strategies, and build the effective framework for achieving new goals.

While we will not be offering regular programs or services during this time, however we remain committed to supporting the mental health journey of orphans and adoptees. We look forward to returning well equipped to serve the adoptee and orphan community.

Thank you once again for your unwavering support as the organization had a continuous supply of funds to meet the eligible requests. We are excited about the future and look forward to sharing our next chapter with you.

Sincerely,

Jodi Gill, President

Tabatha Dupuis, Vice President

Dr. Josh Heitzmann, Mental Health Director

Nawon Losli, Finance

Sasha Frugone, Life Coach

Makalea Kim, Pastor


LEADERSHIP

JODI GILL

Executive Director

TABATHA DUPUIS

Vice President

DR. JOSHUA HEITZMANN PhDDirector, Mental Health

DR. JOSH HEITZMANN PhD

Director, Mental Health

MAKALEA KIM

TAG Cares Coordinator

NAWON LOSLI

Finance support

SASHA FRUGONE

TAG Writer and Citizenship support

ORIGIN 

The Adoptee Group began it’s journey in March 2021 from a group of adoptees who were concerned about the mental health challenges among adoptees. In the first few months The Adoptee Group (TAG) completed a business plan with a mission to create projects that generate funds used to advance the life of an adoptee. The organization received a ‘Platinum’ status from Guidestar.

  • A Handbook to Korea book was completed in June of 2021 and a second edition that acknowledges the current COVID-19 protocols was released in March 2022. This is a resource for adoptees planning to travel to Korea for the first time.

  • KAD Village was launched in November of 2021. This is a web-based directory that serves as a resource for Korean adoptees (KADS).

  • In December 2021, TAG Cares gave the first adoptee a TAG Cares award. In 2022, the number of awards distributed increased to 20.

  • In May of 2022, TAG published the BEFORE ADOPTION…There was Dr. Cho, the English version of the Korean book authored by Dr. Cho. In December of 2022, the organization donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Dr. Cho’s book to Holt Ilsan Center in Korea to help with medical care for the residents.

  • In March of 2023, TAG helped Korean adoptee Sasha Frugone gain U.S. Citizenship. link here

  • In December of 2023, TAG supported and grant to help “Annie and Ellie”, two Korean youth adoptees who were removed from an unhealthy situation to a U.S.A. school. The journey will advance their lives.

  • In June 2024, TAG continued to give grants marking a total of $24,000.00 of funds given to help adoptees and orphans.

  • In September of 2024, TAG Board made the decision to pause the organization for 12 months.

COMMUNITY

Our community of volunteers represent all adoptees, adoptive parents, and family members of adoptees.

MEDIA

Opinion: Citizenship is step toward resolving identity crises for adoptees

As a nonprofit leader of the Adoptee Group, it’s common to learn of adoptees adopted from other countries who do not have U.S. citizenship. This is due to a lack of post-adoption requirements for adoptive parents from adoption organizations.

CONFESSIONS OF OVERSEAS ADOPTION, "We Are Still Alive"

Korea media article about Dr. Cho, The Adoptee Group and adoptions in general. This article states there are 700,000 children in orphanages in Korea and about 200,000 overseas adoptees.

"Deprived Children in Poverty"... "Thanks to you, we're alive."

A review of the book launch “Before Adoption…There was Dr. Cho” held on April 07, 2022 in Yongin, South Korea.

OREGON GROUP: Book to bring Korean adoptees 'peace and clarity'

Nonprofit overcomes previous group's mental health obstacles to publish translation of doctor's memoir

KAD STORIES: BOOK PROMOTION

A past volunteer talks about the recent book published by The Adoptee Group with Korean Adoptee Stories.

HONORARY PRESIDENT Cho Byung-guk (Jeon Sang-min) of 60,000 adopted children (CTS News)

CTS joined the book launch and promoted a three part series on Dr. Cho and the Korean American Adoptees

LOVE FOR CHILDREN... English version of 'Grandma Doctor Stethoscope' published

A review of the book launch “Before Adoption…There was Dr. Cho” held on April 07, 2022 in Yongin, South Korea.

A HANDBOOK TO KOREA: For Your Next Trip Back

An uplifting review of A Handbook to Korea: For your Next trip Back by Bill Drucker for the Korean Quarterly.

BEFORE ADOPTION . . . There was Dr. Cho.

A review of the latest book written by Dr. Byung Kuk Cho, a pediatrician in Korea who helped the babies starting in the post-war times. Published by The Adoptee Group.

THIS STORY WILL MAKE YOU CRY

Board member Tabatha shares her adoption story by video with Korean Adoptee Stories,

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

Dr. Josh Heitzmann and Jodi Gill are interviewed by Simon Benn about their journeys of identifying as a tran-sracial adoptee living in America.

LOOKING FOR MOM - KOREA DAILY

A video interview with TAG Leader, Jodi Gill and her search for her birth family for the show, Looking for Mom.