[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 79 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E922-E924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA, FRESNO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 24, 2010

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, my colleague from California, Mr. 
Costa, and I rise today to commend and congratulate the Central 
California Veterans Home Support Foundation upon the groundbreaking 
ceremony of the Veterans Home of California in Fresno. The ceremony is 
to be held on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at the future site of the home 
and is a true testament of the hard work and dedication of the 
California Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs and the Central California Veterans Home Support 
Foundation.
  Having a home dedicated to serving the needs of the veterans in the 
San Joaquin Valley has been a long time goal of the Central

[[Page E923]]

California Veterans Home Foundation, CCVHF. This goal became achievable 
when the Millennial Healthcare Act of 2000 through the U.S. Department 
of Veterans Affairs, USDVA, was placed into effect, changing the way 
projects were evaluated for State Home Grant funding. Under the new 
rules, new Veterans Homes receiving grant funds would have to be 
located near veteran population centers; California has been listed by 
the USDVA as one of two states in ``great need'' for additional 
Veterans Homes, and Fresno is a region with a large veteran population 
and healthcare hub.
  In response to the federal recognition, the state legislature and 
then California Governor Gray Davis, responded by passing the Veterans 
Home Bond Act of 2000 and Assembly Bill 1077 of 2004. This state 
legislation made funds available to develop and construct new Veterans 
Homes in Lancaster, Ventura, West Los Angeles, Fresno and Redding, and 
met the matching requirements of the federal funding.
  CCVHF was formed and conversations were held with the California 
Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as local elected officials, to 
insure the Fresno project would happen. In 2003, funding was cut short 
due to budget issues within the state. The board members of the 
foundation took many trips to Sacramento to fight for the funding they 
were initially promised. After a six-year struggle, the state and 
federal government signed off on construction of the new Veterans Home 
in southwest Fresno. The twenty-seven acre site in West Fresno will be 
the site of a three-hundred bed facility for veterans, offering 
complete medical and dental care amidst the amenities of a small town 
atmosphere. CCVHF envisions a home where residents can participate in 
on and off campus activities, civic affairs and attend veteran service 
organization meetings. Residents will also have the option of 
participating in the Therapeutic Employment Program, visiting the on-
site libraries, or attending events such as dances, social gatherings, 
special programs, arts and crafts, as well as staying active while 
gardening or swimming. The goal of the facility and CCVHF is to enable 
residents to achieve their highest quality of life in an atmosphere of 
dignity and respect.
  Madam Speaker, Mr. Costa and I rise today to commend and congratulate 
all of the organizations and individuals that have made the 
groundbreaking of the Veterans Home of California in Fresno possible. I 
invite my colleagues to join us in wishing the home and future 
residents great success.
    

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