WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today presented Scott Wiggins of Pinelake Church with the 2016 “Angels in Adoption” award for the church’s commitment to foster care and adoption. Wicker nominated Pinelake Church for the award because of its extraordinary work to promote and facilitate adoption and foster care.

“Pinelake Church plays an instrumental role in uniting Mississippi’s children in need with loving parents, putting important Christian values into action,” Wicker said. “It has become a leader in adoption and foster care within our state. Not only does Pinelake assist families in adopting and fostering, but the church also provides advice, support, and encouragement to these families. I am proud to recognize Pinelake as a 2016 Angel in Adoption.”

Through its LOVE first mission, Pinelake Church connects Mississippi families with children in need of loving homes. With five locations in Mississippi, Pinelake works with local partners and ministries to promote adoption, foster care, social services, and mentoring throughout the state. The church also works with global partners to provide support and care for orphans and families in need. Mississippians can benefit from the advice and support of Pinelake in creating and growing happy, healthy families. In addition, the church provides grants to help its members with the costs associated with adoption.

Pinelake offers a unique service called “Orphan Care,” which is a group comprised of 60 families who are adopting, fostering, or feel called to care for orphans. The goal of Orphan Care is to provide a network of support for these families.

Each year, Pinelake dedicates one Sunday — with nearly 10,000 people in attendance — to highlight the need for adoption and foster care throughout the state and around the world.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which sponsors the “Angels in Adoption” program, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder children from knowing the love and support a family provides. CCAI, which does not receive government funding, was established in 2001 as an outgrowth of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.

*Click here to download a high-resolution copy of the photo of Scott Wiggins and Senator Roger Wicker