[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING DAVID STAPLETON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 18, 2009

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, most are familiar with ABC's Extreme 
Makeover: Home Edition program which embarks on the monumental task of 
building a new home from the ground up in just one week for a deserving 
family. Last week in my hometown David Stapleton, owner of David Homes 
took on that job.
  On a visit to the site I was expecting to see the construction team's 
progress on the Powell family's home on Massachusetts Avenue but what I 
witnessed far exceeded expectations.
  Under David's leadership volunteers by the thousands were 
transforming not one home but an entire neighborhood on Buffalo's West 
Side. With local organizations including WNY AmeriCorps, PUSH Buffalo 
and Buffalo ReUse as partners and many more from the community stepping 
up to help, the extreme team went house to house patching roofs, fixing 
porches, planting shrubs, painting siding and more.
  Hailed by producers as unlike any community effort they've seen in 
the show's history, David's team managed 4,500 volunteers working 
around the clock for one week improving over 50 homes. But it didn't 
stop there. Their generosity inspired others, prompting food and blood 
drives and the construction of a community garden.
  David agreed to this project knowing he could not simply go into this 
neighborhood and build one home. Producers feared he would lose focus 
but he knew he would have to do better and that he did.
  Madam Speaker, today I am honored to recognize David Stapleton for 
taking on the assignment to develop a home and turning it into an 
opportunity to develop hope--hope for a family, a neighborhood and an 
entire city. What David Stapleton built last week is a better future 
for the Western New York Community and for that we are grateful.

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