[Page H2984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                   WILMINGTON POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE

  (Ms. McBRIDE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the privilege of visiting 
the Wilmington Police Athletic League, a place where community and 
opportunity are shaping the next generation of Delawareans.
  For 23 years, the Wilmington PAL has served as a safe haven for young 
people in Wilmington and New Castle County, supporting more than 42,000 
youth with after-school programming, summer enrichment, and early 
childhood education.
  Their mission, ``building brighter futures, engaging with public 
safety and empowering families'' is more than a slogan. It is a daily 
practice. Through their work, the Wilmington PAL supports children from 
infancy through high school, ensuring every child they serve has the 
tools to grow, thrive, and contribute to our State of neighbors. 
Recently, they expanded their work to support seniors in Delaware.
  Organizations like the Wilmington PAL remind us that public safety 
and public opportunity go hand in hand. I am proud to stand with them, 
and I will keep working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
to expand the resources that make their mission possible.

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