[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 295 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                            H. CON. RES. 295

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

  Congratulating and saluting Focus: HOPE on the occasion of its 35th 
  anniversary and for its remarkable commitment and contributions to 
         Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the United States.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 295

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas Focus: HOPE began as a civil and human rights organization in 1968 in 
        the wake of the devastating Detroit riots, and was co-founded by the 
        late Father William T. Cunningham, a Roman Catholic priest, and Eleanor 
        M. Josaitis, a suburban housewife, who were inspired to establish Focus: 
        HOPE by the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.;
Whereas Focus: HOPE is committed to bringing together people of all races, 
        faiths, and economic backgrounds to overcome injustice and build racial 
        harmony, and it has grown to one of the largest nonprofit organizations 
        in Michigan;
Whereas the Focus: HOPE mission statement states: ``Recognizing the dignity and 
        beauty of every person, we pledge intelligent and practical action to 
        overcome racism, poverty and injustice. And to build a metropolitan 
        community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and 
        affection. Black and white, yellow, brown and red from Detroit and its 
        suburbs of every economic status, national origin and religious 
        persuasion we join in this covenant.'';
Whereas one of Focus: HOPE's early efforts was to support African-American and 
        female employees in a seminal class action suit against AAA, resulting 
        in one of the finest affirmative action commitments made by any 
        corporation up to that time;
Whereas Focus: HOPE helped to conceive of and develop the Department of 
        Agriculture's Commodity Supplemental Food Program which has been 
        replicated in 32 states, and through this program Focus: HOPE helps to 
        feed 43,000 people per month throughout Southeast Michigan;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has revitalized several city blocks in central Detroit by 
        redeveloping obsolete industrial buildings, beautifying and landscaping 
        Oakman Boulevard, creating pocket parks, and rehabilitating homes in the 
        surrounding areas;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's Machinist Training Institute has been training individuals 
        from Detroit and beyond for careers in advanced manufacturing and 
        precision machining since 1981, and has sent forth nearly 2,500 
        certified graduates, providing an opportunity for primarily under-
        represented minority youth, women, and others to gain access to the 
        financial mainstream and learn in-demand skills;
Whereas Focus: HOPE, with assistance from Michigan, the Department of Housing 
        and Urban Development, and other generous private and public partners, 
        has within the last two years invested over $10 million to complete the 
        renovation of the industrial building housing its Machinist Training 
        Institute;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has recognized that manufacturing and information 
        technologies are key to the economic growth and security of Michigan and 
        the United States, and is committed to designing programs that would 
        contribute to the participation of under-represented urban individuals 
        in these critical sectors;
Whereas, in 1982, Focus: HOPE began a for-profit subsidiary that was initiated 
        for community economic development purposes and is now designated with 
        Federal HUBZone status;
Whereas Focus: HOPE created two pioneering programs--FAST TRACK and First Step--
        designed to help individuals improve their reading and math competencies 
        by a minimum of two grade levels in 4-7 weeks;
Whereas these programs have graduated over 7,000 individuals since their 
        inception, a new offsite training facility in Detroit's Empowerment Zone 
        in southwest Detroit has been established to reach out to individuals in 
        other parts of the city, and the success of the programs has inspired 
        Michigan (in its State-wide FAST BREAK program) and other States to 
        replicate the efforts of Focus: HOPE;
Whereas, in 1987, Focus: HOPE reclaimed and renovated an abandoned building and 
        opened it as a Center for Children, which has now served over 5,000 
        children of colleagues, students, and neighbors with quality child care, 
        including latchkey, early childhood education, and other educational 
        services;
Whereas Focus: HOPE, through an unprecedented co-operative agreement between the 
        Departments of Defense, Commerce, Education, and Labor, established a 
        National demonstration project--the Center for Advanced Technologies--in 
        which candidates earn associates and bachelors degrees in either 
        manufacturing engineering or technology, and engage in hands-on 
        manufacturing within-real world conditions, producing parts for 
        DaimlerChrysler, Detroit Diesel, Ford Motor Company, General Motors 
        Corporation, the Department of Defense, and others;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has caused over $22 million to be invested in renovating a 
        previously obsolete building to house the Center for Advanced 
        Technologies, transforming the building into a model facility for 21st 
        century advanced manufacturing, education, and research;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has made outstanding contributions toward increasing 
        diversity within the traditional homogenous science, math, engineering, 
        and technology fields, and 95 percent of currently enrolled degree 
        candidates are African-American, representing perhaps the United States' 
        largest producer of bachelor-degreed minority graduates in manufacturing 
        engineering;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's unique research and development partnership with the 
        Department of Defense has resulted in a nationally recognized 
        demonstration project, the Mobile Parts Hospital, whose Rapid 
        Manufacturing System has recently been deployed to Kuwait in support of 
        the Armed Forces' current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq;
Whereas Focus: HOPE began a community arts program in 1995, presenting 
        multicultural arts programming and gallery exhibitions designed to 
        educate and encourage area residents, while fostering integration in a 
        culturally diverse metropolitan community, and over 43,000 people have 
        viewed sponsored exhibits or participated in this program;
Whereas Focus: HOPE established an Information Technologies Center in 1999, 
        providing Detroit students with industry-certified training programs in 
        network administration, network installation, and desktop and server 
        administration, and has graduated nearly 475 students to date, and has 
        initiated, in collaboration with industry and academia, the design of a 
        new bachelors degree program to educate information management systems 
        engineers;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's initiatives and programs have been nationally recognized 
        for excellence and leadership by such organizations as the Government 
        Accounting Office, the Department of Labor, the International Standards 
        Organization, the National Science Foundation, the Cisco Networking 
        Academy Program, Fortune Magazine, Forbes Magazine, the Aspen Institute, 
        and many others, and former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill 
        Clinton have visited Focus: HOPE's campus;
Whereas Focus: HOPE is currently led by Eleanor M. Josaitis, its co-founder and 
        chief executive officer, and she has received honorary degrees from 11 
        outstanding universities and colleges, was named one of the 100 Most 
        Influential Women in 2002 by Crain's Detroit Business, has been inducted 
        into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, has received the Detroit NAACP 
        Presidential Award, the Arab-American Institute Foundation's Kahlil 
        Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award, as well as many other awards;
Whereas through the generous partnerships and support of individuals from all 
        walks of life, Federal, State, and local government, and foundations and 
        corporations across the United States, the vision of Focus: HOPE will 
        continue to grow and inspire;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been blessed with an active board of directors and 
        advisory board from the senior most levels of corporate and public 
        America, and has benefited from an annual average of 25,000 volunteers 
        and countless colleagues;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been a tremendous force for good in the City of Detroit, 
        the State of Michigan, and the United States for the past 35 years;
Whereas Focus: HOPE continues to strive to eliminate racism, poverty, and 
        injustice through the use of passion, persistence, and partnerships, and 
        continues to seek improvement in its quality of service and program 
        operations; and
Whereas Focus: HOPE and its colleagues will continue to identify ways in which 
        it can lead Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the United States into 
        the future with creative urban leadership initiatives: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for its 
        remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State 
        of Michigan, and the United States; and
            (2) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        make available enrolled copies of this resolution to Focus: 
        HOPE and Ms. Eleanor M. Josaitis for appropriate display.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 1, 2004.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.