[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PAYING TRIBUTE TO RAY GIUNTA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Ray Giunta 
for his compassionate support for families and victims in times of 
crisis.
  Ray is an ordained minister of the Evangelical Church Association, 
has a Bachelor's Degree in social work from the California State 
University in Sacramento and a Bachelor's in Pastoral Studies from 
Borean University. Not too long after graduating, Ray co-founded We 
Care Ministries with fellow minister Jeff Jones. We Care Ministries is 
a nonprofit Christian social service organization that dedicates its 
time to helping individuals and communities cope with the trauma of 
crises, from slayings and accidental deaths to high-profile tragedies 
like hurricanes, school shootings, and terrorist attacks. Since its 
existence, approximately 15,000 people have been touched by the Crisis 
Intervention team with physical, emotional, and prayer support.
  Most recently, Ray aided several displaced families of Hurricane 
Katrina by providing $11,000 in rental fares for the bus that brought 
the evacuees from Gonzales, LA to Henderson, NV. His congregation also 
supplied the families with toiletries, cell phones, gift cards to 
department stores, and shelter in homes of church volunteers.
  Ray has worked with a number of agencies, including FEMA (Federal 
Emergency Management Association), the American Red Cross and the 
Salvation Army. He has worked to provide relief at a number of 
different disaster sites, including: earthquakes in San Francisco; the 
Oklahoma City bombing; New York after 
9/11; and several hurricane disaster areas in Florida and Louisiana. 
Ray also has counseled families and friends at school shootings in 
Texas and California as well as corporate mass shootings throughout the 
Nation.
  When he isn't aiding distressed families and friends, he serves as 
the Encouragement Pastor at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, NV, 
where he oversees a congregation of 8,000 members as well as the 
community outreach programs to the city. As pastor, he trains 
sympathetic, willing volunteers with the tools necessary to provide 
exceptional spiritual support for those in need.
  Ray has received numerous awards for his compassionate care, 
including ``Investigator of the Year'' during his time as a criminal 
investigator. He also accepted the California Governor's ``Heroes in 
Health Care'' Award and the ``Good Samaritan'' Award from the American 
Red Cross. The California State Legislature also recognized him for his 
outstanding service in Oklahoma City and New York.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I honor Reverend Ray 
Giunta for his generosity and selflessness to numerous people during 
some of the most tragic events in today's world. On behalf of the Las 
Vegas community, I thank him for his caring attitude and wish him luck 
in all of his future deeds.

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