[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO O. LEWIS HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 1999

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to invite my colleagues to pay 
tribute to O. Lewis Harris on the occasion of his 20th Anniversary as 
the Executive Director of the Forest Hills Community House.
  Lewis Harris joined the Forest Hills Community House in it's fourth 
year of operation. With a small budget and staff, he worked with the 
agency board, community leadership and elected officials to define the 
service role and mission for the organization, a task that continues to 
this day. A strong believer in community and coalition building, Lew 
Harris quickly became involved with Community Board #6 and was 
appointed as a member in the spring of 1979.
  Lew Harris' strong interest and focus on community service led him to 
join the Queensboro Council for Social Welfare, the Queens Interagency 
Council for Aging. The Non-Profit Coordinating Committee of New York; 
The Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City, and the 
New York City Coalition for the Aging on whose Boards of Directors he 
continues to serve.
  Under Lew Harris' leadership, the Forest Hills Community House has 
developed a broad array of services for people of all ages. Today, the 
Forest Hills Community House operates more than thirty-five programs 
through nineteen different locations in Queens and provides services to 
more than 15,000 people annually. In the last twenty years, the Forest 
Hills Community House has gained a reputation for developing innovative 
and high quality services. Several Community House programs have also 
been identified as models for replication throughout New York City and 
beyond.
  O. Lewis Harris has long been known as an innovator and beacon of 
good will to all those with whom he has come into contact. Through his 
dedicated efforts, he has helped improve my constituents' quality of 
life. In recognition of his many accomplishments on behalf of my 
constituents, I offer my congratulations to O. Lewis Harris on the 
occasion of his 20th Anniversary as the Executive Director of the 
Forest Hills Community House.

                          ____________________