New book tells Harpers Ferry native's tale from becoming an orphan to creating a mission to help them and others

JT Olson returning to native Allamakee County to share story June 29 at Old East Paint Creek

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

Jeff (JT) Olson knows what it is to be an orphan.

He clearly remembers the day his parents died. He was 12 year old, and his parents had been away for their 16th wedding anniversary. He was excited to be reunited with his brothers, sisters and parents.

He then learned his parents, Othello and Lora Mae Olson, had been killed in a car accident on their way back to their rural Harpers Ferry home on the Lansing-Harpers Road.

He also remembers the family members who took care of him and his four siblings, John, Jim, Julie and Jerene. A widowed aunt took care of the three oldest children so they could finish out the school year at Waukon Junior High, and then all five children moved to Brookfield, WI with their aunt and uncle, Ralph and Marie Ann Seifert.

FORMING A FOUNDATION
More than a decade ago, JT was seeking sponsors for a charity golf fundraiser. One of the friends he asked for sponsorship told him although the charity was a good cause, he would much rather sponsor work on a widow’s house than someone playing golf. That idea stuck with JT.

Fast forward to 2007. A family JT new from church told him they were working on adopting four children internationally. JT found out it was going to cost more than $65,000, and that is when the idea all came together.

“I felt like God was trying to get my attention. I knew I couldn’t turn my back on this idea.” he said.

Along with help from family, friends and acquaintances, JT created a fundraiser that consisted of friends and family of the family wanting to adopt obtaining sponsors for doing work on the home of a widowed woman in their area. Businesses and individuals donated the needed materials. The project was a great success, raising more than $55,000 and helping a widow with the many things that needed to be done on her home. Soon after, another friend asked to do a project for his adoption. Thus, JT's “Both Hands” organization was born.

The goal of the organization is to fulfill the mission of James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”

Both Hands' purpose is to help Christian adoptive families fund their adoptions by coordinating a service project fixing up a widow’s home. One hand is for the orphan needing saving, the other is for the widow.

“Both Hands' vision is to see the day when finances are not an obstacle for Christian families who are led to adopt, while simultaneously serving every widow in need of home repairs,” says JT.

During the past ten years Both Hands has completed 685 projects in 42 states, helping 626 families adopt 819 children and serve 758 widows. The organization has raised $7.9 million to assist with adoption costs.

The fund raising projects have not just helped families who are adopting, but have also raised funds for organizations that assist with adoption, such as churches that give monies to families who are adopting, and organizations that build orphanages.

One hundred percent of the money raised on each project goes toward the adoption costs. Separate events helping widows are held to raise money for administrative costs, and there are monthly and annual donors who help with administrative costs as well.

“People love what we do and are willing to support us. I feel very blessed,” JT says.

In 2008, JT left his job to start Both Hands full-time. “Mark Twain said, ‘The two most important days in a person's life are the day they were born and the day they find out why.’ That day I found out why,” says JT.

TELLING HIS TALE
JT has told his story many times, and listeners often told him he should write a book, so he did. His book, “The Orphan, The Widow and Me,” was released earlier this year.

“We started writing the book about two years ago. It was a daunting task, but I had great people around me helping me put the pieces of my story together. One of the challenges was figuring out what were the life-changing moments to keep in the book and what to leave out. The other biggest challenge was writing the most impactful parts of my life. I think there were times I was literally shoulder-shaking-weeping as I typed. I love telling the story. It takes something that is painful and makes it into something beautiful."

A promotion for the book reads, “You'll be inspired to take action. You'll be challenged to overcome your fears. All the while learning how you can be a part of this powerful movement to care for both the widow and the orphan!”

NATIVE SCHEDULED TO RETURN
Thursday, June 29, JT will be sharing his journey with the public at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 1799 Elon Rd, Waterville. “I am very excited about this,” says JT. “There is something very special about Old East. It was there that my seeds of faith were sown.”

“I know what it is to be an orphan. To help raise money to give a kid a home is as good as it gets for me,” he says.

He adds, “God led me to this,” referring to his faith-based ministry.

LIFE EXPERIENCES SET THE STAGE
Indeed, JT’s life experiences seem to have led him down his current path. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he started working part-time selling books as a summer job. After graduating, they offered him a full-time job.

He worked for Southwestern for 23 years; much of that time was spent recruiting employees for the company in the Upper Midwest. Meanwhile, his wife and four children resided in Nashville, TN.

He decided he didn’t want to spend so much time away from home, so he started his own executive recruitment company. It was skills from these two jobs that helped him create Both Hands.

The organization currently coordinates about 105 to 110 fundraising events a year. JT and his team coach the adoptive families through the process, from the start of organizing and choosing a widow to work for, to completion of the event.

He hopes to expand his ministry to all 50 states and has a goal of having 150 fundraising events in one year. To learn more about Both Hands, go online to https://bothhands.org/.

JT currently resides in Tennessee and will be visiting family in Iowa and Wisconsin while in the area for his book tour, including his brother, Jimmy, who lives on the home farm.