[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 8933-8934] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNITION OF DIANE PONTICELLI, MOTHER TO 1,022 CHILDREN ______ HON. ROBERT A. WEYGAND of rhode island in the house of representatives Thursday, May 6, 1999 Mr. WEYGAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Diane Ponticelli, an eighty-year-old resident of Johnston, Rhode Island who recently received--for the second time--the key to her hometown, in commemoration of her thirty-five years of service and dedication to more than 1,000 children for whom she cared over the years. This selfless, big-hearted woman has been, and still is, a mother to these children, and the adults they have become, in every positive sense of the word. She considers each and every one of them to be her own child and has always treated them accordingly. In a recent article in the Providence Journal, Mrs. Ponticelli remarked that she loves children and wishes she ``could take care of more.'' I stand in awe of this woman and her incredible gift of unconditional love and acceptance to these children, who undoubtedly struggled through difficult family situations until finding the security provided in the Ponticelli home. At one point, Mrs. Ponticelli had nine children staying in her house in Johnston, many placed by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families. She took in entire families of children so that siblings would not be separated; she gave up her own bedroom for the children and slept on a couch near one of her physically-disabled charges; she cooked big Italian dinners and maintained three sheds, four freezers, and three refrigerators; all the while, she showered them love, practiced discipline, and provided them with a stable, caring home. Mrs. Ponticelli is now eighty years old, suffering from cancer, voiceless because of sickness, and small and frail, yet she remains a figure larger than life. Her capacity for love knows no bounds, and her children reflect that same sense of caring and devotion, visiting her often and caring for her in her illness. We often decry cases in which our foster care system has run awry and allowed innocent children to fall through the cracks. Tragedies such as the recent shooting in Littleton, Colorado, force us to reexamine and reevaluate what we are teaching our children, at home and at school. As often as we lament these tragedies, however, we must celebrate the occasions in which the system and strong parenting work. We must recognize that when [[Page 8934]] the system does provide children with the stable home they so desperately need, it is people like Diane Ponticelli who make those successes a reality for the children. We cannot underestimate or understate the importance of instilling positive values in our children and teaching them to love and respect others. Please join with me in the appreciation of Diane Ponticelli and other caring parents like her. We owe much to these individuals for their significant and continuing contributions to our communities and nation as a whole by raising children with love and dedication. ____________________