[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 166 (Friday, October 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1072-E1073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING URBAN UPBOUND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 21, 2022

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay 
tribute to Urban

[[Page E1073]]

Upbound for eighteen years of dedicated service to the Queens 
community. Urban Upbound is a non-profit organization dedicated to 
providing Queens public housing residents with economic mobility and 
increased self-sufficiency.
  Urban Upbound was founded in 2004 by Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor and 
Debra-Ellen Glickstein to serve the residents of public housing across 
many areas of Queens, including Astoria, Woodside, and Far Rockaway. 
Urban Upbound serves the community through a variety of programs 
designed to provide low-income residents the tools they need to 
succeed. Its financial counseling program helps people tackle debt, 
budget incomes, and save money.
  The organization founded the Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union, the 
first credit union founded in Queens in the last 30 years. By offering 
low fees, rates, and flexible loan policies, Urban Upbound Federal 
Credit Union has saved its members hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
Most of all, the credit union encourages NYCHA residents to open bank 
accounts in a community where many do not have access to mainstream 
banks and face additional hurdles to securing a bank account. Urban 
Upbound has also helped over 25,000 residents prepare their taxes and 
file returns, helping them secure more than $25 million in tax refunds. 
Through this work, Urban Upbound promotes long-term asset building and 
provides economic mobility to the community.
  Urban Upbound's efforts extend beyond financial aid. The organization 
provides college counseling through SAT prep courses and advising, 
which has led to a 95 percent college placement rate for residents 
enrolled in the pre-college program. The heavy emphasis Urban Upbound 
places on the importance of education signals its commitment to the 
generational growth and success of its neighborhoods.
  Urban Upbound also provides employment services, helps create and 
polish resumes, conducts mock interviews, and provides career 
counseling, which has helped approximately 1,800 clients secure 
employment. When it comes to helping residents achieve their goals of a 
better life, Urban Upbound truly is a champion for the residents of 
public housing.
  Urban Upbound is hosting a gala to honor its eighteen years of 
service with the appropriate theme ``Celebrating Success.'' This year's 
festivities mark a return to in-person celebrations following the 
COVID-19 Pandemic, during which Urban Upbound provided the community 
with resource assistance. As a partner in New York City's COVID-19 Take 
Care Initiative, Urban Upbound helped individuals throughout the Queens 
NYCHA community find recovery care, practice quarantine protocols, and 
secure basic needs such as food, medicine, and laundry. This year's 
gala celebrates in the triumphant resilience of Urban Upbound and the 
community it proudly serves.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
outstanding work of Urban Upbound. For eighteen years, Urban Upbound 
has worked to help break the cycle of poverty and create a positive 
impact on low-income communities.

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