[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 13 (Friday, January 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E110-E111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING CORNELIUS AND MARY DOLLISON OF MUNCIE, INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 29, 2010

  Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, as it is written in the Good Book, 
``Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you 
did for me.'' And I can think of no better example of Christ's 
compassion and generosity than Cornelius and Mary Dollison of Muncie, 
Indiana. Recently the recipient of the Muncie Star Press ``Person of 
the Year Award,'' this extraordinary couple has dedicated their time, 
their finances, and, most importantly, their hearts to serving their 
community, and I rise today to honor their legacy of service.
  Cornelius and Mary have a deeply-rooted history within the Muncie 
community. Cornelius was born and raised there, and Mary has lived 
there since she was a young teen. Though they knew each other in high 
school, Cornelius and his sweetheart were not united in love until a 
few years after they had graduated. Now married for nearly 50 years, 
Cornelius and Mary have formed a special team that has left an 
indelible mark on the Muncie community.
  In their own special ways, Cornelius and Mary have used their 
individual talents and passions to work together for the betterment of 
those most in need in their community. Cornelius is the strong and 
silent type, an expert electrician and builder, and the rock of support 
for his dear wife. Mary is the more outspoken of the two, always using 
every ounce of energy to be on the forefront and making a difference in 
the community. Together, the Dollisons have formed an unstoppable force 
that serves the residents of their community to this very day.
  Over the last few decades, Mary and Cornelius have consistently made 
sacrifices, and today we can see the many fruits of their labor. More 
than twenty years ago, Mary saw a need for a mentoring program for 
children in the Muncie community, and thus, from the Dollison's living 
room, Motivate Our Minds (MOMs) was born. What originally began as a 
summer program for a handful of students has now blossomed to a fully 
operational after-school tutoring organization that serves nearly 700 
minority students every year. While Mary coordinated the programs, 
Cornelius went to work restoring a facility to accommodate the growing 
number of students served by MOMs. Never ones to sit on the sidelines, 
the Dollisons took it upon themselves to do whatever it took to make 
MOMs the successful program that it is today.
  This same can-do attitude was also demonstrated at the end of 2008, 
when the City of Muncie was poised to strip funding for the Buley 
Community Center out of its budget. For over 30 years, the Buley Center 
had been a safe haven for some of the city's most underprivileged 
children. One by one, Cornelius and Mary began receiving phone calls 
from members of the community, begging them to intervene to save the 
Buley Center from certain

[[Page E111]]

closure. With their servants' hearts, the Dollisons did just that, 
acting immediately. They began talking to individuals, administrators, 
government officials, and any other contacts they had to raise funds so 
the Buley Center could continue to serve the community. While Cornelius 
again used his God-given skills to fix up the dilapidated center, Mary 
used her decades of experience as an elementary school teacher to 
restructure the educational curriculum. Thanks to the Dollisons, more 
than $100,000 was raised to pay maintenance costs on the Buley Center, 
and a little more than one month after the city cut funding, the Buley 
Center reopened its doors. Not only does the Buley Center provide 
afterschool programs, but it also hosts computer programs and history 
classes for adults. The Muncie community will reap the benefits of 
services offered by the Buley Community Center for years to come.
  Their years of service to the community make the Dollisons deserving 
recipients of the Star Press ``Person of the Year'' award. Without the 
compassion and dedication of Cornelius and Mary Dollison, there is 
little doubt that the Muncie community would be vastly different, and 
far worse off. Countless children and families have been the blessed 
recipients of the Dollison's love and service, and I am proud to 
recognize the impact on the community made by their decades of selfless 
service.

                          ____________________