[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5706]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SLOVENIAN WORKMEN'S HOME

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 8, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Slovenian 
Workmen's Home, an establishment that has been very dear to the 
Cleveland community for well over 85 years.
  The idea of this home first came about on November 10, 1916. The 
original purpose of the home was to accommodate the various fraternal, 
cultural, social, and civic activities in which more than a dozen 
Slovenian groups a participated. The building was finally completed in 
1926 and consisted of an auditorium, recreation hall, library, business 
offices, and meeting rooms. As the years passed, the establishment 
began to expand to include a school in 1931, a gymnastic group in 1932 
and a junior chorus in 1934; A year after that a bar was added and by 
1939 the building had eight bowling alleys.
  When the 1940s arrived, the use of the `Home' changed due to World 
War II. It opened its doors to the Red Cross, war bond drives and any 
other program that assisted America's war effort. By the time 1945 came 
around, `Home' changed its charter from a corporation to a non-profit 
organization.
  The Slovenian Workman's Home has always been a welcoming location for 
workers' unions, at one point providing roof and shelter to any of the 
23 unions that met on the premises.
  As the years passed, the Slovenian Workmen's Home began to be bought 
out and other establishments began to move in. However, by the 1990s, 
efforts were underway to recover and restore the remaining area of the 
original home.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join in recognition of this 
phenomenal establishment. It has been a consistent part of the fabric 
of the Cleveland community for many years, and many years to come.

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