• Awarded on: April 20, 1999

Douglas A. Umbach and Nancy G. Umbach, Ottawa, Ont.
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award

Douglas and Nancy Umbach have dedicated their lives to helping children with physical and mental disabilities. Over the years, they adopted seven children with special needs and were foster parents to seven children who came to Canada for life-saving surgery. They founded support groups for other adoptive families, served as a volunteer resource couple for the local Children's Aid Society, and made presentations at conferences and workshops on children with disabilities, foster parenting and adoption. They have also been active in organizations for children and adults who are disabled, in their church, and in community groups sponsoring South East Asian refugees.