[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6117-6118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING HELEN LEUZZI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2015

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the founding 
Executive Director of The Sophia Way, Helen Leuzzi, for being 
recognized by Seattle CityClub as a recipient of the 2015 Washington 
State Jefferson Award.
  The Jefferson Award is given to the unsung heroes who are making a 
difference in their community through public service. Also known as the 
``Nobel Prize'' of social service, the Seattle CityClub awards the 
Jefferson Award to community leaders who exemplify an exceptional 
amount of volunteerism and action to better their communities.
  In 2006, Helen began serving as the Outreach Chair at the Bellevue 
First Congregational Church, where her passion was ignited to help meet 
the needs of the eastside's homeless and low-income women. In 
collaboration with other community organizations, Helen helped to 
create a women's day center known as Angeline's Day, which eventually 
inspired her to create a center that would serve the needs of women at 
all hours of the day. This day center would later grow into what is 
known today as The Sophia Way.
  Today, The Sophia Way offers life skills training, social services, 
shelter, and additional resources to help women gain stability and 
independence. As the founding Executive Director, Helen has 
demonstrated an unyielding commitment to combating issues faced by 
homeless and low income women in our community. Her dedication and 
selflessness have paved the way for the success and growth of this 
organization, which has become an important asset to the region.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize Helen Leuzzi for 
receiving Seattle CityClub's Washington State Jefferson Award and for 
her commitment to serving vulnerable populations in our community.

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