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Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise today to honor the lives, careers, and achievements of Reverend Ken DeGroot and Sister Melanie Maczka. Together, Reverend Ken and Sister Melanie created the Casa ALBA Melanie a community center dedicated to serving the Hispanic population of the greater Green Bay area. Through Casa ALBA Melanie, and their ministerial service, Reverend Ken and Sister Melanie have welcomed members of the Hispanic community to our State with open arms for over 25 years.

It was 1991 when Reverend Ken first encountered the mission which would encompass the rest of his career. Two young men, fresh off the train from Mexico and at his doorstep, were tired, hungry, and could not speak English. Far from home and looking for a house of worship, Reverend Ken welcomed them into St. Willebrord parish. He decided that night that Green Bay could be the home they searched for.

They would find they were not alone. Thousands of people from Central and South America already lived in their community, working in a world where they could not speak the language. Today, it is estimated that at least 20,500 Hispanics live in the greater Green Bay area, and about 28 percent of the Green Bay school population is Hispanic. Alongside Sister Melanie, Reverend Ken decided things had to change. They traveled to Mexico, visiting villages, learning the culture and language of the neighbors they had never known they had. When they returned to Green Bay, they knew they could work to better serve the Hispanic community.

In 2012, Reverend Ken and Sister Melanie established Casa ALBA Melanie and transformed the quality of life for Hispanic families by providing legal assistance, health services, language acquisition, Spanish GED lessons, financial assistance, and, perhaps most importantly, a safe haven for Green Bay's Spanish speaking residents.

This year, Casa ALBA Melanie celebrates its 10-year anniversary and with this great celebration comes a change in leadership. Reverend Ken, who has served as chair of the development committee and the finance committee, and Sister Melanie who has served as executive director, will both retire from the impactful organization they helped guide over this past decade. Their work is an inspiration to all people seeking to create a more equitable and welcoming America.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Reverend Ken DeGroot and Sister Melanie Maczka for their leadership at Casa ALBA Melanie and throughout the greater Green Bay community.

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