[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14060]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TALIA LEMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2013

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 18-year-old Talia 
Leman of Waukee, Iowa for her charitable efforts and for being named 
one of ten recipients of the 2013 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards. These 
awards are presented annually to Jewish teens who exemplify the Jewish 
concept of ``repairing the world''.
  Talia's philanthropic spark was first ignited in 2005, when she chose 
to trick-or-treat for change instead of candy in order to raise money 
to help those struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Talia 
successfully united her classmates into doing the same, and shortly 
thereafter her effort garnered national attention. In the end, 4,000 
school districts across the United States collectively raised over $10 
million for this effort.
  In this altruistic spirit, Talia established the nonprofit RandomKid. 
This website provides youth with the tools and resources they need to 
formulate and develop community service projects by sharing possible 
ideas, strategies and funding opportunities. RandomKid has facilitated 
the efforts of 12 million youth from 20 countries bringing aid to four 
continents. Examples of RandomKid's reach include funding for water 
pumps, school construction, and medical care.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent young Iowans like Talia Leman 
in the United States Congress. I know that my colleagues in the House 
will join me in commending her for her sincere dedication to helping 
others and wishing her continued success well into the future.

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