New York State Foster and Adoption Organization Hosting Off Broadway Community Storytelling Event!

New York State's non-profit family support organization, the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York (AFFCNY.org) works to ensure no foster, adoptive or kinship care family in New York State feels alone or unsupported and that they have the services, tools, support and community they need to nurture their children and thrive. The Coalition's annual Fall event returns to in person public gatherings with Family: The Most Important Things; showcasing the real-life stories from five different perspectives from within the adoption, kinship guardianship and foster care community.

Produced by Barbara Herel of "Every Family's Got One (a story that is)" and "Listen to Your Mother",Family: The Most Important Things celebrates the commonality and diversity of human experience through the art and craft of true, personal storytelling. The featured stories are both hilarious and heartwarming, emotionally intense and profound, entertaining, energizing and will bring the community together.

Featured presenters include: Anni Keane who was adopted at the age of 24, Andrea Marinelli a parent who formed her family by adopting, Chester Jackson an informal late discovery adoptee, Claudia Corrigan D'Arcy a birth mother in reunion with her adult son and Valerie Joseph who adopted a child from the foster care system.

Pat O'Brien, AFFCNY's Executive Director, stated of the upcoming event, "I am so excited to have our first in person "more than a fundraiser" event since the pandemic! You are absolutely going to want to be in the room where and when this happens. Our storytellers are adult adopted persons, birth/first parents, and adoptive/foster parents who will be sharing an amazing slice of their life with you, our audience. They are all compelling story tellers who will make you both laugh and cry."

In addition to the upcoming family storytelling event, the Coalition is also hosting an online auction to run concurrently until the end of National Adoption Awareness Month in November. The auction is open to the public and can be found at https://www.affcny.org/auction.

Tickets for the October 20th event are available now for both the limited in person seating at the Producers Club Theater in Manhattan and for virtual delivery through AFFCNY.Network, the Coalition's parent support network. Doors will open at 6:30 with the performance scheduled to begin at 7 PM. In addition, the organization is also accepting sponsors for the event. To purchase tickets or to make a donation visit https://www.affcny.org/family.