[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING MR. MARC FREED-FINNEGAN, STATE HONOREE IN THE 1999 
               PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF THE COMMUNITY AWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 1999

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor a 
young New Jersey student from my district who has achieved national 
recognition for exemplary volunteer service to his community. Mr. Marc 
Freed-Finnegan of Montclair has just been named one of New Jersey's top 
honorees in the 1999 Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards program, 
an annual honor conferred on the most notable student volunteers in 
each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  Mr. Marc Freed-Finnegan is being recognized for being one of my 
state's top two student volunteers for 1999. Mr. Freed-Finnegan created 
a program at Montclair High School that coordinates a wide variety of 
activities for children at a nearby homeless shelter in the City of 
Newark. His program, ``Kids for Kids,'' has more than 100 active 
student members and hopes to expand to five additional schools this 
year.
  Statistics state that Americans are less involved in their 
communities today than they have been in the past. Therefore, it is 
vital that we encourage others to volunteer by celebrating the 
accomplishments of Mr. Freed-Finnegan. All Americans must realize that 
we need to work together to ensure the prosperity and growth of our 
communities. Young volunteers like Mr. Freed-Finnegan are an 
inspiration to all of us, and are among our leaders in the quest for a 
brighter future.
  The program recognizing Mr. Freed-Finnegan, the Prudential Spirit of 
the Community Awards, was created by the Prudential Insurance Company 
of America in partnership with the National Association of Secondary 
School Principals in 1995. The purpose of the award is to impress upon 
all youth volunteers that their contributions are of the highest 
importance, and to encourage other youths to follow their example.
  Mr. Freed-Finnegan should be extremely proud to have been selected 
from such a large group of participants. I applaud Mr. Freed-Finnegan 
for his initiative in seeking to make his community a better place to 
live, and for the positive influence he has had on the lives of others 
through his work. His actions show that young Americans desire to make 
an impact in our society and that America's community spirit continues 
to hold tremendous promise for the 21st Century.

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