[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 168 (Monday, November 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WEEK

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                         HON. PATRICK J. TIBERI

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 16, 2015

  Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor community foundations 
all across the country that embody the generosity of spirit that is 
such an important American value. Community Foundation Week was founded 
in 1989 and every November 12th-18th it honors the tremendous 
contributions of these organizations made up of Americans voluntarily 
working together to improve their communities. Since the first 
community foundation was founded in my home state of Ohio in 1914 these 
groups have filled a unique place in American society and provide 
assistance and inspiration to millions of people.
  Today there are more than 750 community foundations in the United 
States, with 84 in Ohio, and several who serve communities in the 12th 
District such as the Delaware County Foundation, the Dublin Foundation, 
the Granville Foundation, the Licking County Foundation, the Morrow 
County Foundation, the Muskingum County Community Foundation, the 
Richland County Foundation, and the Columbus Foundation. These 
foundations work with their communities to make meaningful 
contributions in many areas like education, the arts, social services, 
and healthcare, and have provided millions of dollars over the years to 
these causes.
  As just one example of the huge impact these foundations can have, 
the Licking County Foundation is working to transform a parking lot in 
downtown Newark into the Canal Market District through a $4 million 
fund established by the Evans Foundation. The district will feature new 
walkways and green spaces centered around the Canal Market Plaza, three 
new structures that will form an open air farmer's market and provide a 
venue for many different events from the spring through the fall. This 
project would not be possible without years of working with local 
leaders, business owners, and the citizens of the community. Since the 
project was announced last year, Denison University, Licking Memorial 
Health Systems, the City of Newark, Bon Appetit Management, USDA Rural 
Development and the Ohio and Licking County Farm Bureaus have all come 
forward to help with the district. This project will provide economic 
benefits to Newark, as well as increased access to fresh food.
  The Columbus Foundation, the seventh largest community foundation in 
the nation, provides other great examples of the importance of 
community foundations. Recently, the Columbus Foundation set up a trust 
using a generous gift by David and Nanci Gobey that will allow 
graduates of Columbus City Schools to keep the instrument they have 
been using in high school. As a member of the marching band in high 
school and at The Ohio State University, I personally experienced how 
the arts can have an everlasting impact on one's life. The arts and art 
education are important for personal and intellectual growth of 
students and people of all ages. Music programs have been shown to 
increase academic performance, and programs like the one the Columbus 
Foundation facilitated help keep music in our schools and our students' 
lives despite a tough budgetary environment.
  These examples merely hint at the outstanding work done by community 
foundations in central Ohio and all across the nation. I am honored to 
recognize Community Foundation Week this year, and acknowledge the 
tireless philanthropic efforts of these organizations to improve 
communities all across the country.

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