[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 156 (Thursday, September 20, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            IN RECOGNITION OF MERCY PEDALERS 1ST ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2018

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mercy Pedalers and 
its volunteers and supporters as they celebrate their 1st Anniversary. 
As the community gathers today, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring them and their successful first year of service to the 
Sacramento region and beyond.
  On September 1st Sister Libby Fernandez founded Mercy Pedalers after 
serving as the Executive Director of Sacramento Loaves & Fishes for 
eleven years. During her many years of service for the people in our 
community experiencing homelessness, she realized that compassion and 
personal connections were what made a difference in people's daily 
lives. Through her small but meaningful, individual actions, the 
inspiration for the organization was fostered.
  Mercy Pedalers is comprised of local, kindhearted individuals, who 
cycle through the streets of Sacramento, reaching out to men and women 
who are in crisis and living on the streets. They emphasize their 
outreach and actions based on the ``Works of Mercy'' and ``Welcoming 
the Stranger.'' The work and care that the volunteers bring into the 
streets of our city cannot be overstated. As we struggle to address the 
causes and symptoms of homelessness, Mercy Pedalers bring a ministry 
approach to day to day outreach. The dignity and respect that Sister 
Libby and the Mercy Pedalers show homeless men and women is one that 
should be present in all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, as the members and volunteers of Mercy Pedalers 
celebrate their first year of service to the Sacramento community, I 
ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring them for their dedication 
to our neighbors through their charitable work.

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