[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 12 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF AMANDA EDMONDS FOR HER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE 
                          YPSILANTI COMMUNITY

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 19, 2018

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Amanda Edmonds 
for her service to our southeastern Michigan community and Growing 
Hope, an Ypsilanti based non-profit, over the past 15 years. She has 
enriched countless lives as a local leader and Executive Director of 
Growing Hope.
  Raised in Missouri, Ms. Edmonds has been a passionate community 
leader and social justice advocate since she was a young student. After 
receiving her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Michigan's School of 
Natural Resources and Environment, Ms. Edmonds became involved as a 
volunteer in Ypsilanti in 1999. She started volunteering at Perry 
Learning Garden, now Growing Hope, in Ypsilanti and is looked to as a 
leader in sustainable gardening, economic development and local food 
access. Through her passion for food sustainability, she worked to 
expand the Perry Learning Garden into Growing Hope, a non-profit that 
serves southeastern Michigan communities with start-up and gardening 
assistance, teaching classes, and hosting local farmer's markets.
  Ms. Edmonds is a beloved leader in our community and has served as 
the Mayor of Ypsilanti since 2014. As Growing Hope's Executive 
Director, Ms. Edmonds has greatly expanded the facility's urban farm 
and instituted teaching programs for students and adults all throughout 
Michigan. The program serves as an example for other sustainable urban 
farms, and Ms. Edmonds travels to share how Growing Hope's success can 
be mirrored in other communities throughout the country. Her work as 
Growing Hope's Executive Director has seen her appointed to the 
Michigan Food Policy Council, where she chaired the Healthy Food Access 
Task Force for the state, as well as Vice Chair of the Washtenaw Food 
Policy Council and Ypsilanti Parks & Recreation Committee. Ms. Edmonds 
has been an invaluable leader at Growing Hope, and we look forward to 
her continued positive impact on our Michigan community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Amanda 
Edmonds as she retires from her position at Growing Hope. Her work has 
bettered Ypsilanti's food sustainability and access for years to come.

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