Recognizing David Cruz

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding contributions that David Cruz made to our community through his voluateerism with the Knights of Columbus. When Hurricane Beryl hit Texas, Operation Barbeque Relief sent David to Texas. While there, he organized 21 Knights in six days to make 7,500 meals a day. These meals were fed to relief workers and victims of the hurricane. David is the Disaster preparedness Coordinator for the Knights for the Dioceses of St. Petersburg which encompasses Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Hernando counties.

After Hurricane Milton, David was assigned to accompany and work with a Medical Crew from Ohio. Together, they treated over 400 patients providing medical assistance to those in need. The team also worked with Fresh Start for Pasco to feed shut-ins in East Pasco for Thanksgiving. David has worked on bringing together many of the spiritual groups and civic organizations within the community to help hurricane victims. Thanks to these efforts, Our Lady Queen of Peace served 12,000 families during the six weeks after the hurricanes. David still works with Fresh Start for Pasco, Endeavors, and Pinellas Emergency Operations Center to help victims of disasters. Most recently, his volunteerism brought David to muck out homes where the water has finally receded.

It is clear David Cruz has made a profoundly positive impact on our community, and I am grateful for his service. May we all strive to serve our communities with the same dedication and humility.

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