[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF TERTULIAS DE ANTANO AND ITS FOUNDER LIDIA GIL-RAMOS: MAKING 
        A DIFFERENCE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 1997

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
exceptional woman, Ms. Lidia Gil-Ramos and the exceptional organization 
which she founded, Tertulias de Antano. The contributions of Ms. Lidia 
Gil-Ramos and Tertulias de Antano will be celebrated at the group's 23d 
Anniversary Dinner Dance to be held at Schutzen Park in North Bergen, 
NJ, on Sunday, April 27, 1997.
  Such a well-respected program, Tertulias de Antano, is the result of 
the unwavering dedication of its founder Lidia Gil-Ramos. Before 
arriving in Union City, NJ, in 1965, she taught both elementary school 
and elderly farm workers in her homeland of Cuba. Education was also a 
personal passion for Ms. Gil-Ramos. She earned her masters degree from 
the University of Havana. This extraordinary woman then became director 
of a large nursing home in San Miguel de los Banos, Matanzas in central 
Cuba.
  Upon arriving in America, Ms. Gil-Ramos found employment as an income 
maintenance specialist for the Food Stamp Program in Jersey City. Her 
dedicated service to senior citizens began with the Cuban refugee 
program in her adopted hometown of Union City. There Ms. Gil-Ramos 
witnessed the difficult process of adjustment experienced by many Cuban 
seniors in their new environment. Resolved to make a positive 
difference in the lives of the senior citizens in the community, Ms. 
Gil-Ramos instituted the Tertulias de Antano recreational program on 
October 13, 1974.
  Ms. Gil-Ramos is the heart and soul of Tertulias de Antano. This 
invaluable program dispenses information concerning English-language 
programs, health care issues, and community events to area seniors. 
Presently, this uniquely beneficial program is applauded by senior 
citizens from countries throughout Latin America who have found a new 
home in Hudson County. Ms. Gil-Ramos' vision and commitment to 
excellence are evident in the pleasure experienced by senior citizens 
who have benefited from the services of Tertulias de Antano.
  It is an honor to have Ms. Lidia Gil-Ramos and Tertulias de Antano as 
parts of the community in my district. They are shining examples of 
what can be accomplished when people work together toward a common 
goal.

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