[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S9437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN CRISIS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to give praise to a great 
nonprofit organization, Santa's Children Christmas Village, run by 
Orien Hodges in Walnut, IA. This organization has been supporting 
children in crisis for years both by raising money for other nonprofit 
organizations dedicated to children in crisis and by organizing Santa 
visits to bring joy to children, helping them escape briefly from the 
reality of serious illness. Santa's Children Christmas Village has been 
able to visit over 7,500 children in Iowa as well as neighboring states 
since the program started in 1998.
  Santa's Children Christmas Village is currently expanding its efforts 
to help underprivileged children by working with a fellow organization, 
Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. KIDS's main goal is to prevent the 
cycle of poverty that is started in childhood from continuing into 
adulthood. KIDS has been successful in its efforts because of the help 
it receives from leading retailers, manufacturers, licensors and other 
charity organizations such as Santa's Children Christmas Village. I am 
proud of the efforts of my fellow Iowans and the organizations that 
they are working with in order to better the lives of children in 
America.

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