[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      BISHOP STREET HOUSE HONORED WITH FANNIE MAE EXCELLENCE AWARD

                                 ______


                        HON. JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 1994

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, all too often the extraordinary energy, 
drive and vision of people who reach out in unique ways to help others 
are overlooked. That is one reason why Fannie Mae--the Federal National 
Mortgage Association--created the Maxwell Award of Excellence. This 
Award seeks to encourage nonprofit organizations working to develop and 
maintain housing for low-income Americans. It gives them recognition of 
their achievements and grant funds to help them continue their work. At 
a May ceremony on Capitol Hill, I was pleased to participate in the 
presentation of the Fannie Mae Maxwell Award of Excellence to an 
extraordinary Boston group in my congressional district called the 
Committee to End Elder Homelessness.
  The Committee to End Elder Homelessness, Inc., received the Fannie 
Mae Maxwell Award of Excellence for creating Bishop Street House, a 10-
unit Victorian-era house that serves as a home for low-income elderly, 
homeless women. The group started with a $5,000 no-interest loan as a 
deposit on the building and a $100 honorarium from a board member as 
the committee's operating budget. Construction materials were donated. 
More than 180 volunteers worked on the Bishop Street House--from a 
newly formed City Year Youth Corps providing construction labor to the 
contractor's and lawyer's pro bono services. In addition, local 
foundations, individuals, and a developer made cash donations of more 
than $90,000 to the project. One of the major forces behind this effort 
was Elsie Frank, who is a distinguished constituent, and happens to be 
the mother of my colleague, U.S. Representative Barney Frank. She is a 
leader in her community, and an inspiration to us all.
  This is a prime example of what can be accomplished by individuals 
becoming involved in their communities with the determination to make a 
difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Yes, one person, or a 
group of people acting together, can make an important contribution. It 
doesn't necessarily take a government program or Federal bureaucracy. 
With ingenuity and creativity, it can be done locally--in Boston or 
anywhere else in this country.
  Nearly 200 hundred organizations from 38 States submitted 
applications for the Maxwell Award of Excellence. Of these, only six 
nonprofit organizations were recommended by an independent advisory 
committee as having produced the best examples of low-income housing 
projects during the 12-month eligibility period. I am very pleased that 
Bishop Street House is one of these. The Fannie Mae Foundation Maxwell 
Award of Excellence includes a grant of $25,000 in three categories: 
homeownership, rental, and special-needs housing. Bishop Street House 
won in the category of special needs housing. In addition, three 
alternate awardees received grants of $10,000 each and nine finalists 
received recognition grants of $5,000 each. Twenty-five projects 
received honorable mention grants of $1,000.
  I would like to congratulate the Committee to End Elder Homelessness 
for receiving the 1994 Fannie Mae Maxwell Award of Excellence for their 
outstanding contribution in fulfilling a special need for seniors' 
housing in Boston.

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