[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HOPE NETWORK, S.E. FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Hope 
Network, S.E., an organization which will hold its Fifth Anniversary 
Celebration on April 9, 2000. Since it opened in 1994, Hope Network, 
S.E. has provided disabled and disadvantaged individuals of Oakland, 
Macomb, and Wayne Counties not only with places to live, but, more 
importantly, with communities to live in.
  Hope Network, S.E. is a member organization of the Hope Network, 
which employs more than 2000 people and operates from more than 130 
different locations throughout the state of Michigan. The mission of 
Hope Network is to enhance the dignity and independence of people who 
have disabilities and/or are disadvantaged. The foundation of its 
efforts is the belief that every individual is created in the image of 
God and therefore has intrinsic worth and dignity.
  The primary goal of Hope Network, S.E. is to provide the highest 
quality of living for people with disabilities. This is done by 
respecting the dignity and independence of these individuals, by giving 
them the opportunity to offer input and make decisions about their own 
personalized plan of service. The success of Hope Network, S.E. lies in 
this process, for it is a process which encourages disabled individuals 
to become involved in community and social activities.
  Part of the Fifth Anniversary Celebration is an art show and auction. 
The pieces of art on display were created at The Art Experience, a 
gallery in Oakland County which offers art therapy for mentally ill 
individuals. Its biggest client, not surprisingly, is Hope Network, 
S.E. Employees of Hope Network, S.E. transport individuals, men and 
women who usually do not like to stray far from their homes, twenty-
five miles to The Art Experience. I am told that it is a place where 
disabilities, though they do not disappear, are briefly forgotten.
  Mr. President, I applaud Hope Network, S.E. Executive Director Pat 
Crandall, and her many employees and volunteers, for five years of 
successful service to Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties. Their 
dedication and selfless efforts have touched numerous lives and 
indelibly left their mark on these communities. On behalf of the entire 
United States Senate, I wish Hope Network, S.E. a happy fifth 
anniversary. I hope that the coming years are as successful as the 
first five have been.

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