[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING DOROTHY FORD'S SERVICE TO THE CITY OF YPSILANTI

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2023

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Dorothy 
Ford, a resident of Ypsilanti, Michigan and the Director of Greater 
Faith Mission and Greater Faith Transition. Her service to the people 
of her community is worthy of commendation.
  Dorothy started dating her husband, Pastor Robert L. Ford, when they 
were 15 and 16. A few years later, 55 years ago this October, they were 
married. Together their legacy includes 6 children, 23 grandchildren, 
and several great-grandchildren. In 1981, Dorothy founded the Greater 
Faith Mission, a non-profit helping with food insecurity in the region. 
42 years later Greater Faith Mission is still going strong, with many 
partnerships in the region to help get food in the hands of families 
and seniors that need it the most.
  After several years of running the food pantry, Dorothy and Robert 
had a calling to start a church of their own. They began with eight 
couples and their children, holding services in the Fords' home. By the 
end of 1988 the church moved into a small building on Ecorse Road. As 
the church grew and evolved, so did the charitable programs it offered, 
although some kind of food ministry was always central to the mission. 
Dorothy was ordained and became a licensed Minister in 2009. In 2014, 
they purchased the old Kaiser Elementary school building and moved into 
their current home.
  Today, Greater Faith Transition Center offers Sunday school and a 
Sunday service, preceded by a free breakfast. A special women's group 
meets monthly. The church has partnered with Food Gatherers since 1989 
and offers a free food distribution event the first and fourth Tuesday 
of each month, as well as a five-week summer dinner program. The church 
also utilizes its large, commercial-grade kitchen, built just a few 
years before the school closed, to prepare a huge, free Thanksgiving 
dinner for the community every year.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in celebrating 
Dorothy Ford for the tremendous contributions she has made to 
Ypsilanti, Michigan and all of its residents. With her actions, 
Ypsilanti has become kinder, more welcoming, and more generous to those 
in need. We thank her for her service and are excited to see how she 
transforms the city with her future endeavors.

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