[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 74 (Friday, May 25, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 96--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT A 
  COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMP SHOULD BE ISSUED TO HONOR DR. EDGAR J. 
                                 HELMS

  Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kennedy, and Ms. 
Snowe) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Governmental Affairs:

                               S. Res. 96

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT A COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE 
                   STAMP SHOULD BE ISSUED TO HONOR DR. EDGAR J. 
                   HELMS.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:
       (1) Dr. Helms was born in a wilderness lumber camp in 
     upstate New York on January 19, 1863, and passed away on 
     December 23, 1942, at the age of 79.
       (2) Dr. Helms established the Church of All Nations in 
     Boston's troubled South End to provide a spiritual haven and 
     a center for job training for the poor and destitute.
       (3) In 1902, Dr. Helms founded Goodwill Industries, Inc. 
     (in this section referred to as ``Goodwill''), a nonprofit 
     organization established to collect unwanted clothing and 
     household goods from Boston's wealthy citizens to allow poor 
     immigrants to repair them for resale, thereby giving 
     employment to relatively unskilled people as well as giving 
     them a source of inexpensive clothing and other goods.
       (4) Dr. Helms often denied himself basic comforts to save 
     money for larger purposes.
       (5) In the mid-1930's, Goodwill changed from a work relief 
     organization to one that primarily served people with 
     disabilities.
       (6) Goodwill played a key role during World War II by 
     providing workers who produced many basic necessities for the 
     war effort.
       (7) Goodwill serves people with physical, mental, and 
     emotional disabilities, and those who face extraordinary 
     barriers to employment such as those who are in poverty, 
     including those who receive public assistance or who are 
     homeless, and those without any work experience.
       (8) Goodwill provided services for more than 440,000 people 
     in 2000, and more than 77,000 of them became employed as a 
     result of the assistance Goodwill provided.
       (9) For almost 100 years, Goodwill has benefited millions 
     of Americans by fulfilling the mission set out by Dr. Helms 
     in his message of ``Not Charity But a Chance''.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend 
     to the Postmaster General that a commemorative postage stamp 
     be issued in 2002 to honor Dr. Edgar J. Helms.

     SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL TO CITIZENS' STAMP ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
     resolution to the chairperson of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory 
     Committee.

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I introduce today a resolution proposing a 
commemorative stamp honoring Dr. Edgar J. Helms and the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of Goodwill Industries. I am pleased to be 
joined in this effort by my good friends Senators Lugar, Durbin, 
Kennedy, and Snowe.
  Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Goodwill 
Industries. This non-profit organization was founded in Boston's South 
End by Dr. Edgar Helms who began Goodwill to provide ``Not a charity, 
But a Chance'' for those in need. Goodwill began by collection donated 
clothing and household goods and having them repaired by the disabled 
and the extremely poor. This work is still central to Goodwill's 
operations. For four decades, Dr. Helms labored to provide 
opportunities for those in need, telling his employees to ``be 
dissatisfied with [their] work until every handicapped and unfortunate 
person in [their communities had] an opportunity to develop to his 
fullest usefulness and to enjoy a maximum of abundant living.''
  Today, Goodwill is an international movement, providing services for 
over 440,000 people each year in almost every state in the nation, as 
well as more than 50 countries. In 2000, more than 77,000 people found 
employment as a result of the assistance provided by Goodwill. Goodwill 
has been commended by every U.S. President since Truman, and the first 
full week of May is traditionally proclaimed ``Goodwill Industries 
Week.'' Dr. Helms's foundation remains an exceptional example of how 
capitalism and community activism can work together to improve life for 
all segments of society. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Goodwill 
in 2002 and of Dr. Helms's long-lasting contributions to the nation's 
poor and disabled, I am proud to offer this resolution expressing the 
sense of the Senate that the United States Postal Service issue a 
commemorative Stamp honoring Dr. Edgar J. Helms.

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