[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E783-E784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING IMPACT THE BALDWIN CENTER HAS MADE ON 
                   THE COMMUNITY OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
talented staff and dedicated volunteers of the Baldwin Center in 
Pontiac, Michigan, for the outstanding work they engage in every day to 
fulfill its mission to feed, clothe, educate and empower the 
disadvantaged residents in the Pontiac community.
  Like so many great community organizations, the Baldwin Center traces 
its foundation to people of immense compassion and faith, who have been 
committed to making a difference in their community. Created as an 
outreach program of the Baldwin Avenue United Methodist Church in 1981 
to respond to increasing need in the community, the Baldwin Center has 
grown into a multifaceted, comprehensive human service agency that 
serves thousands annually. The Center's first programs provided 
children with food and recreation, but quickly expanded to include a 
soup kitchen, tutoring services and emergency shelter. In 2006, the 
congregation of Baldwin Avenue moved and the Baldwin Center remained at 
its current location, becoming a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
  Over the decades it has served the Greater Pontiac Community, the 
Baldwin Center has significantly increased both the size and scope of 
the support it offers to area residents.

[[Page E784]]

Today the Center offers more than twenty-five different programs which 
fulfill its core mission, including programs that feed, clothe, provide 
educational enrichment for children and adults, and offer critical 
health care related services. Among its most widely used programs are 
its Clothing Closet which offered almost fifteen thousand low-income 
individuals and families access to clean clothing, sheets, blankets and 
other smaller household items, including victims of domestic abuse. 
Furthermore, in 2012, the Baldwin Family Soup Kitchen provided over 
eighty-three thousand meals to residents that are food insecure; 
include more than nine thousand children. However, its programs are not 
limited to just basic necessities; the Baldwin Center also offers a GED 
program, ESL classes and nutrition education sessions, as well as flu 
shots and blood pressure screenings.
  In the economic downturn, the Baldwin Center, like so many human 
service agencies across our nation, saw an increase in demand coupled 
with a decrease in funding. However, the fourteen staff under the 
leadership of Executive Director Lisa Machesky and the dedicated army 
of three thousand volunteers have not only risen to meet this 
challenge, but have continued to excel in providing vital services to 
Pontiac area residents who are in need. Just last year, the Center 
added a computer lab that offers adults access to the important 
resources they need to achieve success.
  Mr. Speaker, organizations like the Baldwin Center occupy a vital 
position in our communities. During our times of prosperity, they 
ensure that no one is left behind, and in times of economic challenge, 
they are on the front lines of holding families, neighborhoods and 
communities together. The impact the Baldwin Center has made on the 
lives of thousands in the Greater Pontiac area has enriched many 
neighborhoods. Again, I commend Lisa Machesky and her staff, as well as 
the thousands of volunteers, for the daily work they do to empower the 
entire community. Pontiac is a brighter city because of the Baldwin 
Center and I look forward to continuing our joint endeavors to empower 
all segments of the community to achieve success.

                          ____________________