[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 10, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO BEA GADDY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2001

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and works of 
Bea Gaddy, an advocate for the poor, councilwoman, and humanitarian who 
died of breast cancer last Wednesday. Bea Gaddy's devotion to the 
service of the poor and the disadvantaged has made her a legend in 
Baltimore and throughout Maryland.
  With her exceptional strength of character and determination, she not 
only transformed her own life but also the lives of those around her. 
Her childhood was marred by her father's abandonment and her 
stepfather's alcoholism and abuse. By the time she reached her early 
twenties, she had already lived through two failed marriages of her 
own.
  Bea Gaddy knew hunger and poverty intimately. In order to feed her 
five children and others like herself, she began pushing a garbage can 
on wheels to local grocery stores asking for food. And so, began her 
life-long mission to feed the hungry and help the poor. She finished 
her high school education and earned a college degree from Antioch 
University's Baltimore division. On October 1, 1981, she officially 
opened her food and clothing distribution center. In 1988, she began 
homeless shelters for women and children out of rundown houses.
  While she provided food, clothing, and shelter for the needy, she 
also taught them to be independent. With her encouragement, many found 
jobs and got an education. She taught people how to live better lives. 
In 1999, she was elected to the Baltimore City Council. As 
councilwoman, she fought to get decent medical services for the 
homeless in addition to other services. She brought attention to the 
plight of the poor.
  Baltimore was blessed with Bea Gaddy's charitable works, but her 
remarkable spirit was recognized around the Nation. She was once named 
Woman of the Year by Family Circle Magazine, she appeared on CBS 
Morning News, and in 1992 was named as one of President George Bush's 
``Thousand Points of Light.''
  I hope that my colleagues will join me in saluting Bea Gaddy, a rare 
individual whose life is an example to all of us. Her kindness and 
strength changed many lives. Bea Gaddy will be sincerely missed.

                          ____________________