Rene Howitt was pinned at the annual Angels in Adoption, October 9th in Washington DC.
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Angels in Adoption™ Program honors individuals, couples, and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions on behalf of children in need of families. These heroes hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and represent the wide spectrum of individuals involved in the adoption and foster care process. Since the program’s inception in 1999, almost 2,000 Angels have received this honor. CCAI also awards a select number of National Angels in Adoption™. As the name implies, these are individuals whose contributions in the fields of adoption or foster care have had a national impact. Past recipients of this award include Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley, Ne-Yo, PEOPLE Magazine, Nia Vardalos, Scott Fujita, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, First Lady Laura Bush, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Kristin Chenoweth, Rhea Perlman, Bruce Willis, Al Roker, Muhammad Ali, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Henry Winkler, and CBS Studios.
In addition to giving Members of Congress a firsthand look at the foster care and adoption related work taking place throughout the country, the Angels in Adoption™ program seeks to draw media attention to raise public awareness about the positive difference adoption makes in the life of a child. Last year’s event alone resulted in 140 human interest stories being published in newspapers throughout the nation. These stories serve as inspiration for others to step forward to consider fostering or adopting. The Angels in Adoption™ travel to Washington D.C. to participate in three days of events all designed to train them in using their personal experience to affect change on behalf of children in need of homes and to celebrate their hard work and dedication to the issue.