[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 51 (Friday, April 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E581-E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MS. MARGARET SIMMS

                                 ______


                        HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 1996

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a magnificent lady, 
Ms. Margaret Simms, who retired from 23 years of service to the 
National Democratic Club [NDC] at the end of March. She played an 
important role in the daily lives of Members of Congress, political 
party representatives, lobbyists, and friends of the NDC. She will be 
sorely missed.
  Margaret labored faithfully on behalf of the NDC. She performed her 
job with grace and perfection. She greeted all patrons with respect and 
courtesy. My constituents, family, friends, and I were beneficiaries of 
her geniality on numerous occasions. She was cherished by all of us.
  On April 2, Members of Congress and friends of the National 
Democratic Club gathered to pay tribute to Margaret and to thank her 
for making their lives in Washington more pleasant. I was among those 
Members who took time during the recent congressional recess to 
personally express my appreciation to Margaret. In addition, I 
presented her with a proclamation, designating Tuesday, April 2, 1996 
as ``Margaret Simms Day'' in the First Congressional District of 
Missouri, in recognition of her dedication, excellence, and hospitality 
to citizens of the First District. It was an honor much deserved.
  I wish Margaret Simms great health and wonderful fellowship in her 
retirement.

[[Page E582]]



               A TRIBUTE TO THE VARICK FAMILY LIFE CENTER

                                 ______


                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 1996

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, April 20, 1996 the Varick 
Family Life Center will celebrate its official opening. The Center is a 
multi-service resource and support center for children and families in 
the Dixwell Avenue neighborhood of New Haven. It is with great pleasure 
that I rise today to commend this wonderful organization.
  The Varick Family Life Center adheres to the Old African proverb ``It 
takes a whole village to raise a child.'' The proverb encapsulates one 
of the main goals of the Center which is to make already existing 
services more available to the residents of the neighborhood. Parents 
will be guided through the use of family services and have an advocate 
as they seek the resources they need. Effectively bringing parents into 
contact with community resources will go a long way toward making 
parents feel connected to the community and neighborhood.
  The second goal of the Center is to provide families with the tools 
to become self-sufficient. I believe that this dual focus of family and 
community will be the cornerstone of the Center's success. By 
integrating the many human services and programs available in New Haven 
neighborhoods, the Center hopes to insure that all the needs of the 
family are attended to and that no family slips through the cracks. By 
truly coordinating family services, the Center will make vital 
community resources more available to the families that need them.
  The Center will maintain its focus on families by appointing four 
neighborhood residents and training them to act as Family Resource 
Specialists. These specialists will focus on the social, health and 
financial concerns of needy families. I believe that this is the most 
crucial aspect of the Center. The Family Resource Specialists will work 
with parents to help them become more proactive rather than reactive in 
situations that affect their lives and families. Economic and financial 
concerns are addressed by the Center through job training and 
educational programs in the areas of budgeting and money management. By 
providing parents and families with these valuable tools we are 
enabling them to become more self-reliant and independent. We are 
giving them a chance to make a difference in their own lives and to 
feel that they have some control over their life's course. This is 
ultimately the most important and best solution to the problems and 
challenges faced by the residents of the neighborhood.
  I commend the congregation and leadership of the Varick Memorial AME 
Zion Church for their amazing dedication to this worthwhile project. 
They have every reason to believe that their vision and hopes for the 
project will be realized. The Center is a wonderful community resource 
that should serve as a model for other cities and towns in Connecticut 
and in the Nation.

                          ____________________