[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 136 (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1621-E1622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF COMMUNITY SHARES OF WISCONSIN

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2011

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 40th anniversary 
of Community Shares of Wisconsin and to recognize the commitment of its 
participants to serving their communities.
  In 1971, amidst a deep societal divide over civil rights issues and 
the Vietnam War, a number of area volunteers created the Madison 
Sustaining Fund, America's first social action fund. Today, the fund 
now known as Community Shares of Wisconsin (CSW) partners with donors 
and non-profit member groups to address social, economic, and 
environmental challenges through grassroots activities, advocacy, 
research, and public education.

[[Page E1622]]

  CSW continues to effect change in all aspects of our society by 
supporting the work of its non-profit member groups. The sixty-three 
non-profit member groups currently supported by Community Shares of 
Wisconsin are groups independently involved in tackling social and 
environmental issues both locally and nationwide. By working with CSW, 
each member non-profit group gains access to a larger network of 
supporters and more abundant resources with which to advance its 
mission.
  For 40 years, CSW has utilized this pooled resource model to devise 
innovative solutions and ideas that generate lasting changes in social 
justice across the United States. It is due to the hard work of CSW 
member organizations like the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison 
that more Wisconsinites can live in affordable housing complexes that 
offer permanent shelter and community safety. Other members of the CSW, 
like the Wisconsin Women's Network, are committed to the betterment of 
women's health, safety, and workplace protections. Although these are 
just a few examples, it is without a doubt that the civil rights and 
liberties of our family, friends, and neighbors stand better protected 
today thanks to the dedication and commitment of CSW member groups.
  In addition to advancing social justice, the pursuit for 
environmental preservation is one of CSW's highest priorities. By 
supporting non-profit groups such as Clean Wisconsin, Friends of 
Wisconsin State Parks, and the River Alliance of Wisconsin, CSW works 
to improve the condition of Wisconsin's waters and its air quality. The 
great State of Wisconsin now thrives as a haven for residents and 
tourists who take pleasure in the outdoors and depend on the State's 
natural resources on a daily basis.
  Today, CSW continues to bring together thousands of donors to benefit 
a multiplicity of causes through its non-profit member groups. I extend 
my sincerest congratulations to Community Shares of Wisconsin on its 40 
years of forward thinking and its steadfast pursuit of justice and 
environmental protection for our community, both here in Wisconsin and 
across this great Nation.

                          ____________________