Anniversary of the Daughters of Penelope

Floor Speech

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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