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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF READING AND BEYOND
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HON. JIM COSTA
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the local non-profit
organization Reading and Beyond of Fresno, California as it celebrates
its 20th anniversary. Since its creation in 1999, Reading and Beyond
has been a leader in the community, providing educational, health and
wellness opportunities to underserved families of Fresno County. The
impact Reading and Beyond has had over the past two decades continues
to be felt by countless families in the Central Valley.
In the fall of 1998, members of the First Covenant Church called
together leaders of the community to explore prospective solutions to
help neighborhood students struggling with reading. Reading and Beyond
was founded with the belief that a child's path toward a brighter
future was paved with books. Initially, Reading and Beyond provided
tutoring and parenting programs for 30 families in need. Eventually, it
expanded to include cradle-to-career services for both children and
their parents, health services and tailored programs to help families
increase their social mobility and strive for success and self-
reliance.
Since its founding, Reading and Beyond has earned many honors both
locally and nationally. In 2003, Fresno Unified School District praised
Reading and Beyond as a ``model for other organizations''. In the same
year, it was chosen as one of only four organizations to receive
national funding from the U.S. Department of Education to develop its
Early Childhood Education program into a replicable model. In 2008,
Kerri Briggs, the U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for
Elementary and Secondary Education, recognized Reading and Beyond as a
``remarkable example of the impact that faith-based organizations have
in a community''. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded
$12 million dollars in pilot funding to Reading and Beyond's Fresno
Bridge Academy program; one of only ten national projects to receive
this grant.
What started out as a community-led effort to help neighborhood
children in Fresno develop their reading abilities, has evolved into an
organization that serves the needs of children and families across
seven counties in California. Reading and Beyond has committed to
empowering families to achieve productive lives through its holistic,
research, and results-based programs with the end goal of helping
children succeed.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Reading
and Beyond as it celebrates twenty outstanding years. Our community is
forever grateful for the contributions Reading and Beyond has made in
the Central Valley. I ask that you join me in wishing Reading and
Beyond long-lasting success.
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