30 paintings in 30 days

Woman uses her talent to raise money for adoption fund

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

“I asked God for a job, I really did... and this is what he handed me,” said Jan Philpot, an artist who has dedicated the entire month of January to raise money for a local couple’s adoption fund.

Philpot, looking for a way to use her talents for a good cause, decided to tackle the unique challenge of a painting a day for 30 days, donating all proceeds to the adoption fund of Steve and Tiffany White. 

“If everybody would pitch in and do their part for one worthy cause, and I know people can’t give a month of whatever they can make, but if everybody could give one day of 365 days a year to one worthy cause,  what a difference it would make,” Philpot said. “...A whole lot of people have done things for me in my lifetime. If you get some talent, I think you ought to give it back some how. “

Every Christmas, Philpot and a friend, rather than exchange gifts, each choose a cause for which to volunteer. Philpot chose the White’s adoption fund, and gave them dozens of knitted caps to sell as a fundraiser in December. 

But the White’s cause remained in Philpot’s mind, and in January, she decided to dedicate everything she made in the month to their adoption fund. 

Philpot, a Laurel County native now retired and living in Columbia, Ky., now spends part of every day painting for charity. 

Her works include a mix of oil, watercolor, drawings, and mixed-media. Philpot’s now on painting number 27, and all but one have sold through her Facebook page for $20 each. 

“I never dreamed it would go over like this,” she said. “I painted all my life and sold here and there, but never like this.” 

The Whites, of Laurel County, have three biological children, Noah, Grace and Elijah; and two through adoption, Chloe and Phoebe. They hope to adopt a third child in 2010 and raise $16,000 for adoption agency fees. 

“Our family believes the Lord has called us to adopt,” the Whites wrote in a letter mailed with each piece of art sold. “God has taught us that through adoption, we are not just fighting for the 143 million orphans in the world, but adoption is also the front lines on the battle against abortion.”

“I think I have always known, I think since I was a child, I wanted to adopt,” Tiffany White said. “My great-grandfather was adopted and they took in people and children who needed homes, and it was always just a scene throughout my childhood in one way or another.”

White is a stay at home mom, and her husband is a former high school teacher who now works in construction. When they first felt called to adopt several years ago, they first attempted to go through China. 

“The wait time grew to be about four years or more, and we just said ‘we know there are children who need homes now,” White said. 

So they tried adopting locally and twice in Kentucky brought home a child, only to give him back after about a week each time to the biological parent. 

“Our laws in Kentucky are very risky, “ she said, adding “the agency kept our money as well.”

“It was like a death in the family,” she said. “We grieved, and we watched our children grieve... we sat down as a family and I just didn’t think I could do it anymore, and my oldest son said ‘Mommy, God is the one who has given us the heart and desire to give these babies a home.’” 

After some research, the family found that Utah has some of the most adoption-friendly laws in the nation. 

In 2008, they adopted Chloe, 15 months old, from Utah; a year later they adopted Phoebe, 4 months old. 

“We were blessed to meet the birth moms each time and we still send pictures,” White said.

The Whites did not specify gender, ethnicity or disability on their adoption forms. Both daughters adopted by the Caucasian family are African-American. 

White admitted she had some concern about the racial difference early on.

“We didn’t know if we could do a good job for them,” she said. “...We were just afraid that we weren’t equipped to take care of what they needed, but that was soon a non-issue. God just molded our hearts and got rid of all of our fears.”

The Whites paid for the two adoptions on their own, but to continue what they feel is God’s calling, they’ll need outside funds for future adoptions.

“This is not about us, it’s a mission, it’s a ministry, so we started sharing it with our church and allowed people to join us and take part in this ministry,” White said. “We know not everybody’s able to adopt but most would like the opportunity to participate and give a child a home.” 

White isn’t sure when she’ll stop seeking adoption. 

“When God tells us to quit,” she said. “There is just such a great need, how can you quit?”

Philpot said she was touched by the White’s project because “my life’s been about children. I’m a retired teacher.”

 After these 30 paintings, Philpot plans to dedicate 10 days of painting to Haitian relief efforts, and then to take on another local family’s adoption fund in February. 

The Whites also have several other fundraisers underway — they sell coffee at www.justlovecoffee.com/thewhites; they take donations through PayPal for twbranches@windstream.net; they are selling lots in Stoneybook Estates in London; and Cornerstone Baptist Church, 1000 Old Union Church Road, London, 40741, takes donations on behalf of “The White’s Adoption Fund.”

White and Philpot have known each other since Philpot was the librarian at White’s elementary school. 

“She is one talented lady,” White said. “It’s just really overwhelmed us with her generosity and I know this has taken a lot of her time and effort and investment, so it’s really been a God thing. This is just a God thing. I’m thrilled that she understands the need and what we’re doing, and she just wants to help, and we appreciate her letting God use her.”

For more information on the White’s Adoption Fund, contact Steve or Tiffany White at twbranches@windstream.net, 606-878-1681 or 606-521-2706.