Both Hands

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We help adoptive families and volunteer groups organize service projects for widows while raising funds for adoptions and orphan causes.

The idea for Both Hands came as the result of a simple letter to a friend. I wrote to ask for sponsorship while doing a golfing fundraiser. The funds would go to a wonderful ministry for women in crisis pregnancies. My friend sent my letter back with a handwritten message saying that he'd gladly support the efforts if I was working on a widow's house instead of playing golf. For five years that letter stuck with me, until another friend, who was adopting four children from Moldova, expressed his need to raise funds to pay for it. That's when the idea for Both Hands grew legs. We recruited other friends, found a widow's house in need of repairs, got local businesses to donate supplies and food, and hundreds of people sent in checks to sponsor the workers that day. It was a day I will never forget! We raised enough money to put a dent in my friend's adoption expenses, and totally transformed Miss Lucille's house: Success story numbers one and two! JT Olson, Founder of Both Hands

10/07/2026

Greetings from Jacksonville! 👋 We're at the Florida Adoption Council Conference this week, and it's been wonderful connecting with everyone who's stopped by the Both Hands booth.

It's also been great to visit with our friends at Christian Adoption Consultants and to meet with so many adoption agencies and organizations working to help children find loving, forever families. We love being part of this community!

10/02/2026

New Firepit Video! 🪵🔥 Lillie gave part of her summer earnings to help a family bring their child home through adoption. Hear her story and the Dora family's thank-you in the full Firepit Chat: bothhands.org/lego-set-firepit

09/30/2026

Last week, the Both Hands team traveled to Atlanta for the CAFO 2026 Summit: a gathering of families, agencies, and ministries from across 40 countries, all serving vulnerable children and families. We came home encouraged and so grateful for all of these friends and organizations living out James 1:27. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to connect! See you in 2027!

09/29/2026

Coffee with a purpose. ☕ Happy National Coffee Day! Brewing a fresh pot of our James 1:27 Blend, in partnership with Just Love Coffee. Every bag supports families bringing kids home. 🧡

09/25/2026

A moment of motivation with JT! “I love challenges!” Let’s start calling our problems our challenges instead… And be excited about them! Thank you, Christian Alliance for Orphans for an amazing summit. See you in 2027!

09/24/2026

If you’re at CAFO this week, come join our breakout session! In this panel discussion, we’ll explain grants, loans, fundraising strategies, and the Adoption Tax Credit, along with post-adoption support options. Sept. 24th from 3:45pm to 5pm in Room 2560!

We’ll also be giving away an awesome bundle that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, tumbler, coffee, free tax return filing, and more! See you soon! 🌱

09/18/2026

Dear NICU families, you are not alone. 💚 One of our Both Hands families walked their own NICU journey. They wrote this for the family sitting in that room tonight:

“The NICU journey is hard and can feel lonely, and the situation can be magnified if you are out of state like our family was—2500 miles from home. You feel anxious about your new little one, you feel guilty that you have to be so reliant on the medical professionals to help you care for you child’s needs, there is uncertainty of when you will finally be able to go home, you are emotionally and physically exhausted, the blinking lights, alarms, and sounds can constantly fill you with anxiety over your new little one.

It’s the perfect place to be dependent on God as He sanctifies you to become more like Christ, knowing that He knows and carries our burden. As a parent you have no control. You cannot wave a wand and make your baby well so you can go home. So you wait, and you pray, and you wait and pray some more. One day everything is going great, and there’s hope you could maybe go home soon, and the next minute you are deflated as your discharge date gets pushed out yet again. The NICU is an emotional roller coaster that you can allow your own heart and emotions get the better of you, or you can let God be your constant.

Watch for the ways God is working, even in the hardships. God was always so faithful to provide the perfect nurse or therapist, or being able to find joy in all the extra snuggles you get to have with your baby each day that are such a gift.

Lean into one another as a family, and love one another with great patience and understanding. Also, lean into your community. Our friends and family were a huge blessing. From simple tasks like mowing the lawn and caring for our home while we were away, to sending us grocery pickups and covering us up in prayer, we could not have done it alone.

Trust in God’s perfect timing. If He has brought you this far, and chosen this child for you, He will be faithful to carry you through to the end.”

If you know a family in the NICU right now, send this to them. They are not alone. 💚

09/16/2026

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to our Program Director, Aimee! 🎂

As our very first full-time hire back in 2011, Aimee has been a pillar of heart, strength, and encouragement for Both Hands. Her lifelong passion for orphan care and her loyal leadership inspire our team every single day. We’re so grateful for all she does for our families and community!

If you know Aimee or have planned a Both Hands project with her, drop a comment below and share what you love most about her! Let’s shower her with some well-deserved love and appreciation today. 💛

09/15/2026

Every number here has a name...

Halfway through 2026, we stopped to count:

👶 78 children one step closer to home
🏡 121 widows served — roofs, ramps, yards, porches
🔨 2,120 volunteers who showed up
💙 $1,489,546 disbursed to adoptive families
🧡 88 matching grants and $280,000 awarded
🗺️ 47 of 50 states served — including Hawaii
📣 400+ volunteers served 23 widows across Middle TN at this year’s Ty² Vision Project

Here’s what makes it work: an adoptive family leads a volunteer crew to serve a widow, sponsors give in their honor, and the family’s adoption gets funded. One project, three outcomes. Nobody does it alone.

We’re on track for 175 projects in 2026 with 154 already on the calendar.

There’s still room for you to join! Plan a project, volunteer, or give: bothhands.org/apply

09/13/2026

We loved getting to meet several Both Hands grandparents at different conferences this summer! Grandparents show us what it truly means to love and serve while building a legacy of "home." Happy Grandparents Day to the ones who give so much! 🌼🏡

Address

P. O. Box 2713
Brentwood, TN
37024

Website

http://bothhands.org/

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