[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN HONOR OF THE SACRAMENTO REGIONAL CONSERVATION CORPS' 25TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 3, 2009

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members, 
employees, and supporters of the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps 
on the 25th anniversary of the organization's founding last week. For 
the last twenty-five years, this fine organization has improved the 
Sacramento region, while also transforming the lives of thousands of 
corpsmembers.
  In 1984, the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce saw the need 
to create a program that would give Sacramento's young adults an 
opportunity to further their education and at the same time allow them 
to garner invaluable work experience. From that, the Sacramento Local 
Conservation Corps was born. In order to properly reflect their growth 
and commitment to the greater Sacramento region's wellbeing, they 
recently changed their name to the Sacramento Regional Conservation 
Corps.
  The Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps is a true community 
partnership. Exemplifying this is their board of directors, comprised 
of representatives from local financial institutions, law firms, 
businesses and government agencies. Their funding sources are equally 
as diverse. Each year the SRCC's committed staff looks far and wide in 
soliciting funding from government sources, private grants, and 
corporate supporters to ensure the SRCC can continue to serve the 
public and improve the lives of its corpsmembers.
  The young men and women that make up the Sacramento Regional 
Conservation Corps are just as varied as their supporters. They come 
from all neighborhoods of Sacramento, from all ethnicities and 
backgrounds, but they are united in their purpose, which is to improve 
their own lives and their community. They take on projects from 
clearing creeks and planting trees to teaching children about recycling 
and performing weatherization improvements on the homes of the less 
fortunate. Since their founding in 1984, over 4,500 young adults have 
taken part in this wonderful organization.
  In doing so, corpsmembers often earn their high school diploma or 
GED. Upon graduating from the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps 
many have enrolled in college courses, while others have obtained well 
paying jobs. While in the program, corpsmembers learn valuable lessons 
in teamwork, community stewardship, and about how to become leaders in 
their own right.
  Madam Speaker, as the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps 
celebrates their 25th Anniversary at the annual ``Breakfast on the 
River,'' I am honored to congratulate SRCC Executive Director Dwight 
Washabaugh, Board President Philip Lantsberger, and the thousands of 
SRCC alumni on this momentous achievement. I ask all my colleagues to 
join me in honoring this fine organization for all the work they have 
done for the people of Sacramento, and to wish them continued success 
in the future.

                          ____________________