[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 2, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E389-E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING 50 YEARS OF THE GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONALD S. BEYER, JR.

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2023

  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I, alongside my colleagues, Representative 
Ivey, Representative Hoyer, Representative Raskin, and Delegate Holmes 
Norton, wish to honor The Greater Washington Community Foundation for 
50 years of service in the region. The Greater Washington Community 
Foundation will commemorate this momentous milestone on May 3, 2023, 
with philanthropists, nonprofits, businesses, and community members at 
the Smithsonian's National Museum for African American History and 
Culture.
  In 1973, a group of prominent business and civic leaders--including 
Henry ``Hank'' Strong, Polly Shackleton, Davidson Sommers, Bishop John 
Walker, and Joseph Whyte--came together to establish a local community 
foundation to ``promote a permanent source of philanthropic capital for 
the Washington Metropolitan region.''
  Over time, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has grown to 
become the largest local funder serving this region, with more than 
$1.5 billion invested to build equitable, just, and thriving 
communities in D.C., Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and 
Northern Virginia.
  Under the leadership of CEO Tonia Wellons, the Greater Washington 
Community Foundation continues to galvanize philanthropic resources and 
strategically invest in

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solutions to a wide range of issues impacting our communities--from 
education to housing stability, food security, workforce development, 
and crisis response.
  The Greater Washington Community Foundation is now committed to 
leading our community in a movement that will help increase economic 
mobility and close our region's racial wealth gap to create a better 
future for our region where everyone prospers.
  Please join the regional delegation and I in honoring the 50th 
anniversary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation on May 3, 
2023. We urge all the citizens of the greater Washington area to join 
in celebrating this very special occasion.

                          ____________________