[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 167 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         HONORING TEELA MICKLES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. LEE TERRY

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 21, 2013

  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I want to honor Teela 
Mickles for being an advocate for the youth of Omaha. She is an 
inspiration for change by creating opportunities for young people to 
remain active and accountable members of the community.
  Teela's interest in helping people return to a successful life after 
incarceration comes from her own experiences. Teela was involved in a 
marriage where domestic abuse was prevalent and was finally able to 
break away after fourteen years. She was able to start a new life for 
herself and her five children. Her faith in God and desire to do what 
was right convinced her that she could help others to restore their 
lives as well.
  Teela founded an organization called Compassion in Action in 1994 to 
provide a holistic approach to family restoration and community re-
establishment for incarcerated individuals and their families. The 
program is designed to address the specific needs of individuals coming 
out of incarceration by offering them pre-release and re-entry 
services, advocacy and mentoring services, and transitional and 
independent living preparation for youth.
  Currently, Teela is leading Compassion in Action in a $300,000 
fundraising campaign to renovate the former Wesley House building in 
North Omaha and begin operations there. She is especially enthusiastic 
about the R.A.W. D.A.W.G.S. Youth Corps Gang Prevention Program 
clubhouse that will be in the lower level of the building working to 
replace the desire for gang membership. Teela is working around the 
clock to recruit a community-wide network of concerned families and 
community leaders who believe in the importance of investing in our 
children, rather than building more prisons.
  Teela believes that the main key to success is prevention. She is 
convinced that the best way to prepare someone for the outside world 
after their release is to prepare them prior to their release.
  It's my privilege to recognize Teela's commitment to building up our 
community and her efforts to bring it together.

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