[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22080-22081]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SONOMA COUNTY YWCA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 8, 2001

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sonoma County 
YWCA on the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary. Since November, 
1976, the YWCA has led the battle against domestic violence in our 
community.
  Begun by a group of women who met at the Santa Rosa library 25 years 
ago, the organization initially thought it would offer shelter for all 
homeless women but soon realized there was an urgent need to protect 
women fleeing for their lives. The first safe house was opened a year 
later with seed money from the county Mental Health Department.
  The Sonoma County YWCA now has an annual budget of $2,000,000 and 
offers child

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care, a legal clinic, counseling, and professional training as well as 
a safe house that is always full. Last year the domestic violence 
hotline received 2,501 phone calls and took in 193 women and children 
as well as counseling men who were victims of domestic violence. The 
YWCA partners with local law enforcement in this effort and has 
satellite offices inside local police departments.
  Mr. Speaker, it is fitting to honor the founders of the Sonoma County 
YWCA, especially Barbara Tomin and Pat Kuda, who were the visionaries, 
the planners, and the energy behind this project, as well as all those 
who have contributed to these vital services for the last 25 years.

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