[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 116 (Monday, July 15, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E729-E730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE AWARDEES OF THE ENGLISH EMPOWERMENT CENTER'S 2024 
                          RECOGNITION CEREMONY

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 15, 2024

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the English 
Empowerment Center

[[Page E730]]

(EEC) and to congratulate the volunteers, instructors, students, 
community partners, and others who will be recognized at the 62nd EEC 
Recognition Ceremony.
  The mission of EEC is to teach adults the basic skills of reading, 
writing, speaking, and understanding English in order to empower them 
to participate more fully and confidently in their communities and in 
society as a whole.
  EEC provides the crucial first steps of language and literacy 
proficiency for workplace, citizenship, and community integration to 
help adults make measurable improvements in their lives. This past 
year, they have served over 2,000 adult learners, with the help of at 
least 500 volunteers who gave over 20,000 hours of service.
  Each year EEC recognizes students and members of the community who 
have contributed their time, energy, and resources to achieving the 
mission of EEC. EEC will also recognize the recipient of the Patricia 
M. Donnelly Merit Scholarship along with the Mid Allen Rees Award. It 
is my great honor to include in the Record the following names of the 
2024 EEC honorees and scholarship recipient:

                           Community Partners

       Mainstreet Bank
       Fairfax County's DPWES, Solid Waste Management
       Philip Graham Fund

                         Volunteers of the Year

       Dan Clancy
       Eva Kaplan
       Kathleen McCleary

            Paricia M. Donnelly Merit Scholarship Recipient

       Carminia Zurita

                          Mid-Allen Rees Award

       Jackie Corkins

  I also want to recognize those volunteers who are celebrating service 
anniversaries with EEC. Volunteers are being recognized for the service 
milestones of 20, 15, 10, and 5 years.

       20 years: Elizabeth Magee
       15 years: Naomi Gittins, Mary Kalfatovic, Kenneth Portnoy, 
     Anne Spear
       10 years: Mark Charette, Stan Citron, Pam DiRamio, Cheryl 
     Heidel, Corrie Paeglow, Dennis Shannon, Marie Tibor, Linda 
     Zenker
       5 years: Parisa Ashraf, Eric Barboriak, Robert Brown, Ann 
     Therese Carlozza, Madeline Chulumovich, Zoe Danon, Jacqueline 
     Davey, Linda Debrewer, Astrid Dejesus Rivera, Eric Dittmeier, 
     Glen Finland, Harriette Kinberg, Nisha Kumar, Karen Lillard, 
     Mario McMillan-Okuadido, Bill Meara, Elaine Michl, Sandra 
     Olson, Debra Pfaff, Ray Potter, Jennifer Pryor-Abraham, Jane 
     Schulman, Maura Sleevi, Natalie Southwood, Anuradha 
     Srirangarajan, Janet Swanson, Kathleen Utgoff, Joy Yamamoto

  I have always believed that education is one of the most fundamental 
and important skills to have in one's life. As we have learned here in 
our own community, reading is one of the basic foundations on which to 
build a young person's education and their career opportunities. I want 
to extend my personal thanks to the Center and its many volunteers for 
your tireless efforts to promote literacy as a lifelong skill.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the English 
Empowerment Center and in thanking and congratulating each of the 
honorees of the 62nd EEC Recognition Ceremony. I wish all of them great 
success in their future endeavors.

                          ____________________