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ccai angel in adoption honoree lori holden

In Common: Shonda Rhimes, Nia Vardalos, Mohammed Ali…

(And also in common with Rebecca Vahle, Dawn Davenport, Jim Gritter, Linda Schellentrager, Zara Phillips, Dawn Smith-Pliner, Kim Hansel, Joyce Maguire Pavao, Sherrie Eldridge, Adam Pertman, Dixie Weber, Debbie Schwartz, Candace Pruett, Pam Sweetser, Sharon Roszia, Pat Irwin Johnston, C.A.S.E.,  Brenda Romanchik, and Becky Fawcett, with apologies to others I may have missed or not know of*.)

Big inhale.

Angels in Adoption®

All of those people up there are not only my Friends, they have also been named by the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute (CCAI) as Angels in Adoption®.

This year I have been nominated by Senator Michael Bennet to join their ranks.

The Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute sent me this news:

I’ll head to Washington, DC next month to celebrate the 20th time CCAI has recognized people around the country for their “contribution on behalf of children in need of families.”

Making Adoption World Better

When I look at that list above, I see activists contributing in many ways. Such as:

  • facilitating adopted children in connecting with each other
  • helping their parents prepare for unique challenges
  • encouraging all of us to explore adoption’s complexities
  • promoting openness in all ways, like opening birth records to all citizens, regardless of circumstances of birth.

During my three days on Capitol Hill, I plan to advocate for The Family to Family Support Network as well as two other organizations I volunteer with (Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families and Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families). I will also speak to anyone who will listen about the importance and rightness of opening birth records — accurate original birth certificates — to adoptees in all states.

I’m grateful to Senator Bennet and to the nominator who brought my work to his attention.

* and I await word of the other 2018 nominees. I’m eager to find out who they are!

guide to living in open adoption

Lori Holden, mom of a young adult daughter and a young adult son, writes from Denver. She was honored as an Angel in Adoption® by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, makes a thoughtful anytime gift for the adoptive families in your life. Her second book, Standing Room Only: How to Be THAT Yoga Teacher is now available in paperback, and her third book, Adoption Unfiltered, is now available through your favorite bookseller!

Find Lori’s books on her Amazon Author page and catch episodes of Adoption: The Long View wherever you get your podcasts.

28 Responses

  1. Oh my gosh, congratulations!!!!!! Not only well deserved, but I’m extremely excited that you will be part of this group, continuing your much-needed work for this community! Bravo lady!!

  2. CONGRATULATIONS! What an amazing honor, and so well deserved. You do such an amazing job of advocating for Both/And, openness, empathy, and doing what you hope is right for a child despite it being difficult emotionally for the adults involved (all the adults). Adoption is so fraught with difficult decisions and situations and dilemmas, and you are such a calm, wise voice for all involved. I’m so excited for you!

  3. Wooo hoooo!!! Congratulations! I’ve got shivers running down my spine even reading this. I’m so pleased for you. You’ve certainly taught me so much, but more importantly, you have helped so many people who are going through adoption, or who are considering adoption. Brava, Lori!!!

    And no apologies for overdoing the use of the exclamation mark. It was entirely warranted.

  4. Whole body chills. So well deserved and such a great addition to the group of advocates. I can think of no one more who I would ask to advocate on our behalves. I would have nominated you myself if I had know. Thank you for all you do.

  5. This is great! I can’t think of a better advocate for adoption as it needs to be, when it needs to be. Thanks and congratulations.

  6. Woo hooooo!!! Can’t wait to celebrate this well deserved award with you next month! DC…here we come!!!

  7. Congratulations!! 🙂 I have learned so much about adoption from you, and am sure the folks in Washington will too. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures there!

    (P.S. I have a soft spot for Nia Vardalos, as — like me — she is a proud Manitoban, from Winnipeg, lol.)

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