[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E80]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ``REWARDS THAT FOLLOW GENEROUS HEARTS''

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                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 5, 2002

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, something wonderful recently 
occurred for many folks in Rome and Floyd County, Georgia. Steve 
Edwards, owner of a local insurance company in Rome, and his wife 
Marie, read of the plight of 1200 families in Floyd County who had 
their gas service discontinued for lack of payment of the previous 
year's gas bills.
  Steve and Marie read of the plight of these families and knew they 
had to do something. They could not save every family, but they could 
save at least one. They made a gift to the local Salvation Army for one 
family's unpaid gas bill. The sense of reward was so powerful, the 
Edwards decided other families might want to experience it as well. 
With no budget and no organization, Steve began to challenge families 
within the First Baptist Church of Rome each to pay for one family's 
gas bill. The response to his challenge was overwhelming. His vision 
quickly spread beyond their congregation and beyond Baptists. He 
believed there were enough generous Christians in Floyd County to turn 
on the heat for the remaining 1180 families. Steve called an impromptu 
meeting of various helping organizations, and ``One Family helping One 
Family`` was born.
  Joel Snider, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Rome, expressed 
the enormity of the situation when he stated, ``Imagine being 80 years 
old and in poor health. All your income is represented by the $600 per 
month Social Security check that arrives each month. You pay $150 a 
month for the portion of your prescriptions not covered by Medicare. 
The remaining $450 covers rent, groceries, phone, utilities, and 
everything else. Then one day, you receive a gas bill for $800. The 
meter is running on your current bill also. What do you do? How do you 
ever scrape together enough money to catch up?''
  ``One Family Helping One Family,'' while working with Good Neighbor 
Ministries, the Salvation Army, and Floyd County Baptist Association, 
have helped 167 families as of January 18, 2002. Four hundred and 
seventeen total donations had been received by these agencies. Many 
contributions came from individuals and families; however, some 
contributions represented the combined efforts of Sunday School classes 
and student groups. The total amount given up until that date was 
$112,522. Every penny has gone to help a family in need.
  The entire community, including the staff at Rome Housing Authority, 
Atlanta Gas Light Company, the staff of the ``Rome News-Tribune'', 
Rome/Carrollton District of the United Methodist Church, Good Neighbor 
Ministries, Major Kerns of the Salvation Army, Lynne Barton at Info 
Line, Bruce Day at Floyd County Baptist Association, Susan Seagraves, 
John Pinson, Armin Maier, Mary and Allen Shropshire, Doug Walker, and 
many others, have pulled together.
  Imagine, if you will, what might happen if each and every community 
had a ``Steve Edwards?'' We owe a debt of gratitude to each person who 
has contributed to this effort. As Pastor Snider so eloquently phrased 
it in the ``Rome News-Tribune'' in December, ``On behalf of all the 
families that are warm today because of your gift, I ask God to grant 
you the richest blessings of this holiday season. May the rewards that 
follow generous hearts be yours into the New Year.'' Amen.

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