[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3013-H3014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE STAFF AT THE ARC OF SOUTH CAROLINA ARE HEROES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
South Carolina (Ms. Mace) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend an incredible effort 
put forth in my State during the pandemic.
  The Arc of South Carolina is a nonprofit organization that advocates 
for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental 
disabilities. Their work is critical in South Carolina and South 
Carolina's First Congressional District, and they deserve to be 
recognized for all of their efforts.
  Like many organizations during the past year and a half, the Arc of 
South Carolina has struggled to acquire PPE, hiring staff, and coping 
with different social distancing guidelines, particularly given the 
scope of their work.
  Margie Williamson and her team had to continue providing services at 
disproportionately high costs compared to businesses who received State 
and Federal assistance. A staggering number of their staff fell ill to 
COVID-19 during the pandemic, but their team and their organization was 
able to provide superior support to all of these families with enormous 
needs nonetheless.
  I cannot begin to thank the staff, not only at the Arc of South 
Carolina, but every worker across the State everywhere who persevered. 
You are the heroes of South Carolina's pandemic story.
  The Arc of South Carolina is dedicated to helping families, and I 
wanted to highlight all they were able to accomplish during the most 
challenging of times.

[[Page H3014]]

  



                    Antonio Greene's Act of Kindness

  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a local Amazon 
driver named Antonio Greene, who learned that someone living along his 
route was undergoing chemotherapy.
  When Antonio learned this, he thought back to his own family. He lost 
his parents and grandmother over the last couple years, and 
occasionally he would buy cards and flowers for members of his family 
to offer encouragement and support.
  Greene, a North Charleston native, did the same last summer for 
another individual in South Carolina's First Congressional District who 
had been immunocompromised during the pandemic.
  Antonio's act of kindness has landed him among seven people to be 
recognized by the JFK Foundation, and I applaud all of those 
individuals carrying out small acts of kindness during the pandemic. I 
commend Antonio and anyone who has risked their own health and safety 
to protect others during COVID-19. Those who showed compassion in ways 
like this always deserve this kind of recognition.


            Restaurants Overcame Uncertainty During Pandemic

  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to restaurants 
and the resilience of so many in this industry; specifically, Vintage 
Lounge, Butcher & Bee, Harold's Cabin, and Chasing Sage in South 
Carolina's First Congressional District.
  These restaurants did not take any aid or receive any relief during 
the COVID-19 crisis. They were even closed during the beginning of the 
pandemic and they were unable to receive any restaurant relief funds as 
well, but they survived despite these challenges.
  Every restaurant owner with hopes of making it through the COVID-19 
crisis had to choose a survival strategy that worked. I would like to 
bring attention to all four of these restaurants, which are now open or 
in the process of reopening post-pandemic. This is a major feat worth 
celebrating, especially since they faced unprecedented challenges to an 
already vulnerable industry.
  In Charleston, in South Carolina's First Congressional District, our 
hospitality and restaurant industry has been critically hit. These 
companies and restaurants had to prompt guests to wear masks, in line 
with city regulations; and if they weren't out by 11 p.m., they had to 
go, by State order.
  But so many were determined to uphold the same hospitality standards 
they had in place prior to the pandemic. Vintage Lounge, Butcher & Bee, 
Harold's Cabin, and Chasing Sage, among hundreds of other restaurants, 
are now open for business again. I commend their stories of success 
during the pandemic.


                Recognizing Tee Young and Preston White

  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great honor and pride to 
bring awareness to two constituents in South Carolina's First 
Congressional District for their fantastic effort they put forth in our 
community.
  Tee Young and Preston White helped facilitate the First Annual 
Crosstown Basketball Tournament, which was held in Hampton Park this 
last Saturday, just next door to my alma mater, the Citadel.
  These young men arranged the tournament as a way to bring the east 
and west sides of the city of Charleston together and provide a nice 
evening for the community filled with food and basketball.
  I cannot be more proud of Tee and Preston showing Charleston and 
South Carolina and all of our communities how we are stronger and 
better together and showing how strong Charleston is.
  God bless these young men, the State of South Carolina, and the 
United States of America.

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