[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 37 (Friday, March 27, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING PHYLLIS KORN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 27, 1998

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a true heroine of my 
community: Phyllis Korn, retiring director of Alternatives for Battered 
Women, Inc. (ABW) in Rochester, New York.
  Phyllis Korn has devoted almost twenty years of her career to helping 
battered women and their children. As director of ABW, Ms. Korn 
shepherded the organization from being a part-time hotline operated 
from a church basement to a full domestic violence agency featuring a 
24-hour hotline, a 38-bed shelter, children's services, support groups, 
on-site court advocacy, and other services. Today ABW serves more than 
4,000 callers per year and employs 27 staff full-time, 25 part-time, 
and 35 to 50 volunteers.
  Under Ms. Korn's leadership, ABW has been a leader in awareness and 
prevention of domestic violence as well as conference organization and 
education of local leaders. Ms. Korn is also a founding member of the 
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and is an Advisory 
Board Member of the New York State Office for the Prevention of 
Domestic Violence. She has established formal and informal 
collaborations between ABW and local institutions including hospitals, 
community health centers, legal services groups, and community 
organizations, innovations which have allowed our community to treat 
battered women and families more effectively and with more compassion.
  Whether counseling battered women or educating law enforcement 
officers, Ms. Korn has been a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable 
members of our society. The long list of awards and honors she has 
received are testimony to the widespread and lasting impact of her 
work; most recently, she was named 1998 Woman of the Year by the Susan 
B. Anthony Society in Rochester. I am proud to count her among my 
constituents and, more importantly, among my friends.
  Phyllis Korn has touched the lives of thousands of Monroe County 
citizens, offering a lifeline to women and children with nowhere else 
to turn. She has left an indelible mark on our community and a legacy 
for the future. With her as our inspiration, we can all work toward a 
day when domestic violence is only a distant memory.

                          ____________________