[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16725]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




COMMEMORATING 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARBARA SINATRA CHILDREN'S CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARY BONO MACK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2011

  Mrs. BONO MACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a truly 
remarkable woman and dear friend, Mrs. Barbara Sinatra; and to 
celebrate the enduring legacy of one of her greatest achievements: The 
Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, California.
  One of the Coachella Valley's--and indeed the world's--most revered 
couples, Frank and Barbara Sinatra founded the Children's Center at the 
Eisenhower Medical Center in 1986, and this year the Center celebrates 
its 25th anniversary. On behalf of the people of the 45th Congressional 
District, I extend my most heartfelt congratulations on this momentous 
occasion.
  Barbara Sinatra is beloved in our community for her caring and 
personal nature. Well known as someone who is just as comfortable 
running errands around town or attending charity galas with celebrity 
friends, Barbara Sinatra is a community treasure, and I am privileged 
to have this opportunity to call attention to one of the great women of 
our time and her signature cause.
  Dedicated to improving the health and wellness of children who have 
suffered from child abuse and neglect or who are considered at risk, 
the Barbara Sinatra Center serves today as a shining example for the 
rest of the world to follow. The Center exists to benefit children of 
all walks of life, but the majority of those served are the ones who 
are most in need due to either their economic or family circumstances. 
By their own estimates, more than 86% of the children who benefit from 
the Center's services are below the federal poverty line. Having 
established the popular ``Bosley the Bear'' method of abuse education 
for young children, the Center is well regarded for its innovative 
approach to empowering kids to recognize dangerous situations and learn 
how to protect themselves.
  Barbara Sinatra earned respect throughout the world for her 
commitment to ending abuse of our society's most vulnerable members. As 
the spouse of one of the world's most famous entertainers, Barbara 
Sinatra used her considerable talents to help children in need and has 
literally devoted her life to this critically important mission. Her 
work has been praised as groundbreaking and effective, and the Center 
enjoys remarkable support from the community and the families it has 
assisted over the more than two decades it has been in operation.
  The list of philanthropists and abuse professionals who sing the 
praises of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center is long and 
illustrious. At the 25th Anniversary Gala being celebrated this month, 
two such supporters will be recognized for their contributions to the 
Center--co-founders Helene Galen and Nelda Linsk.
  Helene Galen is widely recognized as a leader in the philanthropic 
community, and a driving force behind countless worthwhile and 
charitable causes. Her support as a co-founder and President of the 
Children's Center Board of Directors has been invaluable and provides 
the Center with organizational and fundraising guidance that only 
someone of Galen's stature and expertise could impart.
  Well respected in the desert community for her business acumen and 
commitment to helping others, Nelda Linsk has also been there from the 
beginning. Ms. Linsk joined Barbara Sinatra in recognizing the need for 
building self-esteem among victims of abuse, and her passion for 
helping others by sharing from her personal experience and her generous 
financial support helped make the difference in the evolution of the 
center from a local resource to a world-class treatment facility.
  Of course, none of this would have been possible without the drive, 
determination and devotion of Barbara Sinatra. Before Barbara Sinatra, 
Helene Galen and Nelda Linsk established the Children's Center, child 
abuse was rarely discussed and there was little understanding of the 
causes and means to prevent this devastating behavior.
  The lives of countless families, most importantly the children 
themselves, have been forever altered due to the tireless commitment 
and generous contributions made by these caring and unselfish women. 
Under Barbara Sinatra's leadership, the Center has made a difference in 
our community and throughout the world. No longer is child abuse 
discussed only in hushed conversations and hidden from the light of 
day, due largely to their groundbreaking work, new treatments and 
strategies are being developed that will hopefully reduce this most 
heinous form of abuse.
  I am deeply honored not only to call Barbara, Helene and Nelda my 
friends, but also to serve as their representative in Congress and to 
have this opportunity to call attention to their great work and the 
Center's ongoing mission.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in recognizing Barbara 
Sinatra Children's Center on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, and 
wishing Mrs. Sinatra and the Center another 25 years of service to 
these most vulnerable members of our community.

                          ____________________