b'16Why We Give: From Barker Donors Melissa Gray-Hughes Adult Adoptee, Outgoing Second Vice Chair, Incoming Board Chair, and Barker supporter since 2021FROM MELISSA GRAY-HUGHESAs an adopted woman, I carry with me aBarker shows up with heart and integrity and deep, daily awareness of how fortunate I wasinspires people like me to do the same.to be embraced by open-hearted, loving, andI invite you to join me in opening more doors exceptional parents. for children who are waiting.We all know that quiet thought: If things had gone differently, that could have been me. But for adoptees, that thought isnt abstract. Its personal. Ive been sitting with that feeling since I was six years old, and its shaped the way I see the world.I give because every child deserves a real chance, a chance to be seen, to belong, and to grow up knowing they matter.I give out of gratitude, my joyful love of children, and a belief in the power of family and the promise of the future.I give to Barker because I trust their mission, their leadership, and their unwavering, ethical commitment to children and families.'