[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3637]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MS. ARACELY GOMEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 23, 2016

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Women's History month 
I rise today to honor Ms. Aracely Gomez, an outstanding individual in 
the South Florida community.
  Ms. Gomez has been recognized as a respected member of the community 
for her work in social care, substance abuse prevention, and mental 
health. Ms. Gomez began her career in social work in 2004 as a 
substance abuse counselor for Collier County Counseling. In her next 
positions, she moved from purely clinical work to take on increasingly 
complex advocacy roles. She represented Youth Haven, which cares for 
neglected and abandoned youth, on the Spanish language program 
``Esencias,'' and participated in the Healthcare Network of Southwest 
Florida's move to integrate behavioral health with traditional primary 
care. She also worked with the PACE Center for Girls, an organization 
that works to keep at-risk girls in a safe and productive environment 
that fosters their growth.
  Ms. Gomez also founded Lolita's Hispanic Family Center, which is a 
family resource center that promotes, implements, and advocates for 
bilingual, culturally competent evidence-based programs to enhance the 
quality of life of Hispanic and other minorities in Southwest Florida. 
In addition, she is also a board member of the Immokalee Housing and 
Family Services, a facilitator of the Immokalee Interagency Council, 
and an organizer of Hispanic Women in Healthcare of Collier County.
  In each of her positions, Aracely Gomez has demonstrated 
compassionate care. She is passionate about improving access to 
behavioral services, especially for minorities. She has worked for 
established institutions and created new ones where she sees a need. I 
am privileged to know Ms. Gomez, and admire her commitment to the 
community. Aracely's efforts have touched the lives of many people in 
Southwest Florida. She has surpassed many barriers and has brought 
forth valuable service urgently needed in combating the challenges in 
mental health, social work and Hispanic outreach in our local 
communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Aracely Gomez for her 
continued service to the State of Florida, and I ask my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing this remarkable individual.

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