[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ALICIA DICOCHEA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2016

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Alicia Dicochea. 
Alicia is known throughout Merced County for her dedication and service 
to her community. She is retiring this year after serving as one of the 
founding members of the Board of Directors of Golden Valley Health 
Centers since 1971. Alicia has gone above and beyond in the effort to 
make her community a better place, volunteering her time in health 
care, education and church.
  Alicia was born in Cutler, California. She is the youngest of five 
siblings, born to parents who immigrated to the Central Valley from 
Mexico in the 1920s. From an early age she learned the meaning of hard 
work, working in the fields with her siblings in order to help support 
the family.
  In 1947 Alicia married Jesus Dicochea. The young family, along with 
their children moved to Los Banos in 1965 in order to pursue work 
opportunities, where they have lived ever since.
  Alicia's involvement with Golden Valley Health Centers began when it 
was just a single clinic for farm workers. Today the medical center has 
25 clinics and serves Merced and Stanislaus counties. Alicia has been 
an advocate for health care for the Valley's underserved since the 
beginnings of her involvement with Golden Valley.
  Alicia has also been an advocate in education. She made the decision 
to play an active role in her children's school from the day the first 
of her ten children began school. She was selected to be a part of a 
group of parents and UC Davis students to assess the needs of the 
community in order to properly use funding available to local students 
and families. She was involved in Merced College's Los Banos campus 
from its beginnings. She taught Spanish and advised on the curriculum 
for English as a Second Language students.
  Her strong faith has led to a natural involvement with her church. 
Alicia served as a delegate for the Guadalupanas Society in Los Banos 
and served as secretary for District 7, which includes Los Banos, Dos 
Palos, and Atwater.
  Alicia's service to her community knows no limits. She has served on 
the Los Banos Planning Commission and as a member of the National Board 
of National Association of Farmworkers Organization. During the holiday 
season, she participates in initiatives to feed the homeless.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Alicia 
Dicochea. Her forty-five years of service on the Board of Directors of 
Golden Valley Health Centers, in addition to the wonderful work she has 
done in the community, should be commended. Los Banos will be forever 
grateful for the impact she has made in the community.

                          ____________________