[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF ORPHANS INTERNATIONAL AND ITS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, 
                             MR. JAMES LUCE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 1, 2007

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to 
Orphans International Worldwide and to its dedicated Founder and 
President, James Luce. Orphans International Worldwide is an innovative 
interfaith, interracial, intergenerational and Internet-connected non-
profit initiative that helps the world's disadvantaged orphaned and 
abandoned children meet critical needs. By realizing his dream of 
developing an extensive international network of affiliated 
organizations working to help the world's youngest and most vulnerable 
citizens to overcome extraordinarily difficult circumstances, Jim Luce 
has truly distinguished himself as an extraordinarily dedicated and 
effective humanitarian, activist, and philanthropist.
  With its North American offices headquartered in New York's 
Fourteenth Congressional District, Orphans International was founded in 
1999 by the former investment banker Jim Luce in response to the global 
crises confronting children in disadvantaged circumstances, including 
the worldwide AIDS epidemic, natural disasters, low health standards 
and inadequate medical care, and devastating poverty. Assuming a 
carefully structured, sustainable approach, Orphans International has 
adopted as its vital mission the worthy goal of ``Raising Global 
Citizens.'' The organization helps address both the immediate needs of 
orphaned and abandoned children and the long-term development goals of 
improving disadvantaged communities in its project nations, whose list 
is expanding to include Indonesia, Guyana, Haiti, El Salvador, Peru, 
the Philippines, Romania, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Togo. In recognition of 
its effectiveness in serving disadvantaged youngsters around the globe, 
Orphans International Worldwide was recognized by the United Nations as 
an official Non-Governmental Organization in December 2006.
  Today, Jim Luce and Orphans International Worldwide continue not only 
to assure the survival of the disadvantaged and abandoned children they 
serve, but also to enable them to become contributing members of a 
global society by rendering service to their local communities. Orphans 
International often operates in troubled, regions grappling with the 
fallout from disasters caused by natural, economic, and political 
conditions. Through its programming, Orphans International instills in 
those whom it serves the values of leadership, conflict resolution, 
diversity and tolerance, and global citizenship, frequently bringing 
American students into a global partnership to help achieve these 
laudable goals.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to request that my distinguished colleagues 
join me in recognizing Orphans International Worldwide and its Founder 
and President Jim Luce for their tireless efforts to promote the well-
being of orphaned and abandoned children and to help realize the innate 
worth, dignity and potential of all citizens of the world.

                          ____________________