[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E91]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITMENT OF KAREN PAPASODORA-COCHRANE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 5, 2002

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, last week, the President in his state of the 
union address called upon all Americans to reveal the better side of 
their nature and to take time to contribute to their communities 
through a variety of volunteer activities. I rise today to honor a 
Chesapeake, Virginia woman who heeded that call long before it was 
made.
  Karen Papasodora-Cochrane is an attorney and mediator, a loving wife 
and mother for four. But, she is also an active member of her 
community, volunteering her time, energy, and skills to a variety of 
causes. Since moving to Chesapeake in 1989, Karen has volunteered to 
help her neighbors most in need of assistance. She has offered her time 
raising money for the Chesapeake Care Free Clinic, serving meals to the 
homeless, and working at the Clothing Closet and Food Pantry at 
Kempsville Presbyterian Church. Karen has also given of her legal 
skills, providing pro bono services at the Chesapeake Juvenile and 
Domestic Relations Court to help victims of domestic violence and 
supervising a free legal clinic in a low-income community.
  Furthermore, Karen has been an active participant in the civic 
process that keeps our democracy moving at its most basic levels. She 
has been an active member and leader in the Republican Party of 
Chesapeake and the Central Chesapeake Republican Women's Club for many 
years. Later this month, she will be honored by her colleagues for this 
commitment as Chesapeake's Grassroots Volunteer of the Year. I can 
hardly imagine anyone who is more deserving of this award.
  We can all learn from her commitment and dedication to the principle 
of public service. I am honored to know her and to have had the 
privilege of working by her side for the betterment of the city I call 
home. Her energy has been an inspiration, and I feel privileged to have 
the opportunity to share her spirit with this chamber today.

                          ____________________