[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H1682-H1683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING MAUI ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, INC., ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker and fellow citizens of our country, and 
especially of my Great State of Hawaii, and of the great County of 
Maui, celebrating its centennial this year and the place to where my 
own great-grandparents moved and made their life home in 1900, aloha.
  ``Maui no ka oi,'' Maui is the best, not just because of its scenery 
and lifestyle, but because it has always been an innovator, and 
because, like all of our Hawaii, it takes care of its own. And there is 
no better example of the true spirit of Maui than Maui Economic 
Opportunity, Inc., which I stand today to congratulate on the occasion 
of its 40th anniversary.
  Mr. Speaker, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., MEO, is a private, 
nonprofit Community Action Partnership Agency, which was chartered on 
March 22, 1965, by Federal mandate under the Economic Opportunity Act 
of 1964. MEO provides an enormous array of community services annually 
to over 20,000 people throughout Maui County, encompassing the four 
islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe.
  MEO's model is ``Helping People, Changing Lives.'' Its mission is 
simple and direct: to help the poor, the elderly, children and youth, 
persons with

[[Page H1683]]

disabilities, immigrants, other disadvantaged people, and the general 
public to help themselves, so that they may become self-sufficient.
  MEO has more than fulfilled this mission. In 2003, for example, MEO 
was one of only four agencies out of 1,000 community action agencies 
nationwide to receive an Agency of Excellence Award from the National 
Community Action Partnership. This prestigious award, for MEO's 
superior administrative operations and program excellence, is a true 
testament to its advocacy and its outstanding services tailored to the 
specific and often unique needs of Maui County.
  Among those many services, MEO provides the largest specialized 
transportation program in Maui County, with vehicles carrying the 
elderly, low-income, persons with disabilities, youth, Head Start 
children, and the public, 7 days a week and up to 18 hours a day. MEO's 
award-winning Head Start program provides services to 384 children 
through 14 centers countywide. The MEO YouthBank, including an 
AmeriCorps program, provides opportunities for youths ages 14 to 26 to 
work, learn and prepare for their future.
  The MEO community services staff works tirelessly in challenging 
situations, providing emergency assistance, job placement, training and 
other support services. The MEO Development Corporation provides loans 
and training to start small businesses, create jobs, and boost the 
community's economy. MEO's Anlace Hispano provides services to the 
Hispanic-speaking and immigrant population, and the Being Empowered and 
Safe Together reintegration program serves individuals making the 
difficult transition from prison back into the community.
  Moreover, MEO has never hesitated to go above and beyond its core 
mission in times of dire community need. In the aftermath of 9/11, for 
example, MEO, in partnership with the County of Maui, distributed $1.5 
million to residents affected economically when Maui's tourism industry 
slumped. Just a few weeks ago, MEO volunteered its services to assist 
employees dislocated through the destruction by fire of Kahului Mall.
  Of course, the secret of MEO's success has always been its wonderful, 
dedicated and caring staff, led by some truly extraordinary executive 
directors throughout the last 4 decades. My former State House of 
Representatives Speaker and colleague, Joe Souki, well laid the 
groundwork for the modern era and was followed for the last 2 decades 
by the irrepressible Gladys Baisa, who will soon retire. Maui County 
will truly miss your leadership, Gladys; but you and MEO chose well in 
your successor, Sandy Bas.
  So you can see, Mr. Speaker, that Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., 
has truly created a better community for everyone and richly deserves 
these happy birthday greetings before it moves on into a bright and 
equally rewarding future. Mahalo, and aloha.

                          ____________________