2001 Angel in Adoption Awardees - Pound Pup Legacy

President John F. Kennedy once said, “One person can make a difference, and every person should try.” I thankCarolyn for making a difference.Harlan S. TenenbaumRep. Michael N. CastleHarlan Tenenbaum is an “Angel” and worthy of the Congressional Coalition’s Angel in Adoption Award. The childof an adopted mother, Harlan learned how important it is for each child to be brought up in a loving family.Together, he and his mother have opened an adoption agency in Wilmington, DE, called Adoption House. AdoptionHouse is a non-profit, full-service adoption agency that handles domestic and international adoptions. Harlan servesas managing director and his mother, Leah, serves an its Executive Director. According to Leah, “Harlan’s energy,creativity, sensitivity and enthusiasm serve as the driving forces which make Adoption House the great success that itis today”.Harlan is Chairman of the American Bar Association Family Law Section Adoption Committee, and he has alwaysbeen involved in various organizations working to protect the rights of children and those less fortunate. For threeyears, Harlan served as Recording Secretary to the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on the PrivateInternational Law in order to draft the Protection of Minors and Incapacitated Adults. In addition, Harlan is involvedin state, national, and international legal and adoption organizations, and has lobbied tirelessly for the U.S. to ratifythe Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption and for Congress to approve an increase to the Adoption TaxCredit.FloridaRichard (Rick) and Becky CopelandRep. John MicaRick and Becky Copeland were a team in the adoption process for over 20 years. Rick is an attorney and his practicelaw has placed more than 350 children, from difficult and often deplorable situations into an environment where asafe and loving homes.Becky played a supportive role and assisted pregnant mothers who were alone. She took them to the grocery storeand to doctor’s appointments. If the mothers did not have a family, she stayed with them in the birthing roomthrough labor and delivery. Becky also cared for difficult-to-place newborns in the Copeland home until they couldbe placed with a family.Becky and Rick say, “In adoption everyone wins. There is no greater love a birth mother can give her baby than torelease it to a family that can love and care for her child”.Terence and Cameron DavisRep. Corrine BrownTerence and Cameron marvel when they are thought of as “special people” because they do not feel as if they havedone anything “special.” To some they are spectacular because they have adopted, but to the Davis’ they are justexperiencing the manifestation of answered prayers. Terence and Cameron believe that children are precious giftsfrom God, and the two children God blessed them with are the most precious of all.They decided to adopt nine years ago and were soon blessed with Alexis. Alexis is a very bright, 8-year-old girl. Sheenjoys swimming, scouting, dancing, singing, Disney, and Nickelodeon. The Davis’ were not planning to adopt asecond child, but one day Alexis asked her parents that f she were to pray and ask God for a baby sister, would sheget one? Alexis learned in Children’s Church that if you asked for anything in Jesus name, He would do it. Everynight Alexis would pray specifically for a baby sister, and the Davis family was blessed with Ariel. Ariel is a veryenergetic 4-year-old. She also enjoys singing, running, acting (AKA drama queen), Minnie Mouse and Nick Jr.There is never a dull moment with the two of them in the Davis Home. Terence and Cameron are thankful to God forgiving them the opportunity to be parents.The Honorable Judge James C. HendersonRep. Ileana Ros-LebtinenWith the assistance of the Honorable Judge James C. Henderson, the Miami Adoption Team of the Department ofChildren and Families in Florida was able to finalize three hundred and three adoptions of special needs children inthe fiscal year. They are anticipating surpassing four hundred adoptions this fiscal year. This wonderful achievement