[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 88 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING IRMA COLEN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 10, 2006

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Irma Colen, an extraordinary 
philanthropist and dear friend who died last week.
  Irma gave her time and energy to many needy causes in Southern 
California. She volunteered countless hours at scores of civic and 
philanthropic organizations, serving on the boards of the ACLU 
Foundation, the University of Judaism, and many others.
  But it was health care for needy families which held a special place 
in her heart. When Irma was 12 years old, she had rheumatic fever and 
had to spend many days in a public hospital. ``I know that if I were 
going to get better, it would be because the people taking care of me 
truly cared about my health,'' she said many times over the years. This 
childhood experience spurred a lifetime of support for the Venice 
Family Clinic, which provides free health care to homeless, needy, and 
uninsured members of the Venice community.
  Irma worked over 30 hours a week at the Clinic, and countless other 
hours in the community getting others interested and involved. She was 
a force of nature, working tirelessly to develop the Clinic's private 
support base and programs. As a member of the Clinic's Board in 1999 
and 2000, I observed Irma's effectiveness in raising millions.
  Among Irma's most creative and best known fundraisers for the Clinic 
was the Venice Art Walk, which she and other volunteers organized in 
1981. The event, which includes tours of artists' studios and an art 
auction, has attracted thousands of visitors and raised millions of 
dollars for the Clinic.
  For these and other charitable efforts, Irma earned scores of 
commendations and awards, including the President's Volunteer Service 
Award in 1992. But it wasn't the awards and recognition that motivated 
her. It was her commitment to caring for the less fortunate among us.
  She was a generous friend, a dynamic personality, and a prodigious 
worker. She will be sorely missed by Lou and their family, scores of 
her friends, and generations of patients whom the Clinic has ably 
served.

                          ____________________