WOMEN’S FEDERATION AT THE NATIONAL PARENTS’ DAY AWARDS
Group photo from the National Parents' Day Awards
A meeting room in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill provided the appropriate backdrop to this year's Congressional Reception for the 2014 National Parents of the Year. The reception took place on Wednesday, July 30.
In 1994, Parents' Day became law when President Bill Clinton established the fourth Sunday of July as a recurring and perennial day of commemoration. Since then, churches and community groups across the country have held annual activities designed to celebrate and strengthen families and to honor outstanding parents in their communities.
WFWP USA President Angelika Selle speaking passionately at the National Parents' Day Awards
This year's program was sponsored by four sister organizations—the Universal Peace Federation, the American Clergy Leadership Conference, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and Women's Federation for World Peace—along with the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). In addition, WFWP chapters held Parents' Day programs in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington state, Texas, and Virginia.
Seven couples had been selected as the "Parents of the Year" in their state, and now had come to the nation's capital to be honored and acknowledged. From among them would be selected the one couple who would have the honor of being designated as the National Parents of the Year. At the reception, several congressmen came to personally greet and confer the Parents' Day Award on their constituent couples.
WFWP President Angelika Selle, who was a member of the selection committee, addressed the gathering briefly. She pointed out that indeed the Parents' Day Award is the highest honor anyone can receive, since parenthood is that which most resembles our Creator. She congratulated the awardees and encouraged the audience, also in the spirit of previous speakers, to stand together and stand strong as "revolutionaries" in today's American culture—a culture that has to a great degree lost the foundation of healthy and God-fearing families consisting of one man, one woman, and their children.
Each awardee couple shared their gratitude and a great deal of profound wisdom and many insights about their course as parents—how they see their role, not only as parents to their own children but also to the children of their community, and in fact to all of God's children.
Photos were taken during the session and, after the ceremony ended, right in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Chosen as the National Parents of the Year were the Rev. Willie and Sherion Weston of Chicago.
Congratulations to all!
