[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4854-H4855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MARY PELLEGRINO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize today a teacher 
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who was recently honored for her service 
in the nonprofit sector in addition to the classroom.
  Mary Pellegrino, a special education teacher at Tohickon Middle 
School and a resident of Warrington, recently received the Pennsylvania 
State Education Association's Human and Civil Rights Award for her 
service to our community.
  With her husband, Greg, she is the cofounder of the BennettStrong 
Foundation, which was named after her son, Bennett, who was born 
weighing a mere 1 pound 2 ounces in 2013. He was later diagnosed with 
hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the work of the BennettStrong Foundation, 
whose mission is to provide support to families of children born 
prematurely and facing complex medical issues.
  I would like to congratulate Mary Pellegrino on this well-deserved 
award, and I am proud to report Bennett's cancer is in remission. Our 
entire team wish him all the best on the road to recovery.
  Lastly, I would like to thank Dolores McCracken, the president of the 
Pennsylvania State Education Association for all of her work in 
recognizing our community's heroes.


                   Honoring Sergeant Thelma Williams

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a Doylestown 
resident and Army veteran, Sergeant Thelma Williams. This past Memorial 
Day, Thelma made her 25th and final appearance in the Doylestown 
Memorial Day Parade.
  Thelma answered the call to serve during World War II when she was 24 
years old. Initially, she wanted to enlist in the Navy. Later, Thelma 
joined the Women's Army Corps and finished her tenure in Japan, where 
she served under General Douglas MacArthur.
  It should come as no surprise that Thelma's spirit remains as lively 
as ever, even as she approaches her 100th birthday this year. She hopes 
that children observing the parade will be inspired to serve our 
community as well.
  Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Thelma Williams has made immense contributions 
not just to Bucks County, but to our entire Nation. I commend Thelma 
for her heroism, and I encourage our constituents to aspire to her 
standards of excellence.


                            Food Insecurity

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the 
issue of food insecurity in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
  As public officials, it is incumbent upon all of us to increase 
access to food resources for all of our constituents. In our community, 
I applaud the United Way of Bucks County for their work in combating 
hunger.
  Later this month, nearly 600 volunteers will gather at Delaware 
Valley University for the sixth annual Bucks

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Knocks Out Hunger event. This year, volunteers plan on packing over 
100,000 nonperishable meals for seniors and food pantries throughout 
Bucks County.
  I would also like to recognize other worthy organizations that are 
vital partners of Bucks Knocks Out Hunger, including Rolling Harvest 
Food Rescue, the Bucks County Opportunity Council, and the newest 
addition, Fresh Connect Bucks County, which will play a vital role in 
providing fresh fruits and vegetables to local families.
  Mr. Speaker, by working together, we can make sure that all of our 
children and our families in our communities can have access to the 
resources they need to succeed.

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