Supporting Children in Crisis

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Sept. 21, 2004

SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN CRISIS

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to give praise to a great nonprofit organization, Santa's Children Christmas Village, run by Orien Hodges in Walnut, IA. This organization has been supporting children in crisis for years both by raising money for other nonprofit organizations dedicated to children in crisis and by organizing Santa visits to bring joy to children, helping them escape briefly from the reality of serious illness. Santa's Children Christmas Village has been able to visit over 7,500 children in Iowa as well as neighboring states since the program started in 1998.

Santa's Children Christmas Village is currently expanding its efforts to help underprivileged children by working with a fellow organization, Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. KIDS's main goal is to prevent the cycle of poverty that is started in childhood from continuing into adulthood. KIDS has been successful in its efforts because of the help it receives from leading retailers, manufacturers, licensors and other charity organizations such as Santa's Children Christmas Village. I am proud of the efforts of my fellow Iowans and the organizations that they are working with in order to better the lives of children in America.