[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF ANDERSON HOMES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2008

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to pay tribute to Steve Anderson and the dedicated employees of 
Anderson Homes, an independent homebuilder based in Middletown, 
Delaware. This week Anderson Homes will do what many consider 
impossible. Together, with ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design 
team and hundreds of local sub-contractors and volunteers, they will 
build two new high quality homes for two Wilmington families in less 
than a week's time. Mr. Ty Pennington, the host of the show, informed 
the Latif family and their neighbor Rose Chatman of the wonderful news 
Tuesday morning in traditional fashion: yelling ``Good Morning'' via 
bullhorn.
   Anderson Homes has agreed to tackle this unbelievable challenge of 
building two houses, while waiving all fees and donating all the 
materials. Anderson Homes was founded in Middletown, Delaware, in 2000 
and has 45 full-time employees. In just 7 years, the company has built 
more than 1,000 quality homes. The company was named the ``Fastest 
Growing Homebuilder in the Nation, 2003'' by Builder Magazine and was 
the recipient of 11 Regal Awards by the Homebuilders Association of 
Delaware in 2006.
   ABC-TV Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is on a quest to build a house 
in all 50 States. Each family will return from an all expenses paid 
trip to Disney World to find a brand new' home, custom built to meet 
their special needs. The Extreme Makeover team selected the Latif and 
Chatman families of Delaware for their most recent home-building 
project because of their unique and inspiring circumstances.
   Ju-Juanna Latif's life story is one of inspiration, a reminder to 
all of us of what can be accomplished if one perseveres. Ms. Latif 
became a single mother at the age of 16 and dropped out of high school. 
In spite of the obstacles, Ms. Latif earned a GED and set her sights on 
going to college. Unfortunately, life once again challenged Ms. Latif 
and she found herself living in a homeless shelter with her baby. While 
living at the shelter, Ms. Latif worked proactively to achieve her 
goals by taking parenting classes, undergoing job training, and 
enrolling in college once again.
   Upon completion of a work study program, Ms. Latif was able to move 
out of the shelter into low-income housing. Ms. Latif bought her 
grandmother's home and, in doing so, also met a wonderful neighbor, 
Rose Chatman.
   Ms. Latif is a proud mother of four children, ages: 19, 13, 12, and 
9. James, Ms. Latif's youngest child, has been diagnosed with cerebral 
palsy and is wheelchair-bound. Ms. Chatman, better known as ``Grandma 
Rose'' takes care of James during the day while Ms. Latif goes to work 
as a welfare fraud analyst. ``Grandma Rose'' not only cares for young 
James, but is also an active member of her church by making the flower 
arrangements and providing transportation to church members.
   With the help of Anderson Homes and ABC-TV Extreme Makeover: Home 
Edition, the new home will accommodate the special needs of Ms. Latif's 
son, James, and will make life easier for the entire family, including 
``Grandma Rose.''
   Thank you to Steve Anderson, the employees of Anderson Homes, ABC, 
and all the volunteers who made the dream of a brand new home a reality 
for these deserving families.

                          ____________________