Gift of Adoption Honored with Congressional Angels in Adoption Award

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute has named Gift of Adoption, a national, volunteer-driven charity that raises money to complete the adoptions of parentless children, as a 2016 Angel in Adoption™ award recipient. U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky will honor Gift of Adoption at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s 2016 gala on September 21, 2016 in Washington, D.C. for the work the organization has done to unite 1,825 children with forever families of their own.

“It is an honor for Gift of Adoption to be recognized as an Angel in Adoption,” said Pam Devereux, CEO of Gift of Adoption. “We stand with hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors who believe that having a loving family is a basic right for children everywhere.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption program recognizes individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions on behalf of children in need of families. CCAI also works to eliminate the barriers that hinder orphans from realizing their basic right of a family. Since the program’s inception in 1999, almost 2,000 Angels have received this recognition. Past recipients include First Lady Laura Bush, Muhammad Ali, Kristin Chenoweth, Patti LaBelle, Bruce Willis, Rosie O'Donnell and Jane Seymour.

Gift of Adoption provides grants of up to $7,500 to families stepping forward to complete the adoption of otherwise vulnerable children born in the U.S. and around the world. Nationally, more than $5.4 million has been awarded since 1996 to help complete the adoptions of 1,825 children. Gift of Adoption prioritizes grants for the most vulnerable children facing what is possibly their last or only chance at adoption. This includes families who are working to unite or keep siblings together and those adopting children with critical medical conditions or kids aging out of orphanages.

This November, in celebration of National Adoption Awareness Month and the organization's 20th anniversary, Gift of Adoption will award a grant each day to complete an adoption in 30 communities across the country. This means Gift of Adoption will give the gift of family to 30 children throughout the month of November, awarding approximately $105,000 in adoption assistance grants. As part of these efforts, Chicago will be among 30 communities hosting adoption awareness events. Gift of Adoption invites community members and those passionate about improving the lives of children to visit http://www.giftofadoption.org/upcoming-events to learn how to get involved with an event near you.

For more information about the Angels in Adoption program, please visit http://www.angelsinadoption.org and for more information on Gift of Adoption, visit http://www.giftofadoption.org.