[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3802-S3803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 79--CONGRATULATING AND SALUTING FOCUS: 
  HOPE ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY AND FOR ITS REMARKABLE COMMITMENT AND 
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO DETROIT, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, AND THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. LEVIN (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 79

       Whereas Focus: HOPE began as a civil and human rights 
     organization in 1968 in the wake of the devastating Detroit 
     riots, and was cofounded by the late Father William T. 
     Cunningham, a Roman Catholic priest, and Eleanor M. Josaitis, 
     a suburban housewife, who were inspired by the work of Dr. 
     Martin Luther King, Jr.;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE is committed to bringing together 
     people of all races, faiths, and economic backgrounds to 
     overcome injustice and build racial harmony, and it has grown 
     into one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Michigan;
       Whereas the Focus: HOPE mission statement reads, 
     ``Recognizing the dignity and beauty of every person, we 
     pledge intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, 
     poverty and injustice. And to build a metropolitan community 
     where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust, and 
     affection. Black and white, yellow, brown and red, from 
     Detroit and its suburbs of every economic status, national 
     origin and religious persuasion we join in this movement.'';
       Whereas one of Focus: HOPE's early efforts was to support 
     African-American and female employees in a seminal class 
     action suit against the American Automobile Association 
     (AAA), resulting in groundbreaking affirmative action 
     commitments made by AAA;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE helped to conceive and develop the 
     Department of Agriculture's Commodity Supplemental Food 
     Program, which has been replicated in more than 32 States, 
     and through this program, Focus: HOPE helps to feed 
     approximately 41,000 people per month throughout southeast 
     Michigan;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE has revitalized several city blocks in 
     central Detroit by redeveloping obsolete industrial 
     buildings, beautifying and landscaping Oakman Boulevard, 
     creating pocket parks, and rehabilitating homes in the 
     surrounding areas;
       Whereas, since 1981, Focus: HOPE's Machinist Training 
     Institute has been training individuals from Detroit and 
     surrounding areas in careers in advanced manufacturing and 
     precision machining and has produced nearly 2,300 certified 
     graduates, providing an opportunity for minority youth, 
     women, and others who are often underrepresented in such 
     careers to gain access to the financial mainstream and learn 
     in-demand skills;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE has recognized that manufacturing and 
     information technologies are key to the economic growth and 
     security of Michigan and the United States, and is committed 
     to designing programs to encourage the participation of 
     underrepresented urban individuals in those critical sectors;
       Whereas, in 1982, Focus: HOPE initiated a for-profit 
     subsidiary for community economic development purposes and is 
     now designated with Federal HUBZone status (as defined in 
     section 3(p) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(p));
       Whereas Focus: HOPE created Fast Track, a pioneering skill-
     enhancing program designed to help individuals improve their 
     reading and math competencies by a minimum of 2 grade levels 
     in 4 to 7 weeks;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE's training and education programs have 
     moved more than 9,600 individuals out into the workforce 
     since the inception of those programs and have job placement 
     rates significantly above the national average;
       Whereas, in 1987, Focus: HOPE reclaimed and renovated an 
     abandoned building and opened it as the Focus: HOPE Center 
     for Children, which now has served nearly 6,000 children of 
     colleagues, students, and neighbors with quality child care, 
     including

[[Page S3803]]

     latchkey, summer camp, early childhood education, and other 
     educational services;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE, through an unprecedented cooperative 
     agreement between the Departments of Defense, Commerce, 
     Education, and Labor, established a national demonstration 
     project, the Center for Advanced Technologies, which 
     integrates hands-on manufacturing training and academic 
     learning and educates advanced manufacturing engineers and 
     technologists at internationally competitive levels;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE partnered with 5 universities and 6 
     industry partners, formerly known as the Greenfield 
     Coalition, to design a unique 21st century curriculum that 
     resulted in students receiving associate's degrees in 
     manufacturing technologies from Lawrence Technological 
     University, or bachelor's degrees in engineering technology 
     or manufacturing engineering from Wayne State University or 
     the University of Detroit Mercy, respectively;
       Whereas, due to the unique educational pedagogy at Focus: 
     HOPE's Center for Advanced Technologies, the starting salary 
     of its graduates is higher than the national average of 
     graduates with the same degree from other universities;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE has made outstanding contributions in 
     increasing diversity within the traditionally homogenous 
     science, math, engineering, and technology fields, 95 percent 
     of currently enrolled degree candidates are African-American, 
     and the Center for Advanced Technologies is one of the top 
     programs in the United States for graduating minorities with 
     bachelor's degrees in manufacturing engineering;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE's unique partnership with the 
     Department of Defense has resulted in several research and 
     development projects, including a nationally recognized 
     demonstration project, the Mobile Parts Hospital, whose Rapid 
     Manufacturing System has been deployed to Kuwait in support 
     of the Armed Forces' operations in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and 
     Iraq;
       Whereas, in 1995, Focus: HOPE began a community arts 
     program to present multicultural arts programming and gallery 
     exhibitions designated to educate and encourage area 
     residents, while fostering integration in a culturally 
     diverse metropolitan community, and more than 70,000 people 
     have viewed sponsored exhibits or participated in the 
     program;
       Whereas, in 1999, Focus: HOPE established an Informational 
     Technologies Center to provide Detroit students with 
     industry-certified training programs in network 
     administration, network installation, and desktop and server 
     administration, and has graduated nearly 800 students, and 
     initiated, in collaboration with industry and academia, the 
     design of a new bachelor's degree program to educate 
     information management systems engineers;
       Whereas, in 2006, the State of Michigan designated Focus: 
     HOPE's campus and the surrounding community a ``Cool Cities'' 
     neighborhood;
       Whereas the Secretary of Labor presented Focus: HOPE with 
     an Exemplary Public Interest Contribution Award in 
     recognition of its success in opening employment 
     opportunities for minorities and women;
       Whereas the Village of Oakman Manor, a 55-unit senior 
     citizen apartment building sponsored by the Presbyterian 
     Village of Michigan in collaboration with Focus: HOPE, opened 
     in 2006 near the Focus: HOPE campus as the first new 
     construction in the area in more than 50 years;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE's initiatives and programs have been 
     nationally recognized for excellence and leadership by such 
     entities as the Government Accountability Office, the 
     Department of Labor, the International Standards 
     Organization, the National Science Foundation, the Cisco 
     Networking Academy Program, Fortune magazine, Forbes 
     magazine, and the Aspen Institute;
       Whereas former Presidents George H.W. Bush and William 
     Jefferson Clinton have visited Focus: HOPE's campus;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE's cofounder Eleanor M. Josaitis 
     received honorary degrees from 13 outstanding universities 
     and colleges, was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women 
     in 2002 by Crain's Detroit Business, was inducted into the 
     Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, received the Detroit NAACP 
     Presidential Award, the Arab American Institute Foundation's 
     Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award, the Michigan Chamber 
     of Commerce Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership, 
     and the Dr. Charles H. Wright Award for Excellence in 
     Community Activism, the Caring Institute's National Caring 
     Award, and the Clara Barton Ambassador Award from the 
     American Red Cross, as well as many other awards;
       Whereas, through generous partnerships with and the support 
     of individuals from all walks of life, the Federal, State, 
     and local governments, and foundations and corporations 
     across the United States, the vision of Focus: HOPE will 
     continue to grow and inspire;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE has been fortunate enough to have an 
     active board of directors and advisory board from the most 
     senior levels of corporations and public entities in the 
     United States and has benefitted from thousands of volunteers 
     and supporters;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE has been a tremendous force for good in 
     the city of Detroit, the State of Michigan, and in the United 
     States for the past 40 years;
       Whereas Focus: HOPE continues to strive to eliminate 
     racism, poverty, and injustice through the use of passion, 
     persistence, and partnerships, and continues to seek 
     improvements in its quality of service and program 
     operations; and
       Whereas Focus: HOPE and its colleagues will continue to 
     identify ways in which it can lead Detroit, the State of 
     Michigan, and the United States into the future with creative 
     urban leadership initiatives: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for its 
     remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State 
     of Michigan, and the United States; and
       (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to Focus: HOPE for 
     appropriate display.

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am joined by my colleague from Michigan, 
Senator Stabenow, in introducing a resolution today honoring the 40th 
anniversary of Focus: HOPE. This resolution was initiated in the House 
by Representative John Conyers and cosponsored by the entire Michigan 
Congressional delegation.
  Focus: HOPE, a civil and human rights organization, was founded by 
the late Father William T. Cunningham and Eleanor Josaitis in the 
aftermath of the 1967 Detroit riots in one of Detroit's most 
economically depressed areas. This outstanding organization has 
established itself as an integral part of the history and fabric of 
southeast Michigan. The mission of Focus: HOPE is ``to use intelligent 
and practical action to fight racism, poverty and injustice'' and that 
mission is as important today as it was when the organization was 
founded in 1968.
  Over the ensuing 40 years, Focus: HOPE has sought to effect positive 
change in southeast Michigan. I have been honored to witness and take 
part in the evolution of this fine organization. Education and job 
training has been at the core of these efforts. By bringing together 
businesses, foundations, government and individuals in the community, 
Focus: HOPE has truly made a difference in Detroit and across the state 
of Michigan and has grown into one of the largest nonprofits in the 
State. Focus: HOPE has sought to meet the needs of southeast Michigan 
in a comprehensive fashion through a number of highly successful 
programs, including the Machinist Training Institute, the Center for 
Advanced Technology, the Fast Track program, the Center for Children 
and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
  Real and meaningful change comes from sustained and committed 
service. Over the past 40 years, Focus: HOPE has embodied this 
principle and, along the way, has touched many lives in Southeast 
Michigan in a profound way. Equipping individuals with the ability to 
compete and thrive in workplaces that are increasingly technologically 
advanced is central to its mission. The reward has been thousands of 
heartwarming success stories from those who have benefitted from the 
many services Focus: HOPE provides.
  This momentous occasion will be marked by several celebrations, 
including one in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol later today. I know 
my colleagues join me in congratulating each individual that has 
contributed to the success of Focus: HOPE from its inception. I wish 
the organization many more years of successful and committed service to 
the community.

                          ____________________