[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E229-E230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO JOHN M. HITCHCOCK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor John M. Hitchcock, 
who will be retiring as Executive Director of Hillsides Home for 
Children in March 2010.
  John M. Hitchcock was born in New York, NY on April 23, 1940. He 
received his BA in Math and Chemistry from the University of Michigan 
in 1963 and his MA in Social Work from Wayne State University in 1965. 
John and his wife, Ida, have been married for over 40 years and reside 
in Pasadena. The Hitchcocks have two sons, David and Bob, and one 
granddaughter, Kate.
  In 1971, John joined Hillsides Home for Children as Assistant 
Director and then became Executive Director and President of Hillsides 
Education Center in 1981. Since then, John has been responsible for the 
overall operation of Hillsides, which encompasses the management of the 
17-acre campus, the operation of three local group homes, and planning, 
directing and coordinating Hillsides' activities.
  Under Mr. Hitchcock's leadership, Hillsides has become an exemplary 
residential treatment program for children. The Hillsides Education 
Center continues to be an invaluable resource for the community, and 
the scope of programs and services provided by Hillsides has expanded 
to serve not only abused, abandoned and neglected children but also 
children and families in crisis living in Los Angeles County. John 
helped provide residential care, community-based support, special 
education and transitional assistance to emancipating foster youth, and 
in 2006, opened a large apartment complex, which serves as a 
transitional living facility for 20 emancipated foster youth.
  Mr. Hitchcock has served on many boards and commissions including 
Planned Parenthood of Pasadena, Camp Wrightwood, Coalition for a Non-
Violent City, Gooden Center, and the Association of Community Human

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Service Agencies, and he has served as Chair of the Episcopal 
Commission on Advocacy for Children and Youth. John is actively 
involved in the Foster Care Project at All Saints Episcopal Church, and 
he is a Canon in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
  For over 40 years, John has truly been a voice for at-risk children. 
His kindness, foresight, leadership and extraordinary energy have 
profoundly impacted the lives of the 25,000 children and their families 
in his care over the years. By maintaining a deep awareness of the 
children's current needs as well as personal knowledge of each of the 
residents in Hillsides' care, John has created a warm, loving 
environment where children feel secure enough to rebuild hope for the 
future.
  I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring John M. 
Hitchcock for nearly 40 years of dedicated service to Hillsides Home 
for Children and the entire community.

                          ____________________