Full Circle: Turning Lives Around

FULL CIRCLE: TURNING LIVES AROUND -- (Extensions of Remarks - November 18, 2004)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the work of the Full Circle Life Enrichment Center (FCLEC) located in the Bronx, New York.

Founded in 1999 by Derek Suite, MD, the FCLEC serves as a non-profit faith-based community mental health education and training center. The center is dedicated to destigmatizing attitudes towards mental health problems, increasing access to mental healthcare and helping to empower families that deal with life's challenges. Problems such as depression, anxiety, unemployment, domestic violence, trauma, marital conflict, drug use, HIV/AIDS, asthma, diabetes, racial disparities, homelessness, and unemployment have become steadily more pressing over the past decade. This organization has contributed valuable resources to the Bronx community and has set an exceptional example of service.

Full Circle has again and again demonstrated its commitment to compassion by offering over 50 workshops in 2003 that addressed some of the most troubling trends in urban communities such as the rise in depression, domestic violence, marital conflict, drug use, HIV/AIDS, asthma, heart diseases, diabetes, racial disparities, homelessness, and unemployment. These seminars bring together leading urban health care experts and educators who share a strong belief in a spiritually-sensitive approach to tackling the most pervasive of inner-city concerns.

Full Circle has positively affected over 10,000 lives, and its impact has spread hope in people's lives. Once again, let us as a body commend the efforts of Full Circle and acknowledge publicly the contribution of this organization.