[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF RAMON WAGNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 11, 2005

  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life and accomplishments of Ramon Wagner, a Milwaukee resident and an 
advocate for low-income people whose legacy will live on despite his 
untimely death on April 15, 2005.
  Mr. Wagner, who founded Community Advocates in 1976 and served as its 
Executive Director, dedicated his life to serving the Milwaukee 
community. For almost 30 years, Community Advocates endeavored to be a 
place where people in need could come for help. In service of Mr. 
Wagner's vision, Community Advocates developed and implemented a range 
of services that help low-income families cope with the everyday 
challenges of living in poverty.
  Low-income people throughout Wisconsin can thank Mr. Wagner for 
helping to organize the moratorium on natural gas shut-offs during the 
winter months. He negotiated an agreement with the gas company after an 
elderly woman died in her unheated apartment in 1984, because her 
landlord had not paid the heating bill.
  Mr. Wagner will be remembered as a champion of services for low-
income people, but he also leaves a strong legacy in his efforts to 
strengthen the network of service organizations. He understood that 
connecting to others' efforts would magnify the impact of scarce 
resources.
  Ramon's was a well-lived life. I salute him for his dedication to 
serving others.

                          ____________________