[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING DIANE HORN AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 9, 2022

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Diane Horn, a Volunteer 
Income Tax Assistant with Lutheran Services of Iowa, as our Iowan of 
the Week.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  February 9, 2022, on page E136, in the second column, the 
following appeared: Ms. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask 
the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Diane Horn, 
a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant with Lutheran Services of Iowa, 
as our Iowan of the Week.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Mrs. AXNE. Madam 
Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join 
me in recognizing Diane Horn, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant 
with Lutheran Services of Iowa, as our Iowan of the Week.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  As we enter a new tax filing season, I can't help but to think of all 
the Iowans out there who are looking for help getting their taxes 
filed. Every day, I hear first-hand accounts of the challenges that 
taxpayers in Iowa are facing. While many of the challenges they're 
facing arise after filing their returns, many Iowans still explain to 
me that their problems could have been avoided had they not had issues 
with filing in the first place. That is why I am so proud to honor 
Diane Horn today.
  Diane volunteers with Lutheran Services of Iowa (LSI) in their 
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. She started 
volunteering about six years ago with another organization in Iowa, 
greeting folks who were coming in for service appointments. Diane 
previously held a career as an IT Manager, but in her second year of 
volunteering, she decided to learn more about tax preparation. Diane 
took classes and eventually took the tests required through the IRS to 
earn her certification.
  Diane then started volunteering with LSI, where she started helping 
folks file their taxes. She explained how rewarding this experience is, 
and how she genuinely feels the impact of the help she is providing to 
those in need. Diane describes everyone she works with as being so 
grateful. Many of the people who come to her are refugees or 
immigrants, and many of them cannot speak and/or read English.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every single industry in our 
nation's economy, and it also had an impact on the work that LSI could 
carry out. Diane explained that working remotely came with its own 
unique challenges, but most of all, she missed being able to see and 
chat with everyone who made appointments with her. She loves hearing 
everyone's story, no matter the circumstances. It makes the work she 
does that much more gratifying knowing that she is truly making a 
difference for those who are in need.
  The work Diane does is so incredibly vital to communities across 
Iowa's third district. The tax process is one that many Americans feel 
is complicated and difficult to fully understand. Diane helps ease 
those concerns and anxieties. Her dedication to helping those in need 
is commendable, and it is why I am so honored to name Diane Horn Iowan 
of the Week.

                          ____________________