[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1676]]
           TRIBUTE TO MOM'S HOUSE IN JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 9, 1998

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to be able to take this 
opportunity before my Colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay 
tribute to a very special organization in the district I represent. 
Mom's House, located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is celebrating its 
15th anniversary. I'd like to tell you about this extraordinary 
organization, founded by an exceptional person who is a longtime friend 
as well, Peg Luksik.
  Mom's House was founded in 1983 to offer young women with unplanned 
pregnancies an alternative to abortion and welfare. The program was the 
first of its kind in the nation and has served as a national model of 
private and public sector cooperation in assisting young, single 
parents.
  It is a non-denominational, non-profit, licensed day care center that 
provides quality care and educational programs to preschool children as 
well as supportive services to their parents, allowing them to complete 
their education.
  The way the program works is the parents sign a contract to be full-
time students, keep up their grades, attend parenting classes and 
volunteer three hours a week at the center.
  In addition, the Mom's House Memorial Scholarship Fund was 
established in 1987 to help single parents pay for the increasing costs 
of tuition while pursuing their education. Two scholarship awards were 
given in the first year of the program, and twelve awards were given in 
1998.
  The program has since expanded to other locations in Pennsylvania as 
well as three other states, with the Johnstown facility serving as the 
national headquarters.
  Staffing needs are met through cooperation with community agencies 
such as the Foster Grandparent Program, Retired Senior Volunteers, 
United Way and local colleges, universities and churches. In May of 
1992, Mom's House was awarded the 768th ``Daily Point of Light'' by 
President George Bush for its ``generosity and willingness to serve 
others.''
  To date, Mom's House has helped over 2,500 single parents and cared 
for their children, enabling these families to have a brighter and 
happier future.
  This is the kind of caring, community-based effort that our country 
needs many more of. I applaud all the people at Mom's House and 
congratulate them on 15 years of outstanding community service and 
thank them for the priceless gift they give to these families.

                          ____________________