Mixed Roots Foundation Officially Launches Global Adoptee Genealogy Project (GAGP) with Family Tree DNA and Spokeo for National Adoption Awareness and Philanthropy Month
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 04, 2016 -- In celebration of its 5 year anniversary, Mixed Roots Foundation will officially launch the first ever Global Adoptee Genealogy Project (GAGP) and begin fundraising for the Filling in the GAGP Fund in November, which is recognized as National Adoption Awareness and Philanthropy Month.
GAGP’s primary goals will be to assist individuals touched by adoption and foster care to discover their biological and cultural roots through DNA testing services provided by DNA testing partner, Family Tree DNA based in Houston, Texas as well as get connected to important search and reunion resources supported by leading people search engine, Spokeo based in Pasadena, CA. The financial goal is to offer free DNA testing for 1,000 individuals and their families in 2017 with a benchmark in April 2017 for National DNA Month. The Filling in the GAGP Fund will help offset costs well as provide funding based on financial need for DNA testing for adoptees and their families.
“Through my work in genetic genealogy, I encounter adoptees all the time,” stated Founder and President of Family Tree DNA, Bennett Greenspan. “The importance of one’s identity is critical to the basic needs of being human and more than ever now – adoptees need GAGP. Adoptees have a desire to know who they are, what they are, and why they were adopted. DNA testing offers potential answers to questions of identity that are always asked. We hope individuals will participate and support GAGP, because as the testing databases grow, the more matches will be made,” expressed Greenspan.
“As an adoptee who found my birth family through testing with Family Tree DNA, it has become my personal mission to help other adoptees to do the same,” stated GAGP Advisory Committee Co-Chair, Richard Hill, who authored the groundbreaking book Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA. “With the power of science and technology and now GAGP, we can better serve the adoption and foster care community with credible and safe resources as well as be a support network for those who are trying to discover their roots.”
GAGP will not only assist adoptees and their families here in the U.S., but will also go beyond the borders with the financial support of one of Mixed Roots Foundation’s founding board directors, philanthropist and member of the GAGP Advisory Committee, Thomas Park Clement. Mr. Clement is a Korean Adoptee himself and has become a very successful business owner of his own medical device company called Mectra Labs in Indiana.
To date, he has donated almost $500,000 to provide free DNA test kits to Korean Adoptees in the United States and has assisted Korean Adoptee organization, 325Kamra to distribute DNA test kits in South Korea, so that there can be more matches in the Family Tree DNA database between adoptees & potential family members in South Korea.
“Having done my own DNA test, I realize that there are so many others like me that want to know where they come from and if they have family out there. This is very important to one’s identity and how you see yourself in the world,” said Mr. Clement. “My personal goal is to get a DNA test kit to every Korean Adoptee out there, so they have the opportunity to know their roots and be proud of who they are, so they can live happy and productive lives.”
GAGP will provide a comprehensive website consisting important educational resources and ways to obtain free DNA testing. In addition Family Tree DNA, which hosts a GAGP project for adoptee testers, will donate a portion of sales of each DNA test kit back to GAGP, so GAGP can expand and continue to make a positive impact on the adoption and foster care community. GAGP will also be led by an Advisory Committee comprised of adoptees, professionals, community partners including Vista Del Mar Adoptions and Foster Care and representatives of Spokeo and Family Tree DNA who will oversee the content of the website, help facilitate the distribution of DNA test kits and continue to develop a unique support network of important search and reunion services for individuals and their families touched by adoption & foster care and beyond.
To learn more about GAGP, GAGP’s Advisory Committee members, Donate to the Filling in the GAGP Fund, and/or for more information on Mixed Roots Foundation and its partners including Family Tree DNA, Spokeo, Vista Del Mar Adoptions and Foster Care, please call 800.659.6958, text GIVE GAGP to 56512 (Msg & data rates may apply), email discovergagp(at)mixedrootsfoundation(dot)org or visit http://www.discovergagp.org.
About Family Tree DNA
Family Tree DNA is a division of Gene by Gene, a commercial genetic testing company based in Houston, Texas. Family Tree DNA offers analysis of autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA to individuals for genealogical purposes. It is the most popular company worldwide for Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, and one of the most popular for autosomal DNA. To learn more, please visit http://www.familytreedna.com.
About Spokeo
Spokeo is a people search service empowering users with up-to-date, intelligent data about people. Spokeo’s proprietary technology organizes 12 billion records including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and social networks into comprehensive yet easy-to-understand online profiles. Based in Pasadena, California, Spokeo helps users reunite with family and friends, connect with lost contacts, search famous people and discover information about their online footprint. For business users, Spokeo helps companies looking to maintain customers’ contacts as well as learn more about their existing and potential customers. The search tool is used by professionals in real estate, e-commerce, non-profit organizations, government agencies and more. For more information, please visit http://www.spokeo.com, follow @Spokeo on Twitter and like Spokeo at http://www.facebook.com/spokeo.
About Vista Del Mar Adoptions and Foster Care
Adoptions and Foster Care Adoptions at Vista Del Mar is a story of evolution: from the first cottage-style orphanage in southern California to an innovative leader in educational, mental health, autism, adoptions and early intervention services, Vista Del Mar has always served with compassion and cutting edge treatment programs. For more information on Vista Del Mar, please visit: http://www.vistadelmar.org.
About Mixed Roots Foundation
Mixed Roots Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA with presence in Minneapolis, MN and San Francisco, CA and serves as the first and only national / global multicultural foundation for adoptees and their families representative of the international, domestic, and foster care adoption experience that leverages philanthropy and grassroots fundraising to support important post-adoption resources for adoptees and their families including mentoring, DNA testing and unique scholarships/grants for the adoption and foster care community. For more info, visit http://www.mixedrootsfoundation.org, like Mixed Roots Foundation on Facebook or Follow on Twitter and Instagram @mixedroots.
Holly Choon Hyang Bachman, Mixed Roots Foundation, http://www.mixedrootsfoundation.org, +1 2137258054, [email protected]
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