[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNITION OF COBB FAMILY RESOURCES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2000

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, forty years ago Cobb County, 
Georgia, witnessed the beginning of an exemplary non-profit 
organization. The original idea, conceived by its three founders, Fred 
Bentley Sr., Howard Ector, and Harry Holliday, was the formation of an 
entity that would unite the social service efforts of six existing 
emergency aid agencies into one effective unit to be more cost 
effective and efficient.
  In its humble beginnings, with a part-time director and three staff 
members, the organization was incorporated as Cobb County Emergency Aid 
Association, Inc. on May 17, 1960, and offered, as its name suggests, 
help of a short-term nature.
  Supported by donations from the community, aided by volunteer 
efforts, and a board of dedicated local citizens, the organization 
continued to grow, expanding its assistance to the needy of Cobb 
County. The agency offered financial aid, food, clothing, and medical 
supplies to help low income people with temporary setbacks. This 
emergency aid allowed families and individuals to address the immediate 
need in their lives.
  Even greater assistance was ahead for the needy of Cobb County. In 
the mid 1980's, Cobb Family Resources, as the organization was later 
renamed, was fortunate to work with the federal government on programs 
offering family self-sufficiency and emergency housing for homeless 
families. With the federal government's policy direction and funding 
assistance, the agency adopted an effective case-management philosophy 
which continues today to be the successful core for each of its many 
programs. Also, with the federal government's assistance in the 1980's, 
Cobb Family Resources was able to buy its own facility and to expand 
its housing program for homeless families to include transitional 
housing and supportive services for long-term help.
  Now, after 40 years of service to the community, through the 
partnership of public, private, and government efforts, Cobb Family 
Resources is a universally-recognized leader in serving the needs of 
low-income and homeless individuals and families in Cobb County, and in 
changing dependency into self-sufficiency. The housing program, for 
example, requires clients to have a job or be a full-time student. 
Residents are required to take Life skills classes, Budget courses, and 
open a savings account. Tutoring programs are offered for youth, and, 
for adults, GED training and employment skills, such as resume writing 
and interviewing techniques.
  Let me leave you with the words of a former Cobb Family Resources' 
client who received help with housing, resume writing, and employment 
skills; she said:

       Having an organization such as Cobb Family Resources really 
     gives single mothers such as myself an opportunity for growth 
     and improvement. When I came to know this agency, I really 
     did not have any idea the relationship that was about to 
     develop. I was simply seeking help to pay my rent due to a 
     sudden lay-off.
       I am no stranger to hard work. I am no stranger to hard 
     times. I grew up in one of Atlanta's largest public housing 
     projects . . . but I always strived for better things in my 
     life. Sometimes it seemed as if my hard work was in vain, and 
     then came [Cobb Family Resources].
       What Cobb Family Resources has that most organizations of 
     its kind does not, is the help you receive to become self-
     sufficient. My income that was once poverty level has 
     increased dramatically in the past year. I have better 
     transportation and I no longer receive any public assistance. 
     I do not need it anymore because my job allows me to meet the 
     needs of my family.

  Cobb Family Resources provides the comprehensive, organized approach 
to working with both generations in a family to provide them the tools 
and skills to take responsibility for themselves, to become--and, more 
importantly, to remain--self-sufficient and productive members of our 
community.

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