Amy's Etsy shop, Project8256, was created under unusual circumstances. Read on to hear about how Amy (pictured above at the far right) is using her shop to help her sister Katie (middle) and her brother-in-law, Michael (left) make the world a better place.

If you were to come into my home, it would probably only take mere moments to realize that I am a supporter of, and believer in, Etsy. Artwork lines the walls, and other little lovelies can be found nestled throughout my house from the amazing artists and vintage Etsians. But Etsy has, as a tool, impacted my life in a way that extends far beyond material possessions, or even the joy that has come from being an Etsy artist myself. Etsy is helping my family grow.

I have a tiny, close-knit family, and in it only one sister. She is on the older end of the nineteen months that separate us, and we have always been the best of friends, as well as sisters. When Katie and her husband Michael decided to begin to grow their family, I was overcome with excitement and anticipation. The initial journey was not an easy one, though, nor without heartache. They eventually decided to adopt internationally, specifically from Ethiopia.

When Katie told me their decision to adopt, I knew — maybe before she even finished the sentence — that I would do whatever I possibly could to help. International adoption is extremely expensive, and this was not a weight that I wanted them to carry alone. At the time, I was familiar with Etsy as a customer only. Selling on Etsy was something that I had considered, but had not yet pursued. But as I thought of ways that I might be able to help them raise the much needed funding, selling artwork on Etsy seemed like a possible solution. Katie and Michael agreed, and I got to work.

The initial idea was that I would donate all of the profits to their adoption fund. As we continued to research both the orphan and HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, however, it became impossible for us to ignore that there was a much bigger need. We decided that twenty percent of the profits would be donated to AHOPE, an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that cares for HIV+ children. AHOPE is a tremendous organization whose focus extends beyond basic medical and educational needs. They provide psychological care, further assistance for children with special needs, and music, art and dance lessons as well. They are invested in the community and work towards breaking down the stereotypes and misinformation that is so prevelant in many African communities regarding HIV/AIDS.

From this idea, from this desire to help a family grow, Project 8256 was born. I listed the first item in March of 2007, and since then our project has grown beyond what we could have imagined. I have since opened two Etsy shops of my own — ameliamae and ameliamaepapergoods — and am lucky enough to have my items in local boutiques and galleries. Very recently, Katie and Michael opened their own Etsy shop — thegatherednest. They are selling handmade wreaths and vintage goods. All of the profits go toward their adoption fund. The biggest growth, however, came from their decision to adopt not one, but two children from Ethiopia.

From the very beginning, my only goal was that this plan would work. That's really all I wanted. I just wanted to raise enough money to get Katie and Michael to Ethiopia, to meet their children, and then bring them all home together. And that still is, nearly two years later, my singular goal. What I never could have expected, never could have dreamed of, was the response that we would get from those who have come across this project. I have received emails and messages from individuals who have shared their stories of being adopted, or being adoptive parents, or both. We have received such encouragement and support from the Etsy community and beyond. I know that when we are finally able to meet these children, that we will be able to share this story of the love that brought them here. We may or may not know the story of their birthparents. We might not have a lot of history to give them. But we have lots of stories of love, and of all of the people who couldn't wait for them to arrive.

A huge thank you to Amy for sharing her tremendous story with us. We are sending her and her family tons of e-hugs, and we wish them all the best of luck.

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