[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 16526] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO THE D.J. JACOBETTI HOME FOR VETERANS ______ HON. BART STUPAK of michigan in the house of representatives Friday, July 28, 2006 Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an institution in my district that serves those who have served the rest of us. The D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette, MI, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary Rededication next month. My district is home to more veterans than any other Congressional District in Michigan. As such, the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans has been indispensable to many of my constituents. The D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans was rededicated in 1981 and was named after Dominic J. Jacobetti, the longstanding Chair of the Michigan House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Representative Jacobetti was widely acknowledged as an effective advocate for veterans and for all of northern Michigan. Before this important facility was established in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.), the only places for a U.P. veteran to go for long- term care were Michigan's Lower Peninsula or Wisconsin. Only after veterans organizations in the Upper Peninsula advocated for and requested this facility did the state of Michigan, with help from the Federal Government, establish the Jacobetti Home for Veterans. With the establishment of the Jacobetti Home for Veterans, Michigan became one of the first states to have two full-service, long-term care facilities for veterans. It is important to note that the Jacobetti Home prides itself on truly being a home, not just a long-term care facility. The fact that the Jacobetti Home refers to its residents as ``members'' reflects the philosophy that has guided the Jacobetti Home over the last 25 years. The staff of the Jacobetti Home does not refer to residents as ``patients'' or ``guests,'' but as ``members,'' a title that underscores that residents of the Jacobetti Home for Veterans truly belong to a larger U.P. community. The Jacobetti Home provides a ceramic shop, chapel, puzzle room and a solarium. The staff and veteran volunteers of the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans provide members with outings and classes almost daily. With the help of volunteers, watercolor, woodworking, and sewing classes are offered as are shopping trips, picnics, and a host of other activities. As of May of this year, the Jacobetti Home for Veterans had served 1,950 members. This impressive number is a glowing testament to the hard work and dedication of the Jacobetti staff who have been tireless in their efforts to serve Upper Peninsula veterans. Dr. James Heron deserves enormous credit for leading the Jacobetti Home for nearly two decades in a dual capacity as both Director and Medical Administrator. Brad Slagle, the Director of the facility since August of 2005, deserves our support as he leads the organization into the future. As the 25th anniversary of the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans draws near, I would also like to salute the great number of individuals who volunteer thousands of hours each year to keep the Jacobetti Home for Veterans running. Almost every year, I attend the Jacobetti Home for Veterans' annual volunteer appreciation banquet to recognize the countless hours volunteers at the Jacobetti Home give to this veterans facility. I am pleased to note the roster of volunteers grows every year. Only a few years ago, area citizens contributed 10,000 volunteer hours per year to the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans. Today, volunteer hours have increased to approximately 14,000 hours per year. Volunteers help with the annual Jacobetti trip to the U.P. State Fair, as well as dinner nights and fishing trips. Volunteers put on Christmas parties, New Year's parties, Vegas nights and bingo. The Jacobetti woodshop is run by volunteers. Volunteers are also critical to the fundraisers that keep the Jacobetti Home operational. So, as all of the Upper Peninsula prepares to celebrate this 25th Anniversary, I tip my hat to the many volunteers who contribute so much personal time to make the Jacobetti Home such a special place for our veterans to live. These values of volunteerism, community and a responsibility to those who have sacrificed for our country are just a few of the things that make the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans special. Mr. Speaker, as we honor our brave fighting men and women serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is important that we not forget them when they return home. In that spirit, for 25 years now, the Jacobetti facility has truly been a home for those who have served our country. Given the unique spirit of volunteerism and community service exhibited by the staff and volunteers of the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans, I know we can expect the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans to be serving today's soldiers, when they are tomorrow's veterans, 25 years from now. Mr. Speaker, I close by asking that you and the U.S. House of Representatives join me in paying tribute to the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans, a facility that truly serves those who have served all of us. In this time of conflict, it is more vital than ever that we retain those values of volunteerism, community and responsibility--values that the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans truly exemplifies. ____________________