[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 135 (Friday, October 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAN CARLOS ADULT 
  COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SAN 
                     CARLOS ADULT COMMUNITY CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 12, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the San Carlos Adult 
Community Center on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and the 
Friends of the San Carlos Adult Community Center on the 20th 
anniversary of its founding as a nonprofit. The center is dedicated to 
providing programs and activities for persons age 50 and above while 
recognizing the importance of people of all ages.
  Groundbreaking for the 17,000 square foot center took place in 1982 
and at the time the building was the most completely equipped facility 
of its kind in the nation. It cost $1.5 million to build and about 
$550,000 of that funding came from federal and county sources. The 
remainder was contributed by San Carlos. The residents received quite a 
bargain, given all of the amenities of this facility.
  The center has a modern kitchen and its meeting room, which I've been 
privileged to speak in, is first-rate. The center also has a paperback 
library and computer lab, regular health screenings and is available 
for community events. In short, the San Carlos Adult Community Center 
is a place where people come to refresh themselves after a hard day's 
work or to maintain their connections to others while in retirement.
  Mr. Speaker, there are a handful of public services that connect 
people to their governments. One such service is recreation, including 
physical activity and continuing education classes. The San Carlos 
Adult Community Center draws people out of their homes and into 
recreational activities and thereby knits the community together. For 
example, the AARP offers driver safety classes. Adults can create 
lasting friendships by participating in health and wellness classes or 
by learning a new hobby such as painting, cooking or gardening. Adults 
can become better creative writers by taking a class and the current 
events sessions often feature local experts. Pedro tournaments draw 
persons from age 18 and up, while the moonlight and roses social dance 
draws people who remain young at heart.
  There is another aspect to the San Carlos Adult Community Center that 
also merits special mention because not everyone in San Carlos is self-
sufficient. Some need additional assistance, and this is where the 
Caring Cupboard Food Program becomes important. Twice per month, the 
Caring Cupboard, operated in part by center volunteers, delivers canned 
food, boxed food or packages that are non-perishable to seniors whose 
budgets do not stretch through an entire month. The volunteers in the 
Caring Cupboard also check on the welfare of the seniors who are 
served, and provide companionship for those who might not see another 
face for many days in a row. The center also helps seniors understand 
their Medicare choices by supplying HICAP volunteers who can explain 
options during open enrollment, a vital way to ensure that seniors 
remain independent.
  The Friends of the San Carlos Adult Community Center provide 
extensive fundraising support for the budget of the center. Anchored by 
a strong board of directors, the ``Friends'' are a group of volunteers 
who know that communities thrive when their volunteers build local 
institutions that provide great services. I'm sure that this mission of 
providing a place for adults to learn and to build bonds with the 
community makes the ``Friends'' one of the largest official matchmakers 
on the San Francisco Peninsula.
  Mr. Speaker, there are quite a few strong community institutions in 
San Carlos. The city prides itself on being the City of Good Living. 
The San Carlos Adult Community Center is a concrete example of why 
people love this town. In his book ``Democracy in America,'' the 19th 
Century French historian Alexis de Tocqueville remarked on the role of 
volunteerism in the young nation known as America. He contrasted it 
with the lack of a similar ethic of volunteerism in France at that 
time--a nation that he said required an official act to create even the 
smallest civic accomplishment. San Carlos is very much like America in 
its early years, filled with the warmth of volunteerism and the ethic 
that actions speak louder than words. We salute the San Carlos Adult 
Community Center on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and the 
Friends of the San Carlos Adult Community Center on its 20th 
anniversary. During every single day, they make a difference for the 
better in the lives of countless persons in the special community on 
the San Francisco Peninsula known as San Carlos.

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