[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  THE BEACON SHINES IN THE LIGHTHOUSE

                                 ______


                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 29, 1996

  Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the 
attention of my colleagues, an extraordinary family who has accepted an 
extraordinary mission. On Saturday, May 25, a tribute was paid to 
Bishop James A. Parrott.
  Bishop Parrott and the Parrott family responded to the noticeable 
plight of the hungry, the unemployed, the underemployed, and the myriad 
number of citizens who are forced to live on fixed incomes that are 
below the poverty level. What makes this unique? In 1981, before the 
modern-day soup kitchen was established in many of our communities, 
Bishop Parrott opened what was known as the ``Soup Kitchen at 1035 
Broad Street'' in Newark, NJ. This small, seemingly insignificant 
gesture of consciousness cast the dye for what would become Bishop 
Parrott's street ministry.
  Lighthouse Community Services [LCS] was founded in 1981 and 
incorporated in 1989. The first meal was served on February 19, 1981 
and consisted of homemade cornbread and soup prepared by Mother Ann 
Parrott, Mother Betty Martin and Mother Constance Baskerville. They 
started feeding a small group of about 20 individuals three times a 
week for lunch. What started as a modest number of 20 grew to 757. 
Since 1981 over 1 million meals have been served and over 5,000 persons 
have been temporarily housed at LCS. As the program grew so did the 
number of volunteers.
  In addition to nutritional meals being served daily, emergency 
shelter for men, women, and children is provided on a daily basis. The 
men's residential shelter is used to house those in need while they 
complete school and/or find jobs, thereby enabling them to return to 
the mainstream of society as productive citizens.
   Mr. Speaker, I am proud to bring the story of the Lighthouse 
Community Services to my colleagues and to the annals of U.S. history. 
The Parrott family has much of which to be proud and thankful. I offer 
my best wishes to Bishop James A. Parrott, Mother Ann Parrott and their 
children--James Jr., Dennis, deceased, Joan, Steven, Andrew and Mark. 
Five of the children are ordained clergy with the exception of Mark who 
is an ordained Deacon.

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