[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 TRIBUTE TO BARBARA POPPY KWONG--30TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2023

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay special tribute to 
the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women during 
Women's History Month. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding 
women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would 
like to recognize a remarkable woman, Barbara Poppy Kwong of Silver 
Lake, a unique neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
  Barbara Poppy Kwong has been a Silver Lake resident since 1960. A 
true native of Silver Lake, Barbara is a graduate of Micheltorena 
Elementary School, Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall 
High School. She went on to graduate with a degree in zoology from 
Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
  Care of the environment has long been a passion for Barbara. Wherever 
she is and wherever she goes, Barbara responds to her surroundings with 
an innate sense of caring and desire for improvement. Barbara can be 
seen picking up trash on her neighborhood walks, cleaning the street 
and sidewalks around MATS Gym in Hollywood and gathering trash and 
recyclables in Griffith Park. Over the last 3 years she has personally 
removed over 4,000 pounds of trash from the streets of Los Angeles.
  During a 31-year career at Disney she was the unofficial ``Recycling 
Queen'' of her department, separating out anything from office waste 
that could be recycled or reused--from batteries to bubble wrap to 
aluminum cans--delivering thousands of pounds of material to proper 
sites for disposal. Barbara encouraged co-workers to recycle by 
creating competitions with prizes which included her fantastic baked 
goods. She collected packing materials that would otherwise be thrown 
out and donated them to local non-profits for re-use in their shipping 
departments.
  In addition to her environmental causes, many cultural institutions 
in the local Los Angeles landscape have benefited from Barbara's 
volunteer efforts. She is a lifelong supporter of the Japanese American 
Cultural and Community Center (JACCC), the Japanese American National 
Museum (JANM), the Los Angeles Tanabata Festival, the Los Angeles Zoo, 
and has become a very active volunteer at the Theodore Payne Foundation 
for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.
  Her dedicated, selfless spirit and decades of generosity in service 
of community have earned Barbara Poppy Kwong recognition as a Woman of 
the Year from Silver Lake.
  I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-
respected woman of California's 30th Congressional District, Barbara 
Poppy Kwong.

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