[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING RUDY AND EVA LEON AND LONNIE AND MARILYN KILGORE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2010

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the unyielding 
commitment of two families to caring for and improving the lives of 
foster care children in Arizona.
  Rudy and Eva Leon have been licensed foster care parents for 45 years 
and were recently honored by former Governor Janet Napolitano for being 
the longest serving foster parents in the state of Arizona. They have 
spent the past 17 years serving the children of Devereux Arizona. The 
Leons have selflessly provided over 200 children with a safe and loving 
home environment.
  Lonnie and Marilyn Kilgore began their service assisting foster care 
children in the Juvenile Court Foster Care Program of Arizona. Since 
that time, they have been licensed with Devereux for the past 16 years, 
during which they have cared for 47 children.
  Foster care parents such as the Leons and the Kilgores recognize that 
all children deserve a home that will shelter them from the trauma and 
stress of their young lives. These families have made it their mission 
to provide these children with the opportunity to move on from their 
often difficult pasts and benefit from caring and supportive guardians. 
This foundation truly creates the groundwork for a meaningful, 
enriching life.
  Organizations like Devereux have proven enormously successful at 
changing the lives of some of our state's most at-risk youth, helping 
them find stable homes and setting thousands of children on the right 
path in the face of tremendous difficulty.
  I would like once more to thank Rudy and Eva Leon and Lonnie and 
Marilyn Kilgore for their hard work, deep commitment and determined 
sacrifice to the children of Arizona. Their long-standing dedication to 
the future of children and impact on their communities are an example 
of selfless dedication to us all.

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