One of my most important responsibilities as a United States Senator from Minnesota is to assist individual constituents in need of a helping hand. Whether its expediting an international adoption, helping a Minnesota service man or woman abroad link up with loved ones at home, assisting a senior locate a lost Social Security check or coming to the aid of Minnesotans that encounter trouble while traveling abroad, my staff and I will do all we can to help.
I’m proud that since I took office in 2003, this office has come to the aid of nearly 12,000 constituents with their individual needs.
We’ve also helped expedite over 250 international adoptions. Over the past two years, we’ve worked with the State Department, the Department of Children’s Issues, presidents, the FBI, and other agencies to help hundreds of families cut through bureaucratic red-tape to connect with children from all over the world. The children whom we’ve helped place with Minnesota families have come from countries all over the world, including: Guatemala, Russia, Kenya, Poland, Ukraine, Haiti, Mexico, Liberia, China, India, Togo, Sierra Leone, Japan, South Africa, and Syria. It’s an honor to help unite new families.
I am determined not only to help as many Minnesotans as we possibly can, but am also committed to making sure that my constituents are more than pleased with the quality of service they receive from us. That’s why each year I conduct a survey among those we’ve been able to help so that I can be sure this office is providing courteous and comprehensive constituent services.
To get a sense of the important kind of casework we do, let me share one of my favorite casework success stories.
In early 2003, I received an urgent electronic message from Keith Ferdon, a Minnesota National Guard solider serving in Kosovo. He said that his wife, Debbie, was stuck in Haiti while trying to complete the adoption process for their new Haitian-born baby daughter, Brooke.
We helped them secure a visa from the American Embassy in Haiti so that Brooke and her new baby girl could travel home to Brainerd, Minnesota. Unfortunately, less than 24-hours before their scheduled flight back, civil unrest broke out in Haiti and the U.S. Embassy closed. With no visa, Debbie could not bring their new beautiful baby girl home.
Keith wrote me again from Kosovo asking for help. We contacted the State Department requesting additional assistant and succeeded. We secured Brooke’s visa and the two were on a plane the next day. Brooke is now growing up with her new family in Brainerd. I was privileged to visit with the Ferdons this past December at the holiday reunion I hosted, “Home for the Holidays,” for Minnesota families who have successfully adopted children internationally.
It is truly a privilege to be able to serve the people I work for, the people of Minnesota, in this special and meaningful way. If you are in need of assistance in anyway, please do not hesitate to contact any one of my offices.
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