[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E228-E229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO SISTER THERESA HARPIN--CALIFORNIA'S 24TH CONGRESSIONAL WOMAN 
                              OF THE YEAR

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                         HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 8, 2022

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year 
Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central 
Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to 
recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Sister 
Theresa Harpin of San Luis Obispo, California.
  With over 40 years as a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of 
Carondelet, Sister Theresa looks at the world through the lens of

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``everyone is our dear neighbor.'' While Cal Poly's Newman Catholic 
Center brought the gifted educator to the Central Coast, it is through 
her social and restorative justice work that she has truly made her 
mark.
  On the heels of her energetic work with students and community 
parishes, and following medical leave for serious illness, she brought 
the ``Get on the Bus'' program to California Men's Colony in San Luis 
Obispo County. A bus filled with the children and spouses of prisoners 
travels to the prison for a reunion party that offers hope for the 
families.
  Sister Theresa has worked with the SLO County Sheriff, the California 
Department of Corrections, Parole and the Courts to make restorative 
justice a reality in San Luis Obispo County. This tireless, well 
respected community leader believes offenders were once victims whose 
own traumas were never addressed. She is devoted to healing those 
injuries so that once released, prisoners can move forward to 
productive lives.
  Her fervent dedication to helping the incarcerated led to founding 
Restorative Partners, a program providing re-entry services to the 
incarcerated. Sister Theresa is a certified facilitator for the 
Alternatives to Violence Project, the Aggression Replacement Training 
and the Thinking for A Change Program. She has implemented and taught 
non-judgmental techniques and most importantly, restorative justice, 
which provides healing for all parties, both victim and offender.
  Restorative Partners, founded over an In N Out Burger conversation 
with Sheriff Ian Parkinson, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. 
The successful program has brought together law enforcement, private 
business and faith-based organizations, under the shared mission to 
``get to the source'' of individual's issues and move forward.
  In just ten years, Restorative Partners has expanded mentorship to 
help returning citizens navigate reentry. With an eye on the high cost 
of living on the Central Coast, RP now provides re-entry homes for men 
and women, including Anna's Home for Women and Children, which reunites 
formerly incarcerated mothers with their children while offering a drug 
treatment program. The challenges of COVID created an entirely new set 
of needs, chief among them domestic violence treatment and expanded 
drug and alcohol treatment. With Sister Theresa's leadership, 
Restorative Partners continues to evolve and offer life-changing 
support. What began started as an in-custody service, the non-profit 
organization has grown to meet any need of families affected by 
incarceration and the challenges of re-entry. And it is working: the 
recidivism rate for those Sister Theresa works with is only 10 percent.
  Sister Theresa is an incredible presence in our community. I am 
honored to recognize Sister Theresa for her continued commitment to 
residents of San Luis Obispo County. I ask all Members to join me today 
in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional 
District, Sister Theresa Harpin, for her incredible service to her 
community.

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