[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF TORREY SOLOMON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 2010

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of 
Torrey Solomon, upon being named Cleveland Housing Network's 2010 Urban 
Neighborhood Hero.
  Mr. Solomon was born in Cleveland, and grew up in Erie Square 
Apartments, an inner city apartment complex that was rehabilitated by 
CHN in 2006. The restoration of the building also included the 
restoration of hope and opportunity for children living in this 
building: CHN added an on-site Resident Youth Coordinator, who offered 
several youth programs and opportunities.
  Mr. Solomon became focused on his future goals and dreams, and jumped 
at every opportunity to learn and succeed. He enrolled in every 
program, including: Job Readiness Workshops, Junior Achievement 
Programs, and the Youth After-School Program. With the support and 
guidance of CHN Resident Coordinator, Tamika Pempton, Mr. Solomon 
created a new dream of becoming a well-known chef.
  When he turned 16, Mr. Solomon heard about a job opening for a 
dishwasher at the restaurant, Bon Appetit, at Case Western Reserve 
University. He wore his nicest clothes, and boarded a bus headed for 
Case, the only candidate out of hundreds to arrive dressed up, with 
resume in hand. He was offered the job, and quickly worked his way up 
from dishwasher to prep cook. Following a heartfelt PD article that 
highlighted his dream of becoming a chef, donations poured in from 
across the community, to help him with tuition costs at the Culinary 
Institute of America--where he will be begin his final year this 
December.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition 
of Torrey Solomon, whose dedication, discipline and focus on following 
his dreams reinforces the philosophy that personal growth, achievement 
and dreams grow from stable and safe home environments; and, that 
affordable housing profoundly impacts the lives and futures of adults 
and children. Moreover, dedicated staff, like Tamika Pempton, and 
organizations like CHN, are vital to the well-being of families--and 
are vital to the well-being of our entire community. I wish Mr. Solomon 
unwavering health, happiness and peace as he continues on this exciting 
journey. He is a wonderful role model for the youth of our community--
and he is an inspiration to all of us.

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