[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 14, 2014

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark an important 
anniversary. In two days, the Daughters of Penelope, an international 
woman's organization and affiliate organization of the American 
Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), will celebrate 
its 85th anniversary on November 16. Founded in San Francisco, the 
Daughters of Penelope originally worked to improve the status and well-
being of women and their families. They also sought to provide women 
with the opportunity to make significant contributions to their 
communities and country. After successfully achieving many of their 
early goals, the Daughters of Penelope now promote the ideals of 
ancient Greece: philanthropy, education, civic responsibility, and 
family and individual excellence, achieved through community service 
and volunteerism.
  I am a proud Greek-American. As a young boy, my grandparents, 
parents, aunts and uncles instilled in me an appreciation for our 
beautiful Greek culture, which focuses on family, community, and faith. 
As Co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, it is 
with great pride that I see these values shine through the Daughters of 
Penelope today, across all of its 250 chapters worldwide. Through the 
exceptional Penelope House in Mobile, Alabama and Penelope's Place in 
Brockton, Massachusetts, the organization vigorously supports efforts 
to combat domestic violence in Greece as well as the United States. The 
development of these shelters brought renewed hope to many areas with 
suffering families who previously did not have access to the same level 
of care.
  As a member of the Congressional Cancer Caucus, I am impressed with 
the organization's efforts to provide financial support and raise 
awareness for medical research on treatments for breast cancer, 
Thalassemia (Cooley's anemia), muscular dystrophy, and Alzheimer's 
disease. The Daughters of Penelope are also a leading sponsor of the 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 202 Housing 
for the Elderly Program, which offers affordable housing to senior 
citizens in Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas.
  In addition to helping the elderly, the Daughters of Penelope 
Foundation, Inc., supports the educational objectives of the Daughters 
of Penelope by providing tens of thousands of dollars annually for 
scholarships, sponsoring educational seminars, and donating children's 
books to schools, shelters and churches through the ``Penelope's 
Books'' program. Last year, the organization worked with our Hellenic 
Caucus and the Embassy of Greece to promote the health related benefits 
of eating a ``Healthy Greek Diet'' here in Washington, D.C. After 
eighty-five meaningful and productive years, it excites me to see what 
the Daughters of Penelope will accomplish and how they will help our 
country and our culture in the next eighty-five years.

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