[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 114 (Monday, August 15, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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IN HONOR OF MS. GUADALUPE REYES AND EL VALOR: THE STRENGTH OF FEW THAT 
                            BENEFITS SO MANY

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, recently, I had the wonderful 
opportunity of meeting Ms. Guadalupe Reyes and visiting her 
organization, the El Valor Corp. Ms. Reyes founded El Valor, the first 
bilingual rehabilitation program for Hispanics in Illinois, to foster 
education and achievement for individuals with disabilities and their 
families.
  El Valor works with government, business, individuals, and the 
community to prevent inner-city children and adults from falling behind 
and not reaching their fullest academic and intellectual potential. El 
Valor, under Ms. Reyes's leadership, continues to affect approximately 
1,000 adults and children a year through positive and stimulating 
interaction.
  Approximately 20 years ago, Ms. Guadalupe Reyes could not find a 
rehabilitation center for her son, Bobby, who had spinal meningitis. 
Since Ms. Reyes did not want to place her son in an institution and she 
could not find a center to help him, she took it upon herself to create 
one. Ms. Reyes believed that there were other families like hers, faced 
with a similar dilemma. She started an arts and crafts program in the 
basement of a church. When Ms. Reyes realized that the basement could 
not accommodate everyone who wanted to participate, she began to take 
out loans and El Valor gradually expanded to become the organization 
that it is today.
  Since Ms. Reyes's first vocational programs in the basement of a 
church, El Valor has moved forward to address other concerns within the 
community. El Valor's latest undertaking is a program called Tocar el 
Futuro, or Touch the Future. Tocar el Futuro empowers the inner-city 
community to provide early intervention and educational awareness to 
benefit those who need it the most.
  To grasp the strength of Ms. Reyes, one must look beyond El Valor. 
Ms. Reyes works with several other organizations to benefit her 
community and the rest of society. She works with the Harrison Parks 
Seniors. She recently was appointed to the Chicago Transit Authority 
Board. Her talents have passed onto her children; her daughter Mary 
Gonzales founded Pilsen Neighbors to motivate and unify her community.
  Ms. Reyes has worked with companies and residents to expand 
vocational and rehabilitative services. Ms. Reyes is an advocate for 
her community and is driven to make a difference. She looks at her 
society and sees not what is wrong but what can be done.
  I congratulate Ms. Guadalupe Reyes for her strength and care to 
create an extraordinary organization through her efforts. I 
congratulate those who work with Ms. Reyes and enhance the community 
through their own efforts. Imagine what could change in our society if 
every individual had the same spirit and energy as Ms. Guadalupe 
Reyes.

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