[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 77 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E891-E892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF ANITA HELLAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 25, 2012

  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to 
recognize Anita Hellam on her 10th anniversary with the Stanislaus 
County Habitat for Humanity and her dedication to the residents of 
Stanislaus County.
  Ms. Hellam began her housing career as an advocate for safe and 
affordable housing for Latino field and cannery works in Stanislaus 
County. Due to her efforts, twenty-seven units of affordable housing 
were developed and she worked to develop the Workforce Development 
Program to transition low skilled workers into higher paying jobs in 
the construction trade. Ms. Hellam worked with ten public and private 
institutions/agencies to take the program from concept to a sustainable 
program which has become a part of Modesto Junior College's technical 
education program. Due to the work done by Ms. Hellam, hundreds of 
English language learners have been able to increase their skill sets, 
while finding higher paying jobs in a dynamic industry.
  Ms. Hellum was a founding board member and organizer of the 
Stanislaus County Continuum of Care. She worked closely, as a volunteer 
grant writer, with the Housing Authority writing the application that 
wrapped around all of the individual submissions to HUD. Ms. Hellam 
worked on the original two HUD applications which resulted in nearly $2 
million to Stanislaus County for housing and services to hundreds of 
citizens at risk of homelessness.
  Ms. Hellum served as a Program Manager with the Stanislaus County 
Affordable Housing agency providing transition housing for mentally ill 
individuals. In less than two years, she was able to secure 
approximately $1.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate a fifty unit 
apartment complex and a twenty unit scattered site development, which 
is supported with services by Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. 
These units will remain affordable through 2040.
  Before accepting the position with Habitat for Humanity, Ms. Hellum 
worked with Renewed Pathways which provides transitional housing to 
emancipated youth. She continues to volunteer with the organization and 
offers free grant writing and consulting services to ensure the 
continuation of the program for the youth in Stanislaus County.
  Since taking on the role of Executive Director with Habitat for 
Humanity, Ms. Hellum has brought in almost $15 million to create 
affordable homeownership opportunities for the poor and working class 
citizens of Stanislaus County. Specifically this created seventy zero 
interest new home loans and more than 50 new homes were built. Under 
her direction, the agency contracted with the local college on three 
separate occasions to revitalize some of the most economically 
distressed neighborhoods using funding from the HUD HSIAC program. Ms. 
Hellum worked closely with HUD to gain certification for Housing 
Counseling Services, becoming the first Habitat for Humanity in the 
seven Western states to gain this designation. They have assisted more 
than one thousand individuals with a range of pre and post purchase 
needs.
  Under Ms. Hellum's leadership, the Stanislaus County Habitat for 
Humanity has inaugurated two retail stores called ReStore, which 
created approximately fifteen new jobs and provides accessibility to 
low priced merchandise to the community for home maintenance and 
repair. The program has given donors a green means of ridding 
themselves of unwanted or unneeded materials that would have otherwise 
ended up in the landfill. Ms. Hellum also created the Windows of Hope 
program, which is designed to help low-income homeowners through 
Stanislaus County replace broken and non-energy efficient windows with 
efficient windows. More than two thousand windows are distributed 
annually. Ms. Hellum has increased the agency's profile in the 
community and the sustainability by increasing the bottom line of the 
organization by approximately $7 million despite the sharp increase in 
services to the community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me, and the Stanislaus 
County Habitat for Humanity, in honoring a truly wonderful member of 
our community, Anita Hellum.

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