Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Hillsides Home for Children in Pasadena. On October 5, 2003, Hillsides will celebrate its ninetieth anniversary with a carnival to honor the achievements of those who have devoted countless hours to Hillsides, as well as to celebrate the children who have been greatly helped by the home.
Hillsides opened its doors in 1913 as an Episcopal Orphanage known as The Church Home for Children. Deaconess Evelyn Wile formulated the agency's mission of loving care, therapeutic healing, special education, family crisis intervention and children's rights advocacy. This vision continues to be the focus of Hillsides over ninety years later. Today, Hillsides is a private non-profit treatment center, but it is considered an official institution of the Los Angeles Diocese of the Episcopal Church.
While Hillsides began its journey solely as an orphanage, the agency has since branched off into several other areas. For children suffering from abuse and mental illness, Hillsides provides them with a safe place that they can call home. The main campus contains six residential cottages for emotionally disturbed children ranging in age from seven to thirteen. On the campus, Hillsides provides a home and intensive treatment services geared to healing and redirecting kids who have experienced traumatic upbringings. In addition to the on-campus housing, there are two off-campus group homes which house twelve teenagers. These off-campus facilities provide residential treatment, mental health care, and practical skills training for independent living after the youth leave Hillsides Home for Children.
Hillsides has also responded to the need for counseling at-risk families to prevent abuse before it starts, and in 1996, the family center was opened. This center provides a broad range of programs from counseling services to classes designed to strengthen families and protect children. Clearly, Hillsides acts as a voice for children through advocacy.
I am proud to recognize Hillsides Home for Children as an integral component of our community by providing a safe haven for children, strengthening families and advocating for children's rights.
It is for these extraordinary achievements that I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Hillsides Home for Children for their ninety years of remarkable work.