FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         Contact: Amanda Molk (202) 225-5256

April 20, 2004                                                                        Roel Saldivar (562) 801-2134

CONGRESSWOMAN NAPOLITANO HONORS WOMEN

 VOLUNTEERS IN THE 38^TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Santa Fe Springs, CA – Representative Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA38) honored 39 outstanding women volunteers in the 38^th Congressional District at her annual “Women of the Year – Unsung Heroines” event.  The awards reception was held on Friday, April 16, 2004 at the Industry Hills Equestrian Center in the City of Industry.

Congresswoman Napolitano spoke to the more than 230 people in attendance, thanking the family members of the honorees for “giving up” these wonderful women, who sacrificed valuable family time to make their communities better for everyone.  “What you do for your community comes from the heart. You are our role models,” the Congresswoman told the women being honored.

The keynote speaker, Jennetta Harris, Region Manager for Public Affairs at Southern California Edison, further recognized the women and drove home a poignant message, saying that “we can empower people by helping others and reaching out, as you have done.”

Several family members of women being honored expressed their heart-felt gratitude for the wonderful evening celebrating these women.

Mary Herrera and Martha Monreal, whose aunt, Jaye Garay, was being honored for her involvement with Montebello’s V.I.P. Senior Club, said that “this was a well-deserved recognition for these silent heroes.  There is a wealth of wisdom that everyone can take from an evening like this.”

Manuel Hernandez said that this recognition “meant a lot” to his family and mother, Maggie Hernandez, who was being honored for her work with the Santa Fe Springs Women’s Club.

As a follow-up to National Women’s History Month, this annual event, organized by the Congresswoman, recognizes women who have given significant and longstanding contributions to the community, and whose invaluable work and dedication for others has never been acknowledged.  Each of the women being honored was nominated by service groups, churches, or public organizations within the district.

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2004 Women of the Year Honorees – 38^th Congressional District

 

FIRST             LAST                          ORGANIZATION

Lillian	Aldapa	Montebello Happy Years Senior Club
Sylvia	Barkley	Pomona Police Department
Alicia J.	Bernard	Pio Pico Woman’s Club
Dorothy	Carras	LA CADA
Debra	Carter	American Red Cross Pomona Valley Chapter
Sonia	Courville	Iglesia Jesus Es Amor
Zeather	Crowe	La Puente Church of Christ
Rita	DeBenedictis	City of Santa Fe Springs
Julia	Esparza	Community Mother’s Club
Dorothy	Farrante	Montebello-ELA Breakfast Club
Celia T.	Galindo	St. Hilary Church
Jaye	Garay	VIP Senior Club
Patricia	Garza	Soroptimist Int’l of Montebello
Phyllis	Grahek	County of LA Fire Department
Lorena	Guadiana	Community Gang Reduction Project, Inc.
Harriett	Hartshorn	City of Pomona Senior Program
Maggie	Hernandez	Santa Fe Springs Women’s Club
Marcella	Jackson	La Puente Valley ROP
Lauren Aiko	Kawasaki	Southland Art Association
Margaret	Kizerian	Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral
Jane	Leonard	St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church
Kelly J.	Leonard	Soroptimist of Norwalk
Antoinette	Lipsun	Garfield High School Army JROTC
Susana C.	Lozano	The Pico Rivera History & Heritage Society
Doris	Lynch	The Friends of the Rowland Heights Library
Carolyn	Mann	Metropolitan State Hospital
Josie	Martinez	Industry Sheriffs Department
Irma	McCleary	Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe Springs
Jan	McMahon	Women in Transition Center
Ruth	Nunez	City of La Puente Senior Center
Toni	Paez	Kiwanis Club of Pico Rivera
Lucy	Pedregon	Shadybend Elementary School
Karen	Pinaud	Cerritos College
Reyna	Garcia Ramos	Pomona Jaycees
Harriet	Robbins	Norwalk Woman’s Club
Mabel	Rowland	Soroptimist Int’l Pomona-Claremont
Kathy	Salazar	Rotary Club of Montebello
Susan M.	Sloan	Community Church of God
Claudia	Wei	Home of Christians