[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO MR. EMMETTE THOMPSON AND MISSION OF HOPE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
the finest charitable organizations serving the people of Kentucky, 
Mission of Hope, and its executive director, Mr. Emmette Thompson. 
Mission of Hope, located in Knoxville, TN, has been providing the 
impoverished children and families in the rural Appalachian communities 
of southeastern Kentucky and elsewhere with food, clothing, and other 
necessities for over 15 years.
  Mission of Hope was founded in 1966 in response to a television 
broadcast entitled ``Hunger for Hope,'' in which anchor Bill Williams 
informed viewers of the destitution and poverty that affected families 
in the mountains and hills of southeastern Kentucky. The ``Hunger for 
Hope'' broadcast inspired founder Julie Holland to enlist the help of 
her church, Central Baptist of Bearden, to aid in handing out 
children's coats that had been donated by a local department store.
  Since that first donation, Mission of Hope has grown to serve more 
than 17,000 people throughout more than 80 schools and organizations in 
Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Over 85 percent of the 
population in this region suffers from hunger and joblessness due to a 
depleted coal mining economy.
  Mission of Hope's objective is to provide, every year, the hunger-
stricken families of Appalachia with hope and the chance at a better 
life through evangelical Christian charitable ministries. By partnering 
with school family-resource centers and small community ministries, 
Mission of Hope is able to provide assistance to those children and 
families most severely impoverished, and donates new clothes, food, 
toys, and school supplies through organized programs and events.
  In addition, Mission of Hope assists in the repairing of homes, and 
provides a $2,500 scholarship to 11 qualified students from schools in 
the region. They operate basic health-care clinics thanks to the 
volunteer efforts of local medical professionals, and assist in the 
development of literacy and other skills in order to create new jobs.
  Most importantly, however, the countless volunteers who work 
tirelessly to provide Mission of Hope's services receive the greatest 
possible reward for their efforts. The sense of gratitude that is 
visible in thankful children's eyes is what motivates the volunteers 
each and every day, and it is the satisfaction from this ``personal 
touch'' that drives the people of Mission of Hope and their cause.
  ``What we do wouldn't work in today's business world,'' says Mr. 
Emmette Thompson, who is fundamental to the organization's success. 
``Our business model and the way we distribute our harvest wouldn't 
work in corporate America because it defies logic . . . I'd love to 
tell people that I speak to that we're working ourselves out of a job, 
but that would be a bold-faced lie.''
  Mr. President, the charitable work that Mr. Emmette Thompson and 
Mission of Hope provide to the impoverished families of Kentucky and 
the Appalachia region is extremely honorable. I commend Emmette and the 
organization for their selfless devotion to this important cause. 
Organizations and people such as these embrace the spirit of Kentucky 
and continue to provide hope to the people of our great Commonwealth.

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