[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 178 (Friday, October 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             HONORING NEWS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2021

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
NEWS, Napa County's only domestic violence and sexual abuse agency, as 
it celebrates its 40th anniversary.
  Founded in 1981, NEWS was created by members of the Napa County 
community with the mission of providing a safe place for women and 
children who experienced domestic abuse. With the help of local Napa 
County leaders, NEWS founders were able to acquire a house, and begin 
to shelter survivors of domestic abuse when they had nowhere else to 
go. Since 1981, NEWS has grown into an organization that serves over 
1,300 Women, Men, Children, and LGBTQ+ folx annually.
  The critical services NEWS provides to the Napa community include a 
24-hour domestic violence and sexual abuse help line, referral services 
for domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors, and food, clothing, 
transportation, and medical support. Additionally, the NEWS shelter 
provides private bedrooms, private bathrooms, a family room, a full 
kitchen, and spacious areas for children to play for up to 20 community 
members at a time. Further, the NEWS court advocates assist survivors 
in filing protective orders, and NEWS case managers work with clients 
to find safe and affordable housing.
  NEWS is an active member of several local, state, and national 
organizations that advocate for and promote domestic violence and 
sexual abuse prevention. These organizations include the California 
Partnership to End Domestic Violence, the Child Abuse Prevention 
Council, the Community Leaders Coalition, the Napa County Continuum of 
Care, the Napa County Behavioral Health Committee, the Napa Valley 
Communities Organized Against Disaster, and more.
  Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that NEWS' contributions to our 
community have made Napa County a safer place for survivors of domestic 
violence and sexual abuse. It is therefore fitting and proper that we 
honor it here today.

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