RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF ALICE KITCHEN

On 2026-01-08, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF ALICE KITCHEN" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered healthcare, taxes.

RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF ALICE KITCHEN

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E15] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF ALICE KITCHEN ______ HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER of missouri in the house of representatives Thursday, January 8, 2026 Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense sorrow along with Missouri's 5th Congressional District, to commemorate the life and legacy of a great Kansas Citian, Ms. Alice Kitchen. The fruits of Alice's advocacy for women, children, and marginalized communities will live on for generations to come. Alice was a force to be reckoned with, stopping at nothing to ensure that others could live free of abuse, injustice, and discrimination. Her undeniable impact will continue to grace Kansas City with inspiration. Alice's long history of advocacy began when as a high school student, she became involved with Guadalupe Center as a volunteer in the 1950s. As she saw the many families in predominately Hispanic neighborhoods in Kansas City who lacked access to food, running water, and electricity disturbed her, she questioned the morality behind sitting by when others lived that way. After graduating from her Catholic high school, she moved to Encino, California, where she joined the Sisters of Social Service convent where she ministered to domestic workers in Beverly Hills, most of whom were Mexican immigrants. These individuals, she described, were lonely, poorly paid, and isolated. She took those experiences and paved a life of activism. After graduating with her master's degree in social work at the University of California--Los Angeles (UCLA), Alice returned to Kansas City to work in a legal aid office where she helped young, first-time offenders avoid longer criminal records. With a love for social services, she continued her career at Children Mercy's where she served as the director of social services for two decades. Under her leadership, she sought funding for specialized treatments needed by children with medical issues and initiated programs to assist young mothers fight their battles with addiction. Alice was devoted to bringing light to issues she believed in, and a full-time job was not going to hold her back. During Alice's voluntary night shifts, she established Amethyst Place, a supportive housing program that served mothers and children recovering from abuse, organized neighborhood cleanups as a board member of the Kansas City Housing Authority and assisted young mothers in obtaining health insurance. As a volunteer co-chair of the Affordable Care Public Education Committee in the Kansas City Metropolitan area, she advocated for the expansion of Medicaid and accessible healthcare. In March of 2012, her efforts were recognized, and Alice received the Champion of Change award from President Barack Obama at the White House. Gender equity and advocating for policies that support women was another mission that peaked Alice's interest. During her time with the League of Women Voters and Women's Equality, she was able to educate women voters and bring light to the disparities women were facing within workplaces. Her fearlessness led Jane McQueeney, a friend of Kitchen, to give testimony to the City Council in Kansas City when McQueeney was receiving less pay when working for the federal government. Kitchen worked with Kansas City to adopt an ordinance to prohibit discrimination against women and to stop employers from penalizing women with less experience. When it was time for retirement, Alice saw it as an opportunity to do her evening tasks full-time. At age 69, she traveled to the Mosquito Coast of Honduras on a human rights observation mission. She took her mission on headfirst and investigated bullet holes in boats, houses that had burned down, and wounded villagers with her international activist group, the Cross Border Network. Alice never stopped looking for a way to improve the lives of others or to push anyone to their fullest potential. She lived her life to her fullest potential, and she continues to inspire others to do the same. In fact, she had a knack for finding strengths in people before they did themselves and pushed them to foster their strengths. As a woman who was one in a million, she continued to prove to the people who surrounded her, that they were also just as special. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of Alice Kitchen. Her passing is devastating, but the legacy she leaves behind reminds us that no matter how short life tends to be, we can still make a world of difference. While she is not here to grace the community in Kansas City with her valiant voice, or her indominable spirit, her soul will live on through the extensive and beautiful legacy that she built. The legacy she left has lit fires under enough people in Kansas City, so they can forage through the noise and echo her advocacy, which will keep her spirit alive for eternity. ____________________