It’s not every day that your name and achievements are read into the Congressional Record at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. 

But that is exactly what happened last month when Representative Carlos Gimenez generously touted The Children’s Trust and its 20th Anniversary in front of the most important legislative body in the world. The Congressional Record is a daily record of the proceedings of Congress and is published in the permanent collections of Congress. 

As a former Miami-Dade Mayor and longtime supporter of The Trust, Gimenez has seen firsthand the impact of having a special governmental organization dedicated to serving the children and families in Miami-Dade can have. As well as serving as mayor from 2011 to 2020, Gimenez is also married to Trust Board Member Lourdes Gimenez. 

On Tuesday, April 25, Gimenez spoke before Congress on what The Trust has meant to Miami-Dade County:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate The Children’s Trust on their 20th Anniversary. My wife Lourdes and I have been longtime supporters of The Children’s Trust and are so proud of their tireless work to protect our community’s children and safeguard taxpayers’ dollars. 

I’d especially like to thank our friend(s) David Lawrence Jr. and James Haj. Their visionary leadership has paved the way for the countless innovative programs offered by The Children’s Trust aimed at improving the lives of our next generation of leaders – our children. In Miami-Dade we are blessed to have The Children’s Trust prioritizing our kid’s welfare and investing in family programs to nurture and advocate for all of our children regardless of social economic background. 

As county commissioner, as mayor and now as a member of Congress, I have seen the impact of The Children’s Trust firsthand and look forward to continuing working closely together. Congratulations on these 20 years and many, many more. Mr. Speaker, I yield back. 

A video of the recognition was played at the 17th Annual Champions for Children Award Ceremony on April 27, with Alex Ferro, chief of staff for the congressman, on hand to give the Congressional Record to The Trust. 

“The fact that The Trust and its accomplishments over these 20 years were read into the Congressional Record in the U.S. Capitol speaks to the work that has been done over these two decades,” said Trust President and CEO James Haj. “We are incredibly proud and humbled by this recognition and also extremely thankful to our longtime supporter Rep. Gimenez for honoring us in this manner.”

To watch a video of the Congressional Record, click here.