[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5331]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO MEL CULPEPPER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 2013

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional 
District.
   I would like to recognize an exceptional woman, Mel Culpepper of Los 
Angeles, who for many years has worked with non-profit organizations 
and has made a profound impact on the families in our community.
   Ms. Culpepper has served as the Executive Director of the Boys and 
Girls Club of Hollywood, BGCH, since 2007, where she manages the Club's 
annual budget, spearheads fundraising efforts, and serves as the 
liaison to government and community agencies. During her time as 
Executive Director, Mel has introduced development strategies and cost-
saving concepts that have greatly contributed to the success of the 
organization.
   Prior to Ms. Culpepper's work for the BGCH, she worked as Director 
of Residential Treatment Services for Stanford Home for Children in 
Sacramento, where she managed the budget and developed new programs for 
children with mental illnesses. Prior to that, she served as the 
Executive Director of the Central YMCA of San Francisco.
   Mel has contributed to our community by creating partnerships and 
relationships with other Hollywood businesses, non-profit organizations 
and individuals, which benefit the Club and its members and the 
community. For example, she created a partnership with the Hollywood 
Community Housing Corporation, HCHC, and collaborated on a successful 
plan to shuttle HCHC children from their housing units to the BGCH for 
after-school programming. Today, the BGCH provides free annual BGCH 
membership, free year-round shuttling to and from HCHC facilities, and 
free hot lunches and snacks. In addition, these at-risk children 
receive tutoring, computer training, and homework assistance. Another 
partnership Mel created involved Ross Dress for Less, which provided 
clothes, shoes, and supplies to members of the Club for the 2010-2011 
school year. Additionally, Mel partnered with Toyota of Hollywood for 
an annual holiday Toy Drive, and as a result of this partnership, 
Toyota donated a portion of their December sales to the BGCH.
   I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an outstanding woman 
of California's 28th Congressional District, Mel Culpepper, for her 
exceptional service to the community.

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