[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 119 (Friday, July 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF MIKE McGARVIN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 14, 2017

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, we rise today to pay tribute to the life and 
service of Mr. Mike McGarvin. Mike was the beloved founder of the 
Poverello House, a homeless shelter in Fresno which provides programs 
and support services to hundreds of people every day. For decades Mike 
touched the lives of countless disadvantaged people in the Fresno area 
using one simple message, ``Listen with compassion; give with a warm 
heart and a smile.''
  Mike, or ``Papa Mike,'' as he was affectionately known by many, was 
born in San Francisco, California in 1944. After early struggles in 
life, he found solace in a coffee house in San Francisco called 
Poverello that served those in need. The coffee house was run by a 
priest, who later asked Mike to volunteer there, an opportunity that 
proved to be life changing.
  After seven years of volunteering at the San Francisco Poverello, 
Mike and his wife Mary moved back to her hometown of Fresno where he 
worked as a photographer for the local newspaper, The Fresno Bee. After 
observing Fresno's homeless population, Mike was reminded of the 
kindness shown to him at Poverello in San Francisco, and he pledged to 
find a way to give back.
  Mike initiated his legacy by passing out peanut butter and jelly 
sandwiches to the homeless and the hungry from the back of his car. 
Soon after, he purchased a small storefront and opened the Poverello 
House to help those in need in Fresno, naming his small outfit after 
the place in San Francisco that saved his life. Since its modest 
beginnings, the Poverello House has grown. It now provides three meals 
a day, 365 days a year to those in need as well as many other services, 
such as clothing distribution, emergency food bags, a medical clinic, 
the Men's Resident Rehabilitation program, and temporary overnight 
shelter for men and women. The Poverello House is truly a source of 
salvation for countless individuals in our community.
  Mike has been recognized many times throughout his life for his 
invaluable work, including an honorary doctorate from California State 
University, Fresno and the Pope John XXIII Award from the Italian 
Catholic Federation in honor of his years of humanitarian service.
  Mike will be remembered by all for his boundless kindness and deep 
compassion. He leaves a legacy of service and selflessness, both 
through the Poverello House and in the hearts of the people whose lives 
he touched. He is survived by his wife of 46 years Mary, daughter 
Clare, and grandson Tyler.
  Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in honoring the life 
and achievements of Mike McGarvin, whose passion for service and 
kindness has forever changed the lives of those in need in our 
community. I join Mike's family and the Poverello House in honoring his 
life. He will truly be missed.

                          ____________________