[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING BARBARA KAIMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Mrs. Barbara Kaiman for her 
outstanding leadership and positivity as she serves those in need in 
her local community and fights food insecurity in Mills County. Barbara 
has acted as the food bank director, as well as serving many other 
roles, for the Mills County Storehouse in Glenwood for more than 20 
years--all on an entirely volunteer basis. I'm pleased to name Barbara 
our Iowan of the Week.
  Over her years of service, Barbara has witnessed firsthand the need 
for assistance--but the past two have been especially hard on families 
in Mills County. Between the historic flooding across Southwest Iowa in 
the Spring of 2019 and the current COVID-19 pandemic, she has seen the 
need for support and assistance increase. In February, the Mills County 
Storehouse served 185 families. In March, that number jumped up to 240. 
Barbara has said she is willing to scour the entire area for donations 
wherever she can get them, including driving for an hour to personally 
pick up hundreds of baked goods for distribution.
  It is Barbara's belief, as she told my team, that the goodness of 
people always seems to come home. To anyone who has met Barbara, it is 
immediately apparent that she loves her community and strives to do 
what she can for those most in need.
  Every week, she calls each of her families and reads them a list of 
what's available in the pantry. And with COVID-19, Barbara has ensured 
a safe working environment for all of her volunteers and patrons by 
adapting to the new standards they must meet. Her volunteers have 
diligently followed safety protocols with masks and gloves. Mills 
County Storehouse has begun home deliveries for the first time in 
Barbara's time with them. And they have continued to meet the needs of 
their community despite increased demand.
  It is my distinct honor to name Barbara Kaiman as our Iowan of the 
Week, and thank her for her commitment to volunteering and ensuring 
food security for those families most in need. Although we do not know 
what the next months will bring, we know we can depend on those 
dedicated Iowans like Barbara to step up to the plate no matter what 
comes our way.

                          ____________________