[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LUCY McBATH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2022

  Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I am proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage 
Month 2022. Each year from September 15 to October 15, we recognize and 
celebrate the history and culture of Americans whose ancestry can be 
traced from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South 
America. First established as Hispanic Heritage Week under President 
Lyndon Johnson in 1968, this observation was expanded to a full month 
by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. This month-long period encapsulates 
many celebrations of independence for Latin American countries. 
September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El 
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile also 
celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18.
  During this time, we uplift the stories of Latinos and celebrate 
their contributions to this country. Throughout history, Latinos have 
come to this nation in search of their own American Dream and the 
promise of a new life for themselves and their families. In every facet 
of American life, Latinos have made their mark on this country and 
created a more perfect union for us all. I am proud of their countless 
contributions to our country's story, and I would like to take this 
month to honor the crucial role that these Americans play in our 
society and in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District in particular. 
This year, I am honored to recognize Maritza Morelli, Belisa Urbina, 
and Pilar Valdez.
  Maritza Morelli is the Executive Director of Los Ninos Primero, a 
nonprofit organization focused on empowering Latino students and their 
families from early childhood to college through education and 
leadership programs. A native of Venezuela, Maritza earned a bachelor's 
degree in Special Education and a master's degree in Childhood 
Psychology from the University of Caracas. For seven years, she 
conducted research with the Venezuela Department of Education to 
examine the ways in which children learn to read and write. Her 
research study would go on to change the course of the National 
Scholastic Curriculum. She migrated to Atlanta, Georgia where she 
briefly worked as an interpreter for Northside Hospital in the 
department of mental health. She became the lead bilingual community 
liaison for Fulton County Schools, assisting Latino families in 
navigating the public school system. In June 2001, Pastor Rick Sommers 
at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church asked her to lead a new project 
called Los Ninos Primera. Over the last two decades, Maritza has grown 
the organization's capacity from serving 17 students to serving over 
300 students and their families. Over the years, more than 3,000 
students have completed the Los Ninos Primero program. During the 
COVID-19 pandemic, Los Ninos Primera was able to expand their reach to 
serve over 13 counties across all programs as well as launch their 
LYRIC program to support Latino high school seniors in their pursuit of 
higher education and launch their COVID-19 Educational Campaign to 
equip and guide the community with bilingual materials to make educated 
choices for their families. They were even able to provide financial 
assistance to over 21 families through rental assistance.
  Belisa Urbina is the Chief Executive Officer of Ser Familia, 
Incorporated. Belisa was born and raised in Puerto Rico where she 
studied Business Administration at the University of Puerto Rico. 
Belisa and her husband Miguel lived in Puerto Rico until 1999 when they 
decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia. As a young couple in a new city, 
Belisa and her husband witnessed the challenges that Latino couples 
were facing with conflict resolution and navigating married life as 
they adapted to a new culture. As a result, in 2001 Belisa and her 
husband decided to co-found Ser Familia (previously known as Renovacion 
Conyugal, Inc.) as a program that aimed to strengthen Latino couples 
and families through couples workshops. Over the years, they identified 
a need for additional programs to support families by taking a more 
holistic approach, Under Belisa's leadership, Ser Familia has developed 
the ``Ser Familia Model'' that focuses on delivering coordinated social 
and mental health services to families they serve through a 
multidisciplinary team led by a case manager and supported by 
counselors, psychiatrists, parenting educators, couples program 
facilitators, youth mentors, domestic violence advocates, and 
immigration attorneys. Ser Familia's reach has expanded to serve over 
6,900 clients per year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ser Familia was 
essential in addressing the mental health needs of the Latino community 
as they completed thousands of mental health assessments and provided 
rental assistance to those families who were most affected by COVID-19.
  Pilar Valdez is currently the Program Director of the Early Learning 
Program and After School K-5 Academy at Corners Academy. Pilar is a 
proud Georgia native born to Mexican parents. She earned her bachelor's 
degree in Health Science from Georgia State University and has over 8 
years of experience in childcare. She has dedicated her career to the 
development of these two early childhood development programs and has 
become an advocate for her students and their families. In fact, after 
successfully leading the After School K-5 Academy, Pilar developed the 
Early Learning Program at Corners Outreach, working to educate parents 
on how to become their child's best and first teacher in order to 
prepare these children for a successful academic life after 
kindergarten. During 2021, at a time when COVID placed a spotlight on 
education gaps in the community, Pilar was able to lead and guide the 
Early Learning Academy through a 26 percent increase in registration, 
and the Corners Academy tutoring program offered tutoring to 100 new 
students and offered in-person summer camp to more than 196 students.
  The impact of these three women alone is tremendous, and it is my 
distinct honor and privilege to recognize and honor them for working so 
hard to make a difference in the lives of others here in Georgia's 
Sixth Congressional District. As we continue to celebrate the 
observation of Hispanic Heritage Month, may we recommit ourselves to 
the spirit of service demonstrated by these individuals and the many 
others whose stories have yet to be told. On behalf of myself, the 
Sixth Congressional District of Georgia, and the United States House of 
Representatives, I am proud to join in the celebration of Hispanic 
Heritage Month. In telling the stories of community members like 
Maritza, Belisa, and Pilar, we celebrate the power of our Latino 
community in Georgia. As a representative of our state, I will continue 
to champion their values of strength, service, and patriotism every 
day.

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