[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING COLLEEN O'HARRA AS THE CONSTITUENT OF THE MONTH

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                            HON. MIKE LEVIN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 2019

  Mr. LEVIN of California. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize 
Mrs. Colleen O'Harra, the co-founder of the Oceanside Women's Resource 
Center and a former member of the Oceanside City Council, as my 
Constituent of the Month for July. For 45 years, Colleen and her team 
have been serving survivors of domestic violence and their children at 
the Women's Resource Center, working tirelessly to ensure that 
community members receive the services and support they need to 
recover.
  The Women's Resource Center opened during a time when there was 
limited to no services available for domestic abuse victims, becoming 
the only facility of its kind aiding North County San Diego families. 
Under Colleen's trailblazing leadership, the Women's Resource Center 
grew from an ``underground'' network where domestic abuse survivors 
received short-term assistance in private homes, to a 31-bed shelter 
providing long-term housing, support, and resources to survivors.
  Colleen's work is imperative as we address the epidemic of violence 
against women that plagues our country. Each year, approximately 12 
million adults and over 15 million children are exposed to domestic 
violence. These alarming figures tell us that we must do more at the 
local, state, and federal level to empower survivors and raise 
community awareness, ensuring that domestic violence and sexual assault 
are neither tolerated nor accepted in our communities. In April, the 
House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women 
Reauthorization Act of 2019 (VAWA) with bipartisan support to prevent 
domestic violence and ensure survivors have resources to recover and 
seek justice. Today, I urge my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to help 
end the cycle of domestic violence and reauthorize the VAWA.
  I launched a Constituent of the Month program to recognize residents 
of the 49th District who have gone above and beyond to support our 
neighbors and make our community stronger. After 45 years of providing 
critical support services and shelter to survivors in our community, we 
owe Colleen a debt of gratitude, and I am proud to recognize her as the 
Constituent of the Month.

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