[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 118 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GRACE JONES RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2017

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues the good work of Grace Jones, who is retiring on July 14th 
as the executive director for the past 31 years of Couleecap. The 
people, families, and communities of western Wisconsin are better off 
as a result of her work and leadership.
  As a community action agency, Couleecap serves low-income people and 
families in Vernon, La Crosse, Crawford, and Monroe counties, with 
programs that help people with housing, including home ownership and 
rehabilitation; weatherization and other energy efficiency measures; 
employment and training; transportation; food and clothing; and drug 
use prevention. However, under Grace's leadership, Couleecap continues 
to evolve with the needs of the community. Many people attribute 
Couleecap's success to Grace's ability to recognize and understand the 
needs and the challenges ofthe people that she and the agency serves.
  Trained as a teacher, Grace began her work with Couleecap as a 
specialist working with at-risk youngsters. ``As a teacher, I tried to 
instill in very student the hope and belief that they could achieve 
their dreams with hard work and persistence,'' Grace told the La Crosse 
Tribune. With her work at Couleecap, she has been able to help people 
grow, better themselves, and improve countless lives and families along 
the way.
  Over the years, Grace has received a number of awards for her work. 
While appreciative of the attention, she has never forgotten the reason 
for her work, telling the La Crosse Tribune, ``At Couleecap, we are so 
glad that we can help families with encouragement, hope and the tools 
that they need.'' She continues, ``we prefer to believe we live in a 
land of great opportunity equally available to everyone. This is not 
true. Discrimination and poverty still exist--and too many people have 
talents that are quickly buried under poverty's crushing weight. For 
these talents to flourish, there must be equal opportunity for all.''
  I thank Grace Jones for her work at Couleecap. Her work has made a 
real and lasting impression to the people and communities she served.

                          ____________________