[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 7422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          10TH ANNIVERSARY OF GPCC YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Greater 
Pontiac Community Coalition for its ten year anniversary of their Youth 
In Government and Business program.
  The Greater Pontiac Community Coalition was founded by Reverend 
Douglas P. Jones, Pastor of the Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in 
Pontiac, Michigan, who serves as President of the Greater Pontiac 
Community Coalition.
  The program has promoted educational excellence among middle and high 
school students, with over 3,500 youth participating in this fine 
program.
  This year students were taught about government, law enforcement, 
education and business through hands-on visits with state and local 
officials representing each of those segments of the community. 
Valuable experiences are garnered through the Youth in Government and 
Business, inspiring many to carry the torch of community leadership 
into the future.
  Building on his past successes, Reverend Jones now plans to engage 
the program at the elementary school level, and his program is also 
being duplicated in other communities in Metropolitan Detroit. This is 
a testament to the success faith-based and community-based efforts can 
have in making a difference for our youth.
  I want to express my congratulations to Pastor Jones and wish him and 
all graduates continued success. Most importantly, I would like to 
thank him for his commitment to the youth in our communities.

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