[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 178 (Thursday, December 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2878-E2879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF VALENTINO W. NARDO, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 3, 2009

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to pay tribute to Valentino W. Nardo, Sr. Mr. Nardo is a fellow 
Delawarean who has dedicated his life to serving his community in the 
truest sense of the word.
  A man of great compassion, Val is known across Delaware as a champion 
of the less-fortunate. His organization, Val's Needy Family Fund, began 
as a food drive which he ran out of his Newark-based barbershop. In 
1969, Val's Needy Family Fund was able to provide 10 baskets of holiday 
meals. The project has grown exponentially over the past 40 years, 
distributing as many as 1,500 baskets at a time. Each year, Val and his 
volunteers help prepare and deliver the food baskets, answering calls 
for emergency aid from churches, social services and organizations.
  Val has always been a supporter of the nonprofit Newark Area Welfare 
Committee, and Val's Needy Family Fund is now formally affiliated with 
this long-time community organization that stocks food cupboards and 
provides other avenues of assistance for those in need. The 
collaboration has allowed Val's Fund to reach more of the people who 
are most in need and will ensure that Val's dedication to the less-
fortunate continues well beyond his lifetime. In 2008, Val was awarded 
a Jefferson Award for public service. The Jefferson Awards are given 
annually to honor individuals who make a difference in the community in 
which they work and live. The bestowal of this award is particularly 
salient for Val, as recipients of Jefferson Awards are nominated by the 
public. Val's peers and I firmly agree that he is a shining example of 
how one person truly can make a difference. And his dedication to the 
community shows no sign of stopping; each year, he does not sit down to 
Christmas dinner until all of the holiday food has been distributed. At 
90, Val possesses a

[[Page E2879]]

commitment and a desire to help others that is not just admirable, but 
contagious. Indeed, the food drive that was once run out of his shop 
has grown today to need a warehouse.
  In addition to being a committed community member, Val is a loving 
husband and devoted father. He and his wife, Mary, recently celebrated 
their 69th wedding anniversary, and Val's family members share in his 
mission of giving, enabling Val's Needy Family Fund to be a year-round 
effort. With his dedication to the hungry and less-fortunate, Val has 
done and continues to do our great state of Delaware an immeasurable 
service.
  On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Val's Needy Family Fund, I 
would like to recognize the unequaled devotion of Valentino W. Nardo, 
Sr. Val has given his time, his energy, and his heart in support of 
Delawareans. His influence and contributions have reached far and wide, 
affecting all of our communities. I commend Mr. Nardo for his tireless 
dedication and look forward to his continued success in serving those 
in need.

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