[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING BLISSFIELD'S NATIONAL HEROES

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                            HON. NICK SMITH

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 1998

  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to 
four of my constituents who have demonstrated the true meaning of 
community service. So many people talk about the need to get involved 
and pitch in when they see a problem, but in my district is blessed to 
have four young people who put those words into action.
  This week, the Make A Difference Day committee, organized by USA 
Weekend, named the group of Christi Stoker, Natalie Eisenmann, Amanda 
Nicolai, and Stephanie Powell among ten recipients of a national award 
from the Make A Difference Day Foundation.
  These girls offered some helping hands to a homeless shelter in 
Toledo, not too far from their hometown of Blissfield, Michigan. The 
girls, who are 13, organized a coalition of community members to donate 
books, games, wallpaper, and other materials to make this shelter more 
of a home for the kids and their parents who sought refuge there. They 
ended up collecting more than $800 in contributions for the shelter.
  And, these special young people didn't stop there. They helped a 
young girl at the shelter and her mother find a place to live. The 
girls still stay in touch with the family to whom they gave this 
precious gift.
  Mr. Speaker, we are a nation that turns famous people into heroes--TV 
and movie stars and our national journalists. But to me, America's true 
heroes are those who devote time and energy in their communities to 
give or offer assistance and compassion to those who need it.
  Few people who have performed that task better than Christi Stoker, 
Natalie Eisenmann, Amanda Nicolai, and Stephanie Powell.

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