[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE ELIZA BRYANT CENTER: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF SUCCESS

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                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 1996

  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to salute the Eliza Bryant 
Center which is located in my congressional district. One hundred years 
ago, in 1896, the Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People was opened at 
284 Giddings Avenue. A century later, Eliza Bryant Center is located 
only a half-mile away from its original site. The center is a 
comprehensive provider of geriatric services including adult day care, 
senior wellness, transportation, and nursing home care.
  The Eliza Bryant Center is one of the oldest black institutions in 
the country. It is believed to be the first black charitable 
organization in the Cleveland area. Its founder, Eliza Simmons Bryant, 
was a free black woman who moved to Cleveland from North Carolina. She 
established the center in 1896 after learning that nursing homes in 
Cleveland did not admit people of color.
  Mr. Speaker, as it marks 100 years of service, the Eliza Bryant 
Center is enjoying great success. The center provides skilled nursing 
home and adult day care programs which include nutrition, health care 
monitoring, socialization and supervision. Eliza Bryant Center also 
provides Cleveland's only inner-city Alzheimer Disease Support Group.
  The center's wellness activities include field trips, cultural 
events, arts and crafts and other social activities for seniors. It 
also includes an intergenerational program involving Cleveland 
schoolchildren, and a special community garden for senior citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of my close association with the Eliza Bryant 
Center over the years. Under the direction of its executive director, 
Harvey Shankman, and his dedicated staff, the center is preparing to 
enter its second century of service. The center recently initiated a 
$2.5 million centennial campaign to further address the growing needs 
for community seniors who wish to remain in their own homes.
  I am also pleased to note that the Eliza Bryant Center was the 
recipient of the 1995 Excellence in Community Services Award from the 
Association of Ohio Philanthropic Homes for the Aged. The center enjoys 
a close affiliation with Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland 
State University, Ursuline College, Job corps and the Cleveland Public 
Schools.
  Mr. Speaker, as it marks a historic 100 years of service, I am 
pleased to salute the Eliza Bryant Center. It continues to be a beacon 
of light and a model of excellence.

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