[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 112 (Friday, July 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1388-E1389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITAN LUTHERAN MINISTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 1996

  Ms. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Kansas City 
Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry [MLM] as it celebrates its 25th 
anniversary aiding the low-income and disadvantaged citizens of Greater 
Kansas City.
  Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry plays a critical role in Greater 
Kansas City. MLM annually serves over 50,000 people in need, including 
10,000 homeless people. These services instill dignity and self-respect 
in individuals. MLM brings strength to the community, helping citizens 
find jobs, transportation, and places for them to live. These selfless 
acts serve as a beacon of compassion and a glimmer of hope not only to 
those who benefit directly from them, but to all who live and work in 
the metropolitan area.
  Annually the volunteers and staff bring holiday cheer to over 1,400 
destitute families by providing them with gifts and the food for a 
holiday meal. In all, MLM will provide nearly 42,000 hours of volunteer 
service to those in difficult circumstances in the coming year. The 
Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry provides all of these services with a 
dedicated staff of 31 highly trained individuals and over 1,500 
volunteers from the Greater Kansas City area.
  MLM has set the standard for social service in Kansas City. 
Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry has helped to implement programs such as 
Harvesters Food Bank, the Community Gardens project, Project Warmth, as 
well as low to moderate-income housing programs such as Parvin Estates 
and Sheffield Place, which provides housing to homeless women with 
small children. These initiatives are at the core of the social service 
backbone of Kansas City.
  MLM continues to produce new and important endeavors for the 
community. Most recently, they embarked on a child abuse prevention 
program to train and educate teachers, counselors, and the clergy about 
how to recognize abuse, how to intervene, and where to go for help. 
Last year this program reached out to 7,400 people and trained 500 
people in 33 workshops.

[[Page E1389]]

  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry on 
this, their 25th anniversary and for their valiant efforts in the war 
on poverty.

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