[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E612-E613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CHICANO FAMILY CENTER 25TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 9, 1997

  Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, for as long as I have been representing 
Houston in the Texas House and Senate and now in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, our community has benefited from the presence of the 
Chicano Family Center.
  This month, the Chicano Family Center celebrates its 25th 
anniversary. April 17 will mark one-quarter of a century of the 
center's commitment to providing family counseling, intake and referral 
services, emergency food and clothing, substance abuse prevention and 
intervention programs for children and families, afterschool and summer 
programs, recreation and sports activities, juvenile delinquency and 
teen pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS education and English as a second 
language instruction.
  The Chicano Family Center has left an indelible imprint on the lives 
of families throughout Houston through these meaningful programs. 
Though the center serves a predominantly Hispanic community, its doors 
are open to any person who asks for help or who seeks to participate in 
its programs. The Chicano Family Center's simultaneous empowerment of 
the Hispanic community and fostering of cross-cultural interaction and 
understanding have enriched the lives of Houston area residents from 
all ethnic backgrounds.
  In recognizing Houston's Chicano Family Center today, I am echoing 
the words of praise the center has earned from the Houston Chronicle, 
the United Way, Governor George Bush's office and the mayor of the city 
of Houston Robert Lanier, among others.
  Thank you, Chicano Family Center, for your 25 years of service to our 
community, inspiration to our citizens and promotion of the highest 
ideals.

                      [From the Houston Chronicle]

 Serving Houston--The Need Is There, and Community Service Can Meet It

       Serve Houston, this city's chapter of the national 
     AmeriCorps program, today will

[[Page E613]]

     field some 1,500 citizens for a day of community service. The 
     project combines teams of volunteers from schools, churches, 
     neighborhoods, businesses and families with corporate support 
     and aims to demonstrate the power of citizens to improve 
     their communities.
       The volunteers will, among other things, make repairs to 
     schools, houses and churches, till community gardens, 
     construct wheelchair ramps and conduct field trips for 
     children with special needs. The project also will raise 
     money to support the AmeriCorps interns who conduct school 
     and after-school programs for more than 1,000 children every 
     day.
       One of Serve Houston's important community partners is the 
     Chicano Family Center, which celebrates its 25th anniversary 
     on Monday. Located on Avenue E on Houston's east side, the 
     center serves a largely Hispanic neighborhood and clientele 
     but provides help to any person who asks for it, regardless 
     of ethnicity and with no questions asked.
       The center efficiently and productively provides a broad 
     array of social services for children, young parents and the 
     elderly: education and literacy training; tutoring and 
     counseling for students; an award-winning Scouting troop; 
     family and drug abuse counseling; nutrition and sewing 
     classes; and medical referrals. The list continues much 
     further and covers virtually everything families need to 
     correct problems, survive crises and learn the skills and 
     habits necessary to live successful and fulfilling lives. In 
     short, the Chicano Family Center serves as a model for 
     delivery of social services to the community.
       As welfare reform proceeds and welfare recipients use up 
     their rationed benefits, community service organizations such 
     as Serve Houston and the Chicano Family Center, which combine 
     public and private resources, professionals and volunteers, 
     will play an increasingly important role in providing help 
     for those who need it.

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