[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S461-S462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SELECTION OF HAROLD ``HAL'' COLSTON AS THE 2014 BURLINGTON FREE PRESS 
                         VERMONTER OF THE YEAR

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is a delight to call the Senate's 
attention to an outstanding Vermonter who was recently recognized for 
his work to help Vermonters who have struggled with social and economic 
injustice.
  Since 1997, the Burlington Free Press has invited readers to nominate 
a Vermont resident to be recognized as Vermonter of the Year. Those 
nominated are among the best doers and visionaries the Green Mountain 
State has to offer, and each nominee has made a difference in his or 
her community. Previous winners have included philanthropists, college 
presidents, a former Governor and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On 
the eve of the New Year, the Burlington Free Press named Hal Colston 
the 2014 Vermonter of the Year.
  Hal is a resident of Winooski and certainly deserves this honor. 
Since relocating to Vermont 25 years ago, Hal's dedication to social, 
economic, and racial justice has served his community well. He has 
maintained a steadfast voice for those unable to be heard on their own.
  Hal is well known for his entrepreneurial spirit, and he has 
successfully created and led numerous nonprofit initiatives. In 
announcing Hal's selection, the Free Press aptly calls him a ``serial 
do-gooder.'' He received national recognition after founding Good News 
Garage, which enables individuals and families to move away from 
poverty by providing reliable transportation. Similarly, he recognized 
that those in poverty are often without the support networks necessary 
to move beyond such vulnerable circumstances. As a result, he 
established NeighborKeepers, an organization that focuses on building 
supportive community networks that direct families toward the resources 
they need to succeed. Today he leads the Partnership for Change, a 
diverse group of community stakeholders seeking to remodel the 
Burlington and Winooski School Districts by establishing a student-
centered learning system.
  As communities work to overcome the challenges of poverty and 
individuals pursue more prosperous lives for themselves and their 
families, it is the passionate dedication to serve by leaders such as 
Hal Colston that makes the greatest difference.
  In recognition of Hal Colston's service, I ask unanimous consent that 
Aki Soga's article from the December 31, 2014, edition of the 
Burlington Free Press be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

            [From the Burlington Free Press, Dec. 31, 2014]

                   Vermonter of the Year: Hal Colston

       You might call Hal Colston a serial do-gooder.
       The Winooski resident has laid down a track record of work 
     to improve the lives of people in the community during his 
     25-year tenure in Vermont.
       Colston is best known as the founder of Good News Garage, 
     the nonprofit that fixes donated vehicles for low-income 
     people.
       He also is known for launching NeighborKeepers, an 
     initiative to help families in need build relationships with 
     those who can provide the support they need.
       He was instrumental in forcing Vermont to confront the 
     issue of racial profiling by the police.
       Colston says he sees every day as an opportunity to make a 
     difference.
       ``We get them one at a time with no guarantee for 
     tomorrow,'' he said. ``May all of us spend our days wisely to 
     improve the common good.''
       Colston's understated demeanor often belies his passion. He 
     works to give voice to those who are unable to be heard on 
     their own. He has shown the courage to tackle difficult 
     issues.
       Colston's quiet devotion to bringing the people together 
     and looking out for those who find themselves in unfortunate 
     circumstances especially stand out in a year that saw the 
     streets of this country fill with protest--both peaceful and 
     violent--against injustice.
       For his years of service to the community in the name of 
     social and economic justice, the Burlington Free Press 
     editorial board names Hal Colston 2014 Vermonter of the Year.
       In nominating Colston for Vermonter of the Year, Laban Hill 
     of Winooski writes, ``Hal has spent his life devoted to our 
     community and making a difference in both small and large 
     ways.''
       Colston's work with Good News Garage has earned him 
     national recognition, including an appearance on the Oprah 
     show. The idea is simple. For many, one of the bigger 
     barriers to economic independence is the lack of reliable 
     transportation. Good News Garage tackles that problem in the 
     most direct way possible by awarding reliable cars to those 
     in need.
       Colston founded the organization in 1996 after meeting a 
     Lutheran minister he had heard in Philadelphia shortly before 
     moving to Vermont. That chance encounter led to developing an 
     idea and seed funding from what he calls a pan-Lutheran 
     organization. He launched the nonprofit under the wing of the 
     Lutheran Social Services New England.
       Nearly two decades later, Good News Garage has awarded more 
     than 4,000 vehicles.


                             second career

       His career in community service also includes a stint as 
     associate director of Community Action in Burlington, now 
     Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, as executive 
     director of the Vermont Commission on National and Community 
     Service and as diversity coordinator for the social services 
     nonprofit HowardCenter.
       Colston also spoke out clearly and firmly when African-
     Americans in the community charged that local police were 
     using racial profiling in stops.
       In an April 2007 My Turn piece in the Free Press, Colston 
     wrote, ``I believe that racial profiling in Vermont is an 
     epidemic,'' going on to recount his own experience with 
     ``driving while black.''
       Colston did more than complain. He worked to open a 
     dialogue within the community, including the police, that 
     allowed people to talk openly about issues surrounding race.
       ``We're building trust,'' he said. ``I don't believe we 
     will ever eradicate racism, but how do we heal from the 
     wounds?''
       All this was a major shift for a man who had made a career 
     as a chef and restauranteur in Philadelphia, and arrived in 
     Vermont in 1989 to become the director of catering at the New 
     England Culinary Institute in Essex.
       Colston called his career change a midlife crisis, but said 
     the work put him in touch with his core values, ``truth and 
     justice.''
       Today, Colston is engaged in what is perhaps his biggest 
     challenge to date. He serves as director of Partnership for 
     Change, a collaboration between the Burlington and Winooski 
     school districts. The mission is to re-imagine public 
     education to better prepare students from diverse social, 
     economic and cultural backgrounds to succeed in school, in 
     their careers and as members of their communities.
       ``The reason I love Vermont is it's got its challenges. But 
     it's really on a human scale. You can have a conversation,'' 
     he said.
       For his steady faith in the ability of each person to make 
     a difference, and putting that faith to work in the service 
     of his community, Hal Colston is the 2014 Vermonter of the 
     Year.


                          a nominating letter

       I would like to nominate Hal Colston for Vermonter of the 
     Year.
       Hal is director of Partnership for Change, which is 
     remodeling Burlington and Winooski school districts by 
     establishing a student-centered learning system that enables 
     all learners to develop skills, knowledge, and relationships 
     necessary to become confident, motivated, and self-sufficient 
     learners who are successful in college and careers and are 
     engaged in their communities.
       Hal and his team are changing the way education is 
     delivered in our communities so that it is more rigorous and 
     more equitable.
       Over the years Hal has been an integral and essential part 
     of our community. He founded Good News Garage, which is one 
     of the first nonprofit social enterprise car donation 
     programs in the U.S. He also founded NeighborKeepers, which 
     was a community nonprofit that helped the generational poor 
     become financially secure.
       Hal has spent his life devoted to our community and making 
     a difference in both small and large ways. He seems like the 
     ideal candidate for the Burlington Free Press's Vermonter of 
     the Year. In addition, there has never been a person of color 
     who has been recognized as Vermonter of the Year. It's about 
     time.

[[Page S462]]

       There are so many people of color in Vermont who are making 
     important contributions to our community. Now is the time to 
     begin recognizing them.
     Laban Hill,

                          ____________________