[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 106 (Thursday, July 26, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO MS. KIMBERLY A. SHELLMAN OF THE D.C. CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY 
                                 CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                    HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 26, 2001

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Ms. Kim 
Shellman as she finishes her duties here in Washington and moves to 
Atlanta to continue her work with children. Kim has been the founder, 
the inspiration and the blood, sweat and tears of Safe Shores--the D.C. 
Children's Advocacy Center. Since she first began working to provide 
the District of Columbia with its own child advocacy center over five 
years ago, she has brought professionalism, a tireless enthusiasm and a 
heart bigger than this city to the task. The D.C. Children's Advocacy 
Center is a non-profit, private-public partnership that coordinates an 
inter-agency team approach to child abuse cases in the District. It is 
modeled after the National Children's Advocacy Center that I started in 
Huntsville, Alabama, when I served there as District Attorney before my 
election to Congress. It is a joy to see something you started take 
off. The D.C. Children's Advocacy Center has shown us that the model 
can be successfully adapted in urban settings and with the unique 
government structure of the District.
  Kim has accomplished an amazing amount here in Washington, and I have 
no doubt she will continue to excel in her new position in Atlanta. She 
has the unique ability to work with a system and sort through the 
bureaucracy to ensure that what's most important--our children--are 
being taken care of. The Children's Advocacy movement believes in 
putting the needs of abused children first and Kim embodies that 
belief. Throughout her career, she has sought out ways to help children 
within the confines of the justice system. As an elementary school 
teacher, volunteer at a Dominican orphanage, the Director of a tutoring 
program, a legal intern with the Family Division, a law clerk for the 
Presiding Judge of the Family Division at D.C. Superior Court, and 
finally as the Executive Director of Safe Shores, Kim has given freely 
of her talents, wisdom and energy to children. She has been recognized 
for her work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1998 
Commissioner's Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service in the 
Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
  Kim has done everything for Safe Shores from supervising staff and 
team agencies to accounting to drafting policies and procedures to 
coordinating capital campaigns. She has been on the frontlines of child 
abuse prevention and treatment for over five years. Her success can be 
measured through each child that has gone through her program and has 
benefited from Safe Shores' services. She has been a tremendous asset 
for the district and we are sorry to see her go. We do, however, wish 
her the best as she begins her new job working with the Fulton County 
District Attorney's office to build a model CAC program there in 
Atlanta, Georgia. The children of Atlanta are very fortunate to have 
Kim on their side. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I 
wish Kim the best and sincerely thank her for going above and beyond 
the call of her duty on behalf of children.

                          ____________________