[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO MS. CAROLYN McLAUGHLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2005

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to pay tribute to Carolyn McLaughlin for her many years of outstanding 
service as the Executive Director of the Citizens Advice Bureau, a 
Bronx based social service organization that has helped countless 
families obtain a new lease on life.
  Carolyn has always been dedicated to empowering the people of her 
community. After receiving her Masters in Social Work from Columbia 
University, she joined the Mt. Eden Senior Center and later the 
Vacation Camp for the Blind. In 1979, Carolyn made the Citizens Advice 
Bureau her home and has overseen CAB's progression from a small 
organization staffed by two people to one with 450 staff members, eight 
major divisions, and a budget of more than $25 million.
  The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is a multi-service organization 
whose mission is to improve the well-being of low-income individuals, 
families, and communities in the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan. 
CAB provides an array of services including: Early childhood education, 
after-school and summer camp programs for children, assistance for 
homeless families, crisis intervention, counseling and case management 
for persons with AIDS, senior programs, legal and citizenship 
assistance for immigrants and a wide range of teen programs.
  Under Carolyn's strong leadership, CAB has enjoyed many 
accomplishments over the past 25 years. These accomplishments include: 
Merging with the Girls Club of New York, obtaining contracts for three 
Tier II family shelters, creating a Homeless Prevention program, 
developing a Homeless Outreach team and living room drop in center for 
homeless adults, launching the Homelessness Relocation Assistance 
Program for families leaving the shelter system and returning to 
permanent housing and developing a homeless outreach team.
  Carolyn sits on the boards of the Non-Profit Coordinating Committee 
and the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizen's Council. She chaired the Bronx 
Cluster of Settlement Houses for two years and oversaw cluster-wide 
community building activities from 1997 to 2001. She also served on 
advisory panels commissioned on out-of-school time services and 
homelessness by Mayor Bloomberg.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Carolyn's unyielding service to the 
people of the Bronx. Her efforts have helped countless families enjoy a 
higher standard of living and given them hope that there is a brighter 
tomorrow. Dr. King once stated that, ``Life's most urgent question is: 
What are you doing for others?'' Carolyn, along with the entire staff 
of Citizens Advice Bureau need simply point to the long list of 
individuals they have helped to empower in the City of New York.
  I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Ms. Carolyn 
McLaughlin and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

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