[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 35 (Monday, March 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING GRACEWORKS MINISTRIES ON THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 2, 2015

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate 
GraceWorks Ministries on their 20th anniversary of success. GraceWorks 
Ministries is a Christian non-profit that cares for struggling citizens 
in need in the Tennessee Seventh Congressional District.
  Each of us has a duty to be good stewards to our fellow citizens. 
Whether that means serving in Washington, on the battlefield or in our 
local communities and homes. Beginning in 1995, a handful of concerned 
residents based in Williamson County, Tennessee recognized a growing 
number of their fellow residents were struggling to meet basic 
physical, emotional and spiritual needs. These residents banded 
together to provide financial assistance, food, faith, friendship and 
relief.
  Twenty years later, thousands of Tennesseans continue to volunteer 
from community congregations, businesses and organizations to further 
the mission of GraceWorks Ministries, ``by God's grace, to provide 
immediate and long-term resources to neighbors in need.'' In 2014 
alone, GraceWorks helped well over 40,000 people by providing 
nutritious food, holiday baskets, gifts, clothing, home goods, 
educational programs and family counseling. These services not only 
rescue those in need, but also encourage participants to gradually move 
toward self-sufficiency.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Graceworks for their 
magnificent and generous service, which has enriched the lives of 
Tennesseans for the past twenty years.

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