[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 129 (Thursday, October 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF MS. LINDA LEONARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2005

  Mrs. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ms. Linda 
Leonard, a dedicated member and Executive Director of Long Island 
Crisis Center, LICC. On October 10, 2005, Ms. Leonard will celebrate 30 
years of service to the citizens of Nassau County and Long Island.
  Long Island Crisis Center was created in the 1970s by students of 
Adelphi University to promote counseling for students by students via 
telephone or face-to-face appointments. Since then, the Center has 
expanded to help countless Long Islanders with a wide array of 
programs.
  Ms. Leonard has been in charge of the Center since 1979. She has 
brought support to numerous groups on Long Island and has brought the 
LICC from its very humble beginnings to an established multi-service 
agency. The people of Long Island are in debt to the work of this 
committed woman.
  There have been many groundbreaking programs established by Ms. 
Leonard in her 30 years of service. For example, in the late 1970s 
runaway and homeless youth had no where to turn to for support. Ms. 
Leonard changed that in conjunction with the Nassau County Youth Board. 
She established the Runaway and Homeless Youth Hotline along with 
housing for these young people. She further led the way in the creation 
of Nassau Haven, a shelter for these same youth. While this shelter was 
not opened until 1980, the LICC continued to help these young members 
of the Long Island community.
  Ms. Leonard is also responsible in creating support lines for people 
from stigmatized populations of Long Island. She had led the fight to 
create peer counseling and assistance programs for gay and lesbian 
youth. She pursued this fight through the 1980s, a time where this 
policy was viewed as highly unpopular. In 1993, LICC formed Pride for 
Youth with a grant from the Paul Rapoport Foundation. Pride for Youth's 
mission is to enhance the health and wellness of these youth through 
education, supportive services, and youth development.
  It is the strong leadership of this woman that has allowed the LICC 
to be an effective organization in helping those members of the Long 
Island community most needing help. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please 
join me in congratulating Linda in her 30 years of service. Best 
wishes, Linda, and I can only hope you continue serving Long Island in 
the exceptional way you have for 30 years.

                          ____________________