[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 28781-28782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING THE JAVITS-WAGNER O'DAY PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACK KINGSTON

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 15, 2005

  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commemorate the Javits-Wagner 
O'Day program (JWOD) on the service they provide to thousands of 
individuals.
  The JWOD program is the single largest source of employment for 
individuals who are blind or have severe disabilities. This program 
employs more than 45,000 people. The JWOD program trains persons with 
disabilities to acquire job skills that will be resourceful in their 
everyday lives. With these skills and training, a participant in this 
program can receive wages and benefits thereby gaining a greater 
independence and quality of life.
  In my district in Georgia, there is a JWOD program named Happy Hour 
that exemplifies the good work that this organization is built upon. 
Happy Hour employs 170 disabled individuals and gives them an 
opportunity to contribute to their communities. Executive Director 
Steve Smith leads an office of 90-100 hard working staffers along with 
many volunteers who are all dedicated to ensuring each person reaches a 
common goal.
  Happy Hour has a working relationship with Robins Air Force Base. 
Through this relationship Happy Hour participants are able to help the 
government and save tax payers money. A few of the projects that help 
Robins Air Force Base is Robin's Recycling, respiratory cleaning and 
repair, tool de numbering, and air craft hardware sorting. Though they 
may

[[Page 28782]]

seem minor, without Happy Hour, workers who do these tasks at Robins 
AFB would have a much harder time operating.

                          ____________________