[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H1622-H1625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GOOD COMMUNITY FAIR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nethercutt). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of May 12, 1995, the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. 
Hancock] is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.
  Mr. HANCOCK. Mr. Speaker, we pretty consistently hear about a lot of 
negative things that are going on in this 

[[Page H1623]]
country. In fact, I am sure that a lot of the people that listen to the 
debates here on the House floor wonder, does anything positive ever get 
done in Washington, DC?
  I am not too sure about Washington, DC, but I want to talk about an 
amazing thing that happened on Saturday, January 13, in Springfield, 
MO. Private citizens, with the support and encouragement of local 
institutions, organized the first ever Good Community Fair--an 
opportunity for concerned citizens to meet with leaders of dozens of 
private community groups to find out how volunteering can make our 
community a better place.
  To the pleasant surprise of organizers more than 7,000 men, women, 
and children showed up at the Findlay Student Center on the campus of 
Drury College to find out how and where they could volunteer to do 
their part to make their hometown a better place, to help it be a good 
community.
  They were able to walk from table to table to pick up information 
about local charitable groups and volunteer opportunities.
  They were able to personally visit with current volunteers.
  And they were able to sign up on the spot to get involved with the 
groups of their choice.
  This was one of the most impressive spontaneous outpourings of good 
will it has ever been my privilege to witness.
  And these were not people expressing cheap sentiment. They were not 
there just to find out what others were doing.
  The people who showed up that Saturday made concrete personal 
commitments by the hundreds to help groups like Special Olympics, the 
Humane Society, the zoo, hospitals, blood banks, PTA, Meals on Wheels, 
Boys and Girls Clubs, local libraries, a soup kitchen, a homeless 
shelter, senior centers, neighborhood crime watch groups, and the list 
goes on.
  When Drury College ran out of table space, the Boy Scouts of America 
made the best of the situation and literally pitched a tent in front of 
the building and set up their booth outside. Happily, the weather was 
great as well.
  Community groups were actually running out of volunteer applications 
and informational literature. There was so much interest, organizers 
say they were overwhelmed. As one who was there, I can tell you, the 
whole building was packed.
  Organizers admitted they had not expected such a turnout. One group 
leader said they thought only about 300 people would show up. Another 
said he thought he would spend the whole day with people just walking 
by his table.
  They were both happily surprised. Thousands of people streamed 
through Findlay Student Center and made specific commitments to get 
involved.
  And the enthusiasm and overall spirit of good will was tremendous. 
People felt excited about the possibility of making a difference.
  They could do something themselves--rather than just assuming someone 
else would take care of it, or that government would take care of it.
  For a brief moment, our problems did not seem beyond our control. 
Once again, thousands of people realized it was up to them to turn 
things around.
  What I saw that day renewed and strengthened my faith in a lot things 
about our country and it made me very proud of my hometown.
  Government was there too. A lot of tables at the fair were for 
different government agencies who need volunteer help, or who just want 
the public to understand what services they have available. Some were 
there to get constructive criticism about how they can better serve the 
public.
  The police department, public schools, and city park board--even the 
city clerk's office--had booths at the fair. And plenty of government 
officials were on hand.
  We had school board members, county commissioners, city council 
members, State legislators, and, of course, this Congressman.
  Fortunately, they corralled all of the elected officials in a holding 
area called the Government Room. If someone wanted to talk to one of 
us, they could come visit us in the Government Room. The politicians 
were there, but we were not the center of attention.
  The spotlight was on volunteers and volunteering. And I must tell 
you, I approved of that arrangement 100 percent.
  And, I guess this is as good a time as any to praise the valuable 
contribution of the news media in this project. I want to specifically 
pay a compliment to the Springfield News-Leader.
  They have started a valuable dialogue in the community. While that 
sort of thing has the potential to just get everyone talking in circles 
and mouthing platitudes, this Good Community Fair, was real.
  It was an event that I am convinced will make a concrete difference 
in our quality of life. It was a project that made a difference.
  As the newspaper itself put it:

       If Saturday's numbers are any indication of a new trend in 
     community involvement, organizers and agency leaders agree, 
     Springfield is headed toward a better quality of life in a 
     hurry.

  And the generous coverage by our local paper, and other local media 
outlets, unarguably helped make it a success.
  Having said that, I want to return the focus to the real heroes of 
this day. The regular citizens of all ages, all walks of life, who took 
time out of their weekend to see what they could do to help others--
people who cared enough about their community to find out if they could 
do something themselves.
  And let me tell you, I honestly believe this is just the beginning. I 
think the response we saw at this fair will inspire even more 
Springfieldians to do their part.
  This Good Community Fair has the potential to be a regular event, 
drawing more people each year into the effort to make a difference.
  One of the things that convinces me this event was not just a flash 
in the pan, but the beginning of something long-term, was the large 
number of young people who took part.
  Nearly 400 teenagers from all across town showed up for a two-hour 
town hall meeting to discuss their concerns about their schools and 
community. The discussion was led by panels of their fellow teenagers.
  While the kids did not come up with any definitive answers to any 
problems--something, in fairness, adults have also failed to do--the 
young people showed an understanding and appreciation of those problems 
and an earnest, honest, and idealistic desire to do something about 
them.
  And, for the most part, their complaints were voiced with a 
constructive attitude.
  If nothing else, adults saw that the teenagers in our community do 
care and should be a part of any discussion about how to improve our 
schools, fight crime, create jobs, or meet other vital needs.
  We have got quite a few good apples in the barrel. Anyway, I found 
some encouragement from it all.
  Let me share a few specific stories that capture the spirit of all 
this, from which I think we can all take some inspiration.
  Daisy Jenkins, a 79-year-old Springfield woman, showed up that 
Saturday. Now, understand, Daisy already gives $3,500 in contributions 
to 120 different charitable organizations a year. She also generously 
volunteers her time.
  The day before the fair she visited two nursing homes, two private 
homes, and took a load of supplies to a local school.
  This selfless woman came to the Good Community Fair to see what more 
she could do. Imagine that.
  When she was asked why she was eager to add to her burdens, she said: 
``I don't know. I can't help it. The Lord has been wonderful to me. I 
asked the Lord, `I'm comfortable. What can I do?' ''
  On the same day, 5-year-old Austin Shaw asked his mother to take him 
to the fair to see how he could help others. Austin is now signed up to 
cheer up kids his age at the Ronald McDonald House who are sick or have 
seriously ill brothers or sisters in a local hospital.
  ``I want to do that with my mom,'' Austin said.
  This generosity of spirit is touching. And there are examples after 
examples I could give you of other stories. Some I witnessed. Some I 
read about later. Some were told to me by others. All of them together 
make up the story of one of the most extraordinary events I have ever 
attended.
  For 5 hours people who care linked up with people who could show them 
how to get involved in a way that made sense for them.

[[Page H1624]]

  This one event did more for our community than any Government grant 
or any speech by a politician ever could.
  Oh, and let me tell you. The churches were there. If ever anyone 
doubted that our churches and religious faith must play a central role 
in any renewal of our communities, they should be rid of that doubt.
  From the Greene County Christian Coalition to the Springfield Area 
Council of Churches, the religious community was represented across the 
board.
  Representatives were also on hand from Victory Mission, The Kitchen, 
Evangel College, Salvation Army, Easter Seals, Boy Scouts of America, 
and more--all groups that affirm Godly values.
  This was not some antiseptic, morally neutral civic event. People 
were inspired by Christian decency and compassion. They were responding 
in droves to the Gospel message of charity and good will. And they were 
proudly doing it, in many cases, under the banner of faith.
  In too many cases today, we have been told such overt religious 
expression is bad. That public things must be devoid of religious 
content. Well, let me tell you something. That is a bunch of horse 
feathers.
  The outpouring of good will I saw that Saturday came from the soul. 
It was not just a civic act. It was a religious act. And I was proud to 
see the religious community out in force and out in the open, setting 
the example we are called to set.
  Why am I making a point of this? I just felt that part of the story 
got missed in the coverage back home. And, while I am paying tribute to 
the event itself, I want to pay tribute to the religious roots which 
inspire such Godly sentiments.
  The Good Community Fair is something which I believe can and should 
be emulated in other communities across the country.
  By whatever name you call it, getting people together to talk about 
common problems and giving regular people a chance to make a difference 
beyond voting for just another set of rascals, is a positive thing.
  Make sure government is there, so people can have some input in that 
aspect of their community and so government leaders can benefit from 
the direct exchange, but make sure the focus stays on the citizens and 
what they can do to make their community a better place.
  This is something any community can do, regardless of size or status.
  Springfield, MO, is a good town. We are not a metropolis, but we have 
some 145,000 souls who live there. Our problems may not be as great 
compared to what major cities face.
  Many of us still think of ourselves as a small town. We clearly are 
formed by those small town values.
  What I am saying is that we are not a city in crisis. We did not wait 
for our community to be falling apart at the seams before we did 
something to make sure we do not head too far in the wrong direction.
  If this made sense for us, how much more sense does it make for other 
cities with greater problems across our land.
  Again, I wish to pay tribute to the organizers and volunteers and 
groups and businesses and everyone else who had a part in making 
Springfield, MO's Good Community Fair a reality. It was an amazing 
event, an outstanding success, and the beginning of something very 
exciting. I am happy I went.
  I commend you all for a job well done, and for caring enough about 
our hometown to make an effort of this kind. Your hard work and effort 
is surely rewarded by your success.
  There is probably not much this retiring congressman can say that 
will add to that reward, but I felt it was important for me to say 
something, to let you know just how impressed I was, and to share what 
you have done with my colleagues and the rest of the country.
  I am heartened to see the spirit of volunteerism being renewed in my 
community. I know it would make President George Bush proud. This is 
the same idea he was talking about when he spoke of volunteers as a 
``thousand points of light'' in our troubled times.
  Well, I saw 7,000 points of light at the Good Community Fair. It was 
a brilliant sight indeed.
  But we must be realistic about this sort of thing.
  Just because we cannot end poverty in one act, it does not mean we 
should not as private citizens help the needy.
  Just because we cannot solve every crime or prevent every act of 
violence, it does not mean we should not do our best to keep our 
streets and neighborhoods as safe as possible.
  Just because Government does not always respond exactly as we like or 
sometimes seems incapable of functioning effectively, it does not mean 
we should not vote or get involved in campaigns.
  Sometimes, making a difference is incremental. Our Good Community 
Fair will not make Springfield, MO, a perfect place. It will not solve 
all our problems overnight. The fine groups represented there will 
probably never meet every need in our community.
  But I would hate to think where we would be without the effort. You 
must think about the alternative. The real question is: How much worse 
might things otherwise be?
  Progress is positive. We cannot make the perfect the enemy of the 
good. A good community is never more than a less-than-perfect community 
that is trying its best to do better. We must not lose heart in that 
struggle, as communities and individuals
  I have less than a year left in the Congress. At the end of the year 
I will be retiring after serving 8 years in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. I will once again be a private citizen. And yet, I do 
not believe for one moment that my public service is coming to an end.
  No, I am not talking about running for some other office, although it 
has been suggested and many have encouraged me to do so. I have no such 
plans.
  I will still be a taxpayer, a voter, and a concerned citizen in my 
community. You see, I recognize that you do not have to be a five-term 
U.S. Congressman to make a difference.
  You can be a 79-year-old woman volunteering to do more, or a 5-year-
old boy who cares about sick children his age.
  You can be a petition carrier, a food server, a snow shoveler, a 
babysitter, a blood donor, or meal deliverer and still make a 
difference in people's lives.
  That is the message of the Good Community Fair I attended. Regular 
people can and should make a difference.
  Do not wait for government to do it, or someone else to do it. If you 
want something better for your community, show some leadership 
yourself.
  Working together, citizens can make something happen. It may not all 
happen at once. Some problems will always be with us, but our challenge 
is to do our best.
  On Saturday, January 13, Springfield, MO, took one small--but very 
impressive--step in the right direction.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would yield, I want to 
commend him for the beautiful and inspirational statement that he has 
just made. I thought about what adjectives I wanted to use, and I 
almost said remarkable, but I thought beautiful and inspirational would 
be better because what the gentleman is describing is not at all 
remarkable in southern Missouri. It is the spirit and the attitude of 
the people there. And I do not think that we, your district and mine, 
lying as they do next to each other southwest and southeast Missouri, 
are particularly unique. I think that this wonderful spirit of 
voluntarism exists in most places in the country. It just needs to be 
tapped into and encouraged, and maybe we are old fashioned enough in 
what we would refer to as down in our neck of the woods to have never 
lost those qualities that were lost perhaps in many places when 
government started doing everything for everybody.
  We have in Cape Girardeau, MO, my hometown, an organization. It was 
created by a very, very dedicated public servant, and she is a State 
representative in Jefferson City representing Cape Giraredeau County. 
The organization is called the Community Caring Council, and it is all 
the private sector organizations that do volunteer work and, as was 
true, you said there were a lot of governmental types in Springfield. 
All governmental agencies that have anything to do with helping people 
are represented through this Community Caring Council, and the object 

[[Page H1625]]
of the Community Caring Counsel is if there is anybody in need or got a 
problem, we have got tentacles in the community that are going to find 
out about it and know about it and address those problems. And as the 
gentleman suggested, we are not perfect in all respects, but we do try.
  And I think that you have articulated here so beautifully, so well, a 
spirit that lives out there in the minds and the hearts and the souls 
certainly of southern Missourians and, I think, of most Americans, and 
I wish that you could have given your speech here at the beginning of 
the day when every Member might be present rather than at the end of 
the day and the end of the week because I think you have delivered a 
very, very inspirational message here that everyone needs to be 
familiar with, and I commend you on your outstanding service in 
presenting to us, as you have, this wonderful activity that went on in 
Springfield, and I hope it can become a role model for a lot of other 
places. Thank you, Mel, for what you have done.
  Mr. HANCOCK. I thank the gentleman.
  The point I am attempting to make, not that I think that, in fact I 
know Springfield, MO, does not have an exclusive franchise on this, but 
the fact is that we need to. I am hoping other communities will emulate 
what they have started there in Springfield, but it is the positive 
thing that I want to stress.
  I have been up here for almost 70 years. I mean it is negative, and I 
will say that you have to look at the negative side before you can come 
up with a solution, with positive solutions. You do not want to be 
blindsided, but this is positive, this is something that people can do.
  Now, the ones that count are the ones that do their volunteer work, 
and probably all they get, they get the thanks in the way they feel 
inside rather than getting their name in the paper or that unknown 
person out there, and it just was absolutely amazing. Over 7,000 people 
showed up on a Saturday afternoon.
  Mr. EMERSON. If the gentleman would yield further, let me encourage 
him. The Community Caring Council, which I mentioned as an entity in 
Cape Girardeau, has been in existence for some time, and other 
communities throughout southeast Missouri are emulating that entity, 
and I dare say that as other communities in the southwest are familiar 
with that is going on in Springfield, they will want to be a part of it 
as well because there is not, you know, a lot of difference between the 
folks in Joplin and Springfield and Poplar Bluff. They all want to be 
in there doing their part to make this world, this country and our 
region a better place.

  Mr. HANCOCK. Mr. Speaker, is it not great that we live in a country 
where we do not have to work 14 hours a day just to get enough to eat 
or 18 hours a day just to get enough to eat?
  You know we can spend a little time, and maybe quit watching so much 
television, and start doing a little volunteer work, and helping out 
our fellow man a little bit. That is positive, that is not negative.

                          ____________________