[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 10, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO GRACE (SANG SOOK) LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2003

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Grace (Sang Sook) Lee in 
recognition of her dedication to assisting Korean-Americans and 
troubled youths in her community.
  Ms. Lee was born in Seoul, Korea. She was educated in many different 
schools, and earned a degree in chemistry from Sacred Hearts Women's 
University. She married Chong Hwun Lee in 1980 and moved to the United 
States. Ms. Lee and her husband have three daughters, Vivian, Marian, 
and Joan.
  At the height of the Lees' success, they owned five dry cleaners in 
Manhattan. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse and they had 
to sell their home in Little Neck, NY. For some period of time, they 
had to move every two years. During this time, Grace was able to go to 
night school and earn a degree in counseling and conflict resolution.
  Adapting to a new culture and struggling to establish a successful 
business made life during the 1980s arduous. The stress caused Grace to 
fall into depression. However, she used this low point in her life to 
search for the truth in her life that would uplift her. She realized 
that she could no longer live for herself, and in 1990, in the 
teachings of her Savior Jesus Christ, she gained a new awareness that 
she must serve others.
  During this time, she met a Korean-American inmate, which altered her 
life dramatically. Since that moment, she has been diligently visiting 
Korean-American inmates in the greater New York Area. These experiences 
motivated her to focus on the problems of the youth in the Korean-
American community. The Korean-American Youth Center in Flushing, NY, 
provided her with a vehicle to work with teenagers. Because her 
children were getting older, she had more time to pursue her concern 
for all of the young people in her community.
  Using all of the experiences in her life, Grace created the Youth and 
Family Focus, a non-profit organization of which she is the executive 
officer. She runs the organization with the devoted help of a few 
volunteers. Youth and Family Focus believes that intervention with 
teenagers is the best way to affect their lives positively. The 
organization is a youth oriented program that offers many services to 
the community including parent-child counseling, education programs for 
Korean American parents, a G.E.D. program, mentoring for teens, 
retreats for teenagers, and a prison ministry.
  Ms. Lee's devotion and dedicated work with Youth and Family Focus 
have made this group an effective organization. Its success is 
reflected by the high regard it has within the Korean-American 
communities across the United States. Success is further reflected by 
the requests it receives from the judicial system, school system, and 
families for assistance with Korean American Youth.
  Mr. Speaker, Grace (Sang Sook) Lee is committed to improving the 
lives of Korean-Americans and troubled youths. As such, she is more 
than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues 
to join me in honoring this truly remarkable woman.

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