[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 136 (Friday, August 16, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN CELEBRATION OF FRANK GARCIA'S BIRTHDAY

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                          HON. J. LUIS CORREA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 16, 2019

  Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 75th birthday of 
Frank Garcia, my constituent, friend, and the founder and owner of La 
Casa Garcia.
  Mr. Garcia and his wife, Sylvia Garcia, opened La Casa Garcia in 1973 
and have since expanded to three locations in Orange County. La Casa 
Garcia and its authentic, delectable Mexican food has become a staple 
in our community over the past four decades. Beyond being a successful 
restaurateur, Mr. Garcia has also become a well-known philanthropist in 
Orange County as the founder of the We Give Thanks Foundation. Mr. 
Garcia's passion for giving back earned him the Points of Light 
Foundation Medal from former President Bill Clinton. In addition, his 
restaurant, La Casa Garcia, received the designation of ``Small 
Business of the Year'' from California State Senator Tom Umberg.
  Mr. Garcia began his career in the restaurant industry at the young 
age of 13 as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Texas. He also worked in 
the fields picking cotton and onion with his father, Luis Majin Garcia. 
During his time as a dishwasher, Mr. Garcia worked hard to master 
cooking skills and was soon promoted to chef himself. It was through 
these formative experiences that Mr. Garcia learned the value of hard 
work, the power of food as a way of bonding, and the importance of 
connecting with the community. Mr. Garcia credits God for his success 
and expresses his gratitude through every meal that he serves.
  Growing up, his mother, Elvira Garza Garcia, one of the founders of 
LULAC, instilled in him a strong sense of philanthropy. After the 
success of La Casa Garcia, Mr. Garcia followed his mother's philosophy 
of charity and founded We Give Thanks Inc., a nonprofit that has been 
hosting a Thanksgiving feast every year for the past 32 years. The 
annual We Give Thanks feast began as a small-scale event attended by a 
few thousand people in the parking lot of one of the La Casa Garcia 
restaurants. Since then, it has expanded to the lot of the Honda 
Center, where 1,500 volunteers serve around 17,000 people each year. It 
has become the largest Thanksgiving feast hosted in Orange County. Mr. 
Garcia's dedication to serving others also extends beyond Orange 
County; when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas in 2017, Mr. Garcia 
participated in efforts to raise money for victims and personally flew 
out to Houston to provide hot meals for those in need and displaced by 
the hurricane.
  In his 75 years of life, Mr. Garcia has become a beacon of light for 
the Orange County community. He is a constant and consistent supporter 
of numerous community events and has become known for his community 
service and volunteer work. His dedication for providing quality food 
and his passion for helping others brings warmth and comfort to the 
lives of Orange County locals every day. Mr. Garcia's story is a moving 
example of the power of hard work, dedication, and charity. For these 
reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Garcia many more 
years of health, success, and prosperity and in thanking him for his 
invaluable contributions and presence in our community. Happy Birthday.

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