[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 93 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E883]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE PUERTO RICAN FAMILY INSTITUTE

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                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 11, 2015

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an organization 
that has evolved into an important anchor in both New York City and in 
Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Family Institute (PRFI) provides a wide 
range of critical social and health services, strengthening our 
neighborhoods.
  For some of our youngest neighbors, PRFI operates 35 Head Start 
centers located in Brooklyn, the Bronx and San Juan, Puerto Rico. 1,396 
children benefit from this initiative, which provides pre-school 
children of low-income families a comprehensive child development 
program to meet their educational, emotional, social, health and 
nutritional needs. In addition, the Institute operates four full-day 
Universal Pre-K classrooms serving over 60 children in Brooklyn and the 
Bronx.
  On the other end of the age spectrum, PRFI is equally committed to 
caring for the seniors in our community. The Life Line Center for 
Latino Seniors is based at the Brooklyn Mental Health Clinic, and 
offers seniors counseling, assistance with obtaining financial 
entitlements, referrals for medical services, food stamp assistance, as 
well as group and peer support.
  Mental health services are also part of PRFI's portfolio. The 
Children's Intensive Case Management Program targets assistance to 
emotionally disturbed children in need of clinical case management and 
supervision. In addition PRFI runs a center helping emotionally 
disturbed adolescents, and provides adult supportive services to 
homeless mentally ill individuals. 1,128 clients benefit from this 
service, making it the largest in our state.
  Housing assistance is made available to developmentally disabled 
individuals through PRFI's quality community based residential 
services, which aims to provide skills that will enable program 
beneficiaries to live as independently as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I could go on. From health services, to nutritional 
programs, PRFI helps meet the needs of ten thousand families and 
children residing in New York and Puerto Rico. The assistance offered 
extends well beyond the Latino community reaching individuals of all 
backgrounds. What all of PRFI's programs have in common is that they 
provide a helping hand to some of our most vulnerable neighbors. 
Whether it is the senior citizen struggling to get by on a fixed 
income, a low-income family endeavoring to raise children or a 
developmentally disabled person wanting to lead a richer life, PRFI 
harnesses the strengths of our community to assist them.

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