[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8120]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


              TRIBUTE TO GREATER UNIVERSAL BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 30, 2004

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to pay tribute to Greater Universal Baptist Church on the occasion of 
their 50th anniversary.
  The Greater Universal Baptist Church was established in the Bronx, 
New York, in 1954 and immediately became a cornerstone of the 
community. For fifty years this church has served not only as a place 
of worship but as a community institution where individuals could build 
relationships with neighbors and develop skills necessary for success 
in everyday life. Whether through after school programs, community 
festivals, clothing distributions or movie nights at the church, the 
Greater Universal Baptist Church has found ways to engage the people of 
the Bronx.
  In 1998, the church founded the Community Development Corporation in 
an effort to develop the area surrounding the church. As a result of 
their efforts and those of the Atlantic Development Group, 204 units of 
housing and three community centers will be added to the community's 
landscape in the near future.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot say enough about the efforts of the Greater 
Union Baptist Church to uplift the people of the Bronx. Through various 
activities, including feeding the homeless and holding community based 
seminars for job development, health care and spiritual enrichment, 
they help the people of my district enjoy a higher standard of living.
  For fifty years of service to people of the Bronx, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in honoring the Greater Universal Baptist Church 
and in wishing them another prosperous fifty years.

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