[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18866]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE COMMUNITY SERVICE OF CHRISTINE HUDDLESTON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 21, 2004

  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
community service of Christine Huddleston, who has taken care of the 
needs of the homeless for 50 years. In fact, she has been running a 
homeless shelter in my hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for nearly 
18 of those years.
  Room at the Inn is a clean, safe place for the homeless to get their 
lives back in order. While Christine compassionately nurtures those who 
stay at the shelter, she expects everyone to pull his or her own 
weight. Accordingly, residents are expected to get gainful employment 
and do their fair share of chores around the facility.
  She has helped everyone from college professors to the working poor 
get back on their feet again. That's why many who stay at the shelter 
lovingly refer to her as ``Ma.'' Christine's unique understanding of 
human nature has allowed her to help people strengthen their self 
esteem and make a better life for themselves. But make no mistake about 
it, she is not a push over and knows when to practice tough love.
  Christine's dedication to her work and the Room at the Inn has 
garnered her much support and admiration from the community. What 
started out as a small operation supported by only seven local churches 
has evolved into a community-wide effort aided by 70 churches, the 
business community and the city of Murfreesboro. I commend Christine 
for her hard work and tireless service to the homeless. She epitomizes 
what it means to be a Christian.

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