[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING EXCEPTIONAL PARENTS UNLIMITED

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                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2010

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
Exceptional Parents Unlimited upon the celebration of the 20th 
anniversary of their annual fundraiser ``Fiesta! A Celebration of 
Children.'' The annual event will be held at the Clovis Memorial 
Building on Friday, May 7, 2010.
  Exceptional Parents Unlimited, EPU, was founded in 1976, as a support 
group for the parents of children with Down's syndrome. The name 
Exceptional Parents Unlimited was chosen because EPU was designed to 
provide services to children with all different special needs. Since it 
was established, EPU has developed a wide range of programs and 
services in response to the expressed needs of the families in the 
community. EPU has become a national leader in providing and promoting 
comprehensive, family-centered services through five major programs 
including early intervention, family support, supporting the 
development of the parent-child relationship, providing parent 
education and training, as well as assisting in preventing child abuse. 
EPU has also created a successful Family Resource Center, providing 
training and support to families through the Parent Training and 
Information Center Grant and the Family Empowerment Center Grant.
  Currently, EPU provides direct services to more than three thousand 
families. They provide services in English, Spanish and Hmong, 
reflecting the most common languages spoken in the Fresno area. The 
services provided by EPU include home visits as well as locations in 
urban and rural centers. The EPU staff has grown to one hundred 
employees including experienced management personnel, a Chief Financial 
Officer, a Human Resource Director, a Development Director, a Director 
of Evaluation and Data and five program managers.
  EPU has been recognized by many organizations over the years. In 1998 
EPU was honored with the Daily Points of Light Award by the Points of 
Light Foundation, a foundation that honors individuals and volunteer 
groups with a commitment to connect Americans through service to meet 
critical needs in their communities. In 2003, EPU was honored with the 
Central Valley Excellence in Business Award by The Fresno Bee, the 
Fresno Economic Development Corporation and the Fresno Chamber of 
Commerce.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Exceptional 
Parents Unlimited. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing EPU 
many years of continued success.

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