[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MILDRED JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 1997

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to a remarkable woman 
from my district who recently left us.
  For more than 40 years, Mildred Jones served her community and 
nation. She represented the World YWCA at the United Nations for 15 
years, worked for UNICEF, chaired the Mission Commission in the 1990s, 
and helped organize several international conferences on women--
including the 1995 Beijing Conference. Closer to home, she served her 
community at the White Plains Presbyterian Church, soliciting support 
for programs that provide food and shelter to the homeless and housing 
for senior citizens.
  Mildred Jones touched the lives of people all over the world. She 
will be sorely missed. Mr. Speaker, in her honor, I wish to have 
portions of her 1997 United Presbyterian Church ``Woman of the Year'' 
nomination included in the Record for all to read. May she inspire each 
and every one of us.

   Woman of the Year Nomination United Presbyterian Church, USA 1997

       Mrs. Jones represented the World YWCA at the United Nations 
     from 1971 until 1996. As a representative of a non-
     governmental organization at the UN, she chaired the NGO 
     committee for UNICEF. During the International Year of the 
     Child in 1979, she worked professionally in the UNICEF office 
     and was the U.S. representative and side to Canon Moerman, 
     head of the UN's International Year of the Child.
       In her work with UNICEF, Mrs. Jones was instrumental in 
     aggressively promoting a boycott of the Nestle Company to 
     combat the marketing of baby formula milk to mothers in 
     African countries. (Formula milk requires the addition of 
     water, and the water in many African communities was typhoid-
     ridden. UNICEF presented alternative educational programs for 
     breast feeding.)
       As a church elder and chair of the Mission Commission in 
     the 1990's, Mrs. Jones was an important spearhead in 
     developing a Mentoring Program involving church members who 
     work with the children of homeless families living in 
     temporary housing.
       Throughout her more than 40 years of service to the YMCA, 
     UN and UNICEF (as well as her concurrent service in the White 
     Plains Presbyterian Church), Mrs. Jones has worked creatively 
     and effectively for the well-being of children. She helped 
     organize international causes to reduce high child-mortality 
     rates by means of methods such as breast-feeding, 
     immunization, oral rehydration therapy, and growth 
     monitoring. Helping to empower the powerless does not happen 
     without critics. During the planning for the International 
     Year of the Child, Mrs. Jones received an angry letter from 
     an executive in a prominent woman's organization demanding 
     that the U.S. withdraw support for the IYC because it was a 
     ``Communist Conspiracy''. Mrs. Jones firmly rejected that 
     idea, pointing out that, in fact, the Soviet Union had 
     refused to participate in the IYC, stating that their 
     children were well cared for and didn't need help.
       In her mission work with the White Plains Presbyterian 
     Church, Mrs. Jones was active in gaining support for several 
     outreach programs: SWAP (a program to renovate old buildings 
     in inner-city Yonkers); Ecumenical Emergency Food Pantry; 
     Kingsley House (a senior citizens' apartment house jointly 
     funded by the White Plains church and New York State); and 
     SHORE (Sheltering the Homeless is Our Responsibility, a 
     community-wide program).
       Mildred Jones served on the Board of Directors of the 
     National YWCA, 1955-1970, and was vice-president of the 
     Board, 1967-1970. She was a member of the Executive Committee 
     of the World YWCA, 1967-1975, and VP of the World YWCA, 1971-
     1975. As part of her UN and UNICEF work, Mrs. Jones helped 
     organize three world conferences about and for women (Mexico, 
     Copenhagen and Beijing.) She was a model for women in her 
     church work, also: one of the first women to be ordained an 
     elder in White Plains, Clerk of Session for eight years, a 
     member of Session, off on an, for nearly 25 years.

     

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