[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 121 (Monday, September 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOORWAYS FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES

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                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 16, 2013

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 35th 
anniversary of the founding of Doorways for Women and Families. 
Northern Virginia is home to four of the top ten wealthiest counties in 
the United States. Yet amidst this wealth are numerous homeless 
families.
  Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans become homeless, 
including thousands of families. A typical family who is homeless is 
comprised of a mother in her late twenties with two children. Over 1.6 
million children in the United States are homeless, putting them at 
increased risk for moderate to severe health conditions. Nearly 50 
percent of the homeless in Arlington County are families.
  In 1978, a group of concerned community-minded residents set out to 
build Arlington's first shelter for homeless families and those fleeing 
domestic violence. Four years later, the group purchased a 1957 Cape 
Cod-style home that would become Arlington's first domestic violence 
shelter, and eventually Doorways for Women and Families. Since then, 
Doorways has gone on to assist thousands of families in need.
  From its humble beginnings, Doorways has grown considerably. Last 
year, 120 families benefited from the group's host of services--
including 162 children, who received physical, emotional and social 
support in order to help them heal from the traumatic effects of 
homelessness and domestic violence.
  Doorways piloted the Virginia Address Confidentiality Program in 
Arlington, paving the way for 26 more counties to adopt the program. In 
2009, the Washington Post awarded Doorways their Excellence in 
Nonprofit Management award for financial health and organization 
efficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity to honor Doorways 
for Women and Families as it marks 35 years of dedicated service to the 
residents of Northern Virginia.

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