[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A SALUTE TO LEAH GANSLER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and salute 
Ms. Leah Gansler, a very special person in the Washington metropolitan 
region, recognized as a Washingtonian of the Year for her leadership 
and commitment to helping others, especially disadvantaged children. We 
are graced by her commitments and accomplishments which have helped so 
many.
  Ms. Gansler launched a nonprofit, CharityWorks, in 1999, after 
volunteer work showed her the great need in this area among children 
and families. Leah brought together a team of dedicated friends and 
community leaders to create this nonprofit and local philanthropic 
organization. Her vision has been to transform the lives of families 
and children in the Washington metropolitan area, to try to break the 
cycle of poverty, to enhance local educational programs, and to enable 
families to overcome critical health issues, through the philanthropy 
of the CharityWorks organization. Her plan was a terrific success: 
CharityWorks' first $375,000 went to Habitat for Humanity for 20 plots 
of land and one house, which Gansler's members built. When President 
Carter learned of the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and 
CharityWorks, he praised Leah's efforts as ``unique in Habitat's 
history and a sample for other communities.'' Since 1999, Leah has 
spearheaded CharityWorks' partnerships that have made an extraordinary 
impact in our community by distributing a net of more than $10,000,000.
  Wanting to include friends but not stay with the same charity every 
year, Leah devised two networks: one of 125 volunteers, who would 
screen charities and work with those chosen, and one of 40 CEOs and 
others who could give and raise money and would choose the recipient 
groups. This unique combination of efforts has led to signal 
accomplishments that have changed and transformed many lives and 
enriched our greater community. Among some of her greatest 
accomplishments are: creating 24 college scholarships, opening and 
expanding literacy programs, supporting after school child literacy 
programs, and building the Fisher House at the Veteran's Medical Center 
here in the nation's capital.
  Appalling statistics convinced Leah that education is the key to 
breaking the cycle of dependency on welfare, so CharityWorks partnered 
with The Orphan Foundation of America to change the lives of twenty-
four local foster teens by sending them to college. That same 
commitment to disadvantaged children led Leah to open and expand child 
literacy programs in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Through 
her personal efforts, hard work, and generosity, Everybody Wins, the 
largest grassroots literacy and mentoring program, serving 3,600 
children was awarded $450,000 by CharityWorks in 2002.
  Ms. Gansler also supported after-school and summer programs of The 
Fishing School in two of the most crime-ridden, depressed neighborhoods 
of Northeast D.C. Leah's tireless fundraising allowed CharityWorks to 
raise over $650,000, providing 120 at-risk elementary school children a 
safe harbor from violence, addiction and abuse. Similarly, her efforts 
were key in 2004 to CharityWorks' partner, See Forever, opening a 
second campus of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School for 150 teens. 
Leah was the leading light to raise $700,000 for the school, providing 
what The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer called ``their last shot at 
success.'' Because of Leah's dedication, CharityWorks was also able to 
grant Heads Up more than $750,000 for after-school and summer programs 
in some of Washington, D.C.'s most under-resourced neighborhoods. More 
than 900 at-risk children attend enrichment programs in 10 local 
schools. Perceiving the need for the Center City Consortium to expand 
its program, Leah, thru CharityWorks, was able to support 2,400 at-risk 
children so that they could achieve significant academic gains.
  Through the generosity of all whose lives Leah has touched, 
CharityWorks last year was successful in raising $2 million to 
construct the 50th Fisher House on the grounds of the Veteran's Medical 
Center in Washington, D.C. Fisher House provides a comfort home for 
families of patients receiving medical care at major military and 
veteran medical centers.
  This year Leah is celebrating 10 years of CharityWorks and partnering 
with Friendship Public Charter School. They are joining hands to design 
and build Early Childhood Centers of Excellence at the school and to 
support students enrolled in Friendship's award winning program.
  Madam Speaker, we are fortunate and graced to have a person of such 
vision and leadership.

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