[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 17 (Monday, February 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING R.A.I.N. 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 2, 2015

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, sometimes a simple civic organization 
intended to help and improve a small community can turn into a pillar 
of hope for an entire city. That has undoubtedly been the case with 
Regional Aid for Interim Needs, or R.A.I.N.
  R.A.I.N. was founded in 1964 by Beatrice Castiglia-Catullo to serve 
those in need as a multi-social service agency. It provides an array of 
invaluable services to the senior community of the Bronx, many of whom 
are handicapped, home bound, or otherwise incapable of providing 
themselves with certain necessities.
  R.A.I.N. has full-service neighborhood senior centers, home-delivered 
meals, transportation services, assistance with benefits and 
entitlements, case management and elder abuse services, in addition to 
community-based mobile meals for homeless and hungry persons. Their 
commitment to helping the elderly population has also led to the 
sponsorship of two residential housing projects for low-income seniors 
and an affiliated home attendant program that provides in-home 
attendant and care services.
  Building off their incredible success in the Bronx, R.A.I.N. has 
recently expanded its services to Manhattan and has licensed to provide 
Home Health Care in all five New York City boroughs as well as 
Westchester County.
  Today, R.A.I.N. has funding that accounts for 1,600 meals on wheels, 
325 daily meals to the hungry and homeless, and 11 senior centers 
providing quality programming to over 100 seniors at each site every 
day. Thousands of New Yorkers have come to rely on R.A.I.N. as a 
lifeline, and as a Congressman representing parts of the Bronx it is 
always heart-warming and comforting to see one of R.A.I.N.'s trucks on 
a block in my district.
  R.A.I.N. celebrated their 50th Anniversary on October 30th 2014. I 
want to personally thank their Board for all of the years of great 
service to the community. The work done by R.A.I.N. has literally saved 
lives and I am so proud to have such a caring organization operating in 
my district. Here's to many more great years.

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