[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 1834-1835]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF JULIE CARUSO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 15, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
Julie Caruso, who was honored as the 2011 Citizen of the Year by the 
Pembroke Express, in recognition of her tireless support of our troops 
serving overseas.
  Julie started the Pembroke Military Support Group following the 
attacks of September 11th, and for the past ten years, she has been the 
moving force behind it. The group's goal is both simple and noble: 
support our service men and women and military families in tangible 
ways.
  Meeting every month, a core group of approximately fifteen volunteers 
assemble care packages for more than 120 Pembroke residents--or those 
connected to Pembroke--who are currently serving in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. Members of the Military Support Group also provide support 
to the service members' families living in Pembroke, Massachusetts. In 
2009, the group received the Community Caring Award presented by the 
Norwell Visiting Nurse Association for outstanding service to the 
community.
  Many people would have become fatigued or worn out after a couple 
years supporting a military community, but not Julie. Julie is that 
rare individual with the imagination to dream up this successful group, 
the dedication to get it off the ground and the perseverance to remain 
its backbone for over ten years. She not only organizes fundraising, 
but collects and packages the items and then works with multiple 
agencies to get the care packages to the troops overseas. Julie has 
said that she lives by the belief that her door is always open for 
family members of servicemen and servicewomen in need of a shoulder to 
lean on, and I doubt there is any resident in Pembroke, MA who would 
disagree with her.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Julie Caruso as she is 
honored for her generosity, drive and initiative. She is a model of 
leadership and selflessness for us all.

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