[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 119 (Friday, July 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E990-E991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF EASTERSEALS SOUTHERN GEORGIA

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 14, 2017

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I consider it my great honor and 
pleasure to extend my sincerest congratulations to the Easterseals 
Southern Georgia program as it celebrates 60 years of serving 
individuals living with disabilities and their families. The 
Easterseals Southern Georgia will celebrate this significant milestone 
with a celebration on July 15, 2017 at the Doublegate Country Club in 
Albany, GA.
  Easterseals Southern Georgia was brought to life by Mr. and Mrs. Carl 
Huie after they spent nearly eight years traveling back and forth from 
Atlanta with their daughter Carlton whose health was ailing. After 
struggling to find a facility that accommodated her daughter's needs, 
Mrs. Huie vowed to start a rehabilitation center in Albany to serve the 
disabled people of Southwest Georgia.
  After nearly two years of letter writing and talking with every 
women's group in Albany, Mrs. Huie convinced the Junior League of 
Albany to take on the sponsorship and they began working toward 
establishing what would become the Easter Seal Guild. In 1954, the 
Devane Home in Albany was rented, and later purchased for use. The 
center officially opened on November 25, 1957 and on November 21, 1961, 
the Easter Seal Guild was formed, boasting 25 charter members.
  However, in 1990, the Easter Seal Guild dissolved and Easterseals 
Southern Georgia became a direct affiliate of the National Easterseals 
Organization. Through the changes, the program continued to grow into a 
multi-faceted organization, becoming even more responsive to the needs 
of the region it set out to serve.
  The programs for adults and children created by Easterseals Southern 
Georgia over the years have helped families of individuals who are 
amputees and those who suffer from traumatic physical and emotional 
injuries, developmental or intellectual disabilities, and mental 
illnesses by providing programs that are customized to their needs. The 
Easterseals Southern Georgia continues to provide these and new 
services to help ensure that each group's needs are met.
  Beyond working to provide opportunities to adults with disabilities, 
Easterseals Southern Georgia opened ``Megan's House'' to serve families 
of children with disabilities. The house was so successful that the 
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities 
provided funds for a second home in Waycross, Georgia, and the U.S. 
Congress provided federal funds in 2009 for a third home in Valdosta, 
Georgia.
  Since its inception in 1957, Easterseals Southern Georgia has served 
over 70,000 citizens in need and has aimed to ensure that those with 
developmental disabilities have valued roles in the community by 
administering training and other services that support individual 
choices and opportunities. Easterseals has expanded its area of 
outreach to underprivileged adults and children in Northern Florida and 
East Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and the more than 730,000 
residents of Georgia's Second Congressional District in expressing our 
profound gratitude to Easterseals Southern Georgia for providing 
citizens with disabilities the long-lasting skills needed to be 
outstanding members of their communities.

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