[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 36483]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING COMMUNITY BRIDGES OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2007

  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Community Bridges of 
Santa Cruz County, which will gather to celebrate its 30th anniversary 
later this month. Community Bridges, a family of non-profit programs, 
provides otherwise unmet care to the citizens of Santa Cruz County and 
is a vital component of our community.
  Since its inception on October 19, 1977, Community Bridges has worked 
to provide innovative human services to enhance our diverse community. 
Today the family of programs (Child and Adult Care Food Program; Child 
Development Programs; La Manzana Community Resources; Lift Line: Live 
Oak Family Resource Center. Meals on Wheels; and WIC Nutrition Program) 
serves nearly 30,000 Santa Cruz County community members each year.
  Through its services, the group nurtures the entire life from 
beginning to end. Starting childhood, Community Bridges fosters a 
better life by providing childcare, after-school programs, and teen 
mentoring to ensure that children develop the skills they need to 
succeed in school and life. For those later in life Community Bridges 
helps residents maintain their dignity and independence by providing 
meal delivery, transportation, and literacy and language education.
  With an eye on healthy living, Community Bridges combats childhood 
obesity and promotes community wellbeing by providing nutrition 
education programs, breastfeeding support for new mothers, and food 
reimbursements. Moreover, Community Bridges helps reduce the risk of 
child abuse and keeps families strong by providing parenting classes, 
fostering educational attainment, and connecting families to health 
insurance programs and other important resources.
  They not only seek to address unmet human service needs in our 
county, but also focus on supporting existing efforts to serve the 
community by working with other local care providers. Community Bridges 
promotes civic engagement by actively seeking community input and 
providing leadership training opportunities for local residents. By 
building partnerships with local organizations they ensure the greatest 
efficiency and accessibility of services for Santa Cruz County 
residents. The broad reach and integrated structure of Community 
Bridges affords the agency the unique ability to swiftly identify and 
address community needs as they emerge.
  Madam Speaker, it is an honor to express appreciation for the 
critical role Community Bridges serves in providing a safety net for 
the most vulnerable members of our community and helping to improve the 
quality of life for the children, families, and seniors in Santa Cruz 
County.

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