2001 Angel in Adoption Awardees - Pound Pup Legacy

counseling, substance abuse treatment for children and adolescents, resident psychiatric treatment for children andadolescents, shelters for abused and neglected children and youth, and peer education for teens. A special joy toChereny is seeing adoptees come full circle as they return to serve and support the Mississippi Children’s HomeSociety through their volunteerism, philanthropic gifts, and board service.Scott and Stacey HartmanRep. Charles PickeringScott and Stacey have all of the paperwork in place to adopt a little boy from Guatemala sometime this month!Travel dates have not been set, but INS approved and the legal work in Guatemala has been done. Scott and Staceyhave made the financial sacrifices to adopt this child. On a very meager annual salary, they have paid enormous feesin order to adopt this child. Their desire to be parents has been so great and full. What a blessed child to bewelcomed to such a home.Maggie WadeRep. Ronnie ShowsMaggie is a native of Crystal Springs, MS. During Maggie’s senior year in college, she began a career in radiobroadcasting at WLBT-TV3 as a weekend weather anchor. Within two years she was promoted to news anchor,reporter and coordinator of children’s programming. Maggie is proudest of her work on “Wednesday’s Child,”which is a weekly segment airing on WLBT to help find adoptive homes for waiting foster children. Since 1986,almost five hundred children have been adopted through “Wednesday’s Child.”Community service is a way of life for Maggie. Maggie has made hundreds of appearances at schools, churches,civic groups, and other programs. She also serves on numerous community service boards.MissouriMike and Julie KeathleyRep. Jo Ann EmersonParents like the Keathleys change a child’s future. Mike and Julie Keathley adopted their son Peyton Rehm Keathleyonly a few months ago. He was born to a teenage mother in Florida before being adopted by the Keathleys. Mikeand Julie have been with Peyton since he was a newborn and were present in the delivery room when Peyton wasborn. Mike and Julie are totally dedicated to their new son. They are taking some time right now to be loving andsupportive parents and they will ensure that Peyton has a well-balanced upbringing. In addition to loving parents,Peyton is blessed with a close-knit family, a church family, and friends in the community.Paul and Alicia MatteucciRep. Todd AkinIt gives me great pleasure to recommend Paul and Alicia Matteucci to you as Angels in Adoption. I have known Pauland Alicia for over ten years. They both demonstrate strong Christian values and display a commitment to faith andfamily in their everyday lives.In 1999 and 2000, Paul and Alicia adopted six Romanian children. Their commitment to these children isinspirational. Paul and Alicia show their six children an unending amount of love and caring for God, family, andcountry.Their commitment to almost eight years of marriage and to their children reveals the great depth of their love for eachother and their children. I believe that Paul and Alicia Matteucci are excellent parents and role models for theiradoptive children.MontanaJennifer CopleySen. Conrad BurnsAlthough raising a child is never easy, it seems to be more difficult for a single mother. In 1970, Jennifer Copely andher husband, at that time, adopted their first child, an infant girl with fetal alcohol effect and Perthes leg and hipdisease. The Copley family then went on to adopt two more minority children, a boy and a girl with special needs,consisting of severe immune deficiency and attention deficit disorder. After the adoptions were final, the Copleys