[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                          REV. PATRICIA BRUGER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2017

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the 
outstanding achievements of Rev. Patricia Bruger and her contributions 
to the Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community (CUMAC) on this 
special day, Thursday, April 27, 2017.
  Born and raised in Washington, DC, Patricia is a graduate of the 
University of Maryland, where she earned her BS in Education in 1969. 
She worked for the Girl Scouts of America and was a public school 
teacher. From 1969 until 1972 she served as a high school teacher in 
Silver Spring, Maryland. She later moved to New Jersey, and served as a 
substitute teacher in Bergen County from 1985 to 1991.
  She then received her Masters of Divinity at the Drew Theological 
Seminary in 1995 with over 25 years of experience in social and civic 
ministries. She is an ordained Elder of The United Methodist Church, a 
certified Mentor for the Board of Ordained Ministry, a certified 
counselor for the Clergy Partnership on Domestic Violence, and a member 
of the Bishop's Task Force on Urban Minorities.
  Patricia is a committed social servant dedicated to the eradication 
of hunger and poverty through direct source and broad advocacy efforts. 
Patricia has been the Executive Director of CUMAC for over 26 years. 
She has led the organization through a tremendous period of growth from 
operating out of an abandoned church to purchasing its own 28,000 
square foot facility and from a small food pantry to a multi-service 
agency serving over 40,000 people in need every year, providing food 
assistance, disaster relief, job training, supportive housing, and hope 
to a community facing pervasive poverty.
  She was a founding and active member of the Emergency Food Coalition 
of Passaic County (newly operating as a CUMAC program), the NJ 
statewide Anti-Hunger Coalition, and the Paterson Alliance. Patricia 
has been a leading voice for her community, advocating for hunger to be 
addressed in the state budget, as well as rallying support for SNAP 
benefits and Breakfast after the Bell, to feed hungry students so they 
can concentrate on their education instead.
  Patricia's forward-thinking and leadership abilities has encouraged 
and inspired staff and volunteers to partake in CUMAC's mission of 
taking care of others. She has raised awareness about pervasive poverty 
through this organization, and strives to fulfill the needs of people 
who do not have the adequate resources to function in their daily 
lives. She has worked closely with other feeding programs throughout 
Passaic County and northern New Jersey to bring about change in the 
community, and to assist in eradicating poverty.
  The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is 
rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing and commemorating 
individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the people. 
Patricia has truly left an everlasting mark on my hometown of Paterson.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, family and friends, 
all those whose lives she has touched, and me, in recognizing the work 
of Rev. Patricia Bruger and her strong desire to help those in need 
across the world.

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