[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO HUNTS POINT MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 1997

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Hunts Point 
Multi-Service Center, Inc., for 30 years of service to the South Bronx 
community. The anniversary was celebrated on September 14 at 630 
Jackson Avenue, in my South Bronx congressional district.
  Ramon S. Velez, the center's founder and president, understood the 
need to establish a center that could provide South Bronx residents 
with a wide variety of services right in the community. The Center 
started as a Federal demonstration project, established with the 
collaboration of Federal, State, and local governments.
  Throughout its 30 years of service, the center has been a model of 
excellence in providing our community with quality health care, 
counseling, substance abuse services, education, training, child care, 
and housing services.
  With the collaboration of a qualified staff, the center expanded its 
network to include additional services in conjunction with other local 
organizations and medical centers. Among these are: the South Bronx 
Mental Health Council, the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, 
United Bronx Parents, the Bronx Perinatal Consortium, the New York 
State Division of Parole, the Osborne Association, Argus Community, and 
the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center.
  Highlights of the 30th anniversary celebration were the inauguration 
of a new health center and dedications for a new Head Start Center and 
the South Bronx School of Technology. It also featured a community 
parade, an ethnic festival, and performances by many artists, including 
Tito Puente.
  The achievements of the Hunts Point Multi-Service Center are measured 
by the people it has served. Thousands of residents have been employed 
and benefited from the center's education and training programs. And 
hundreds of thousands of people, from children to senior citizens, have 
received quality health care.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to honor the family and friends 
of the Hunts Point Multi-Service Center, Inc. for their 30 years of 
success and dedication serving the South Bronx community.

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