[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4276-4277]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             CONVOY OF HOPE: A REAL ``COMMUNITY ORGANIZER''

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2012

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, one of the great economic fallacies of our 
time is that if government doesn't do something, no one will. This 
disastrous fallacy underlies much of our national debate concerning 
heath care, education, poverty, housing, and disaster relief, to name 
just a few issues.
  But today I rise to applaud an organization that stands in stark 
refutation of that fallacy. Convoy of Hope, a private charity in 
Springfield, Missouri, does so much to help so many communities that 
the term ``charity'' doesn't begin to describe it. In fact, Convoy of 
Hope is equal parts grocer, clothier, health care provider, first 
responder, educator, and logistics expert. It works with communities in 
America and around the world bringing together local charities, 
businesses, churches, and government agencies to alleviate poverty and 
help people in the wake of disasters.
  In other words, it is a real community organizer! The tremendous 
scope of its activities serves as a reminder that government is neither 
the sole nor the best provider of goods and services to people in need.
  Mr. Speaker, I recently had the privilege of touring Convoy of Hope's 
headquarters and distribution center. It was a humbling but deeply 
encouraging experience, as I learned the full extent of its charitable 
outreach. Frankly I've never seen an organization so focused, 
efficient, and poised to do tremendous good for so many people.
  First, some background: Convoy of Hope was founded by Hal and David 
Donaldson in 1994, who as young boys suffered the death of their father 
and subsequent poverty. But both men were struck by the outpouring of 
support their family received during that time; local churches and the 
community provided food and shelter. As a result, the two brothers both 
developed a deep sense of responsibility to help others in need.
  In the years since, Convoy of Hope has helped more than 50 million 
individuals in more than 100 countries--giving away nearly $300 million 
worth of food and supplies in the process.
  Today, Convoy of Hope describes its mission as a global movement 
focused on four keys:
  Children's feeding initiatives: the organization's overriding goal is 
to alleviate child hunger worldwide, providing food and clean water 
while also teaching agricultural techniques.
  Community outreach: Convoy of Hope coordinates dozens of community 
events annually with thousands of volunteers and guests. These events 
involve free groceries; job and health fairs; and activities for 
children. As always, this outreach is available to all, without regard 
to age, race, physical appearance, or religion.
  Disaster response: from an earthquake in Haiti to a tsunami in 
Indonesia to tornadoes in the American south, Convoy of Hope is a 
proven first responder. With its fleet of tractor trailers, 300,000 
square foot warehouse, and high-tech mobile command center, it 
efficiently leverages relationships with private industry to help 
victims of worldwide disasters.
  Partner resourcing: Convoy of Hope supports hundreds of like-minded 
organizations throughout the world, providing them with the food and 
supplies needed to help their communities. In this way Convoy of Hope 
consistently promotes local control, results, and accountability--while 
demonstrating humility and a willingness to let others shine and take 
credit in local communities.
  Unlike government bureaucracies and many top-heavy private charities, 
Convoy of Hope applies a uniquely results-oriented approach to serving 
people. You won't find bloated salaries or patronage jobs at Convoy of 
Hope, nor will you find tony offices in New York or Los Angeles like so 
many nonprofits. In fact, the organization regularly spends only about 
10 percent of its budget on overhead (a very low ratio in the nonprofit 
world), while employing a small staff of approximately 85. Watchdog 
group Charity Navigator consistently gives Convoy of Hope high marks 
for both its financial acumen and transparency.
  Convoy of Hope also stretches its resources by developing strategic 
partnerships with private sector corporations, many of which provide 
in-kind donations of goods or services. This allows Convoy of Hope to 
offer a win-win proposition to prospective corporate donors: companies 
benefit from donating needed goods or services already in their 
inventory or area of expertise, while Convoy of Hope benefits from 
receiving the supplies and services it needs without paying retail 
prices. Its corporate donors--including Coca Cola; Nestle; Proctor & 
Gamble; Nestle; Georgia Pacific; Cargill; Del Monte; and FedEx--donate 
everything from building supplies to bottled water to toiletries. These 
partnerships with successful private companies demonstrate an 
entrepreneurial mindset that enables Convoy of Hope to help more people 
with less overhead.
  Its massive distribution center and headquarters are located 
strategically in Missouri, where its fleet of trucks can dispatch 
quickly anywhere in America. It also operates six international 
distribution centers for logistical efficiency. By contrast, many 
government agencies purposely locate offices and facilities in 
different states at the clear expense of efficiency, solely to curry 
funding support from as many members of Congress and Senators as 
possible.
  The next step for Convoy of Hope is an audacious one: a 50 state tour 
beginning in May designed to address poverty across the United States. 
The ``Convoy of Hope Tour'' will provide an average of $1 million in 
goods and services to a community in a single day. Convoy of Hope's 
fleet of 18 wheel trucks will roll through every state, providing a 
wide variety of goods and practical services to those in need, 
including: groceries, job counseling, clothing, dental care, breast 
cancer screenings, haircuts, family portraits, children's activities, 
prayer and connections with local churches.
  Finally, while Convoy of Hope is a Christian-based organization, it 
is nondenominational and strongly non-political in its approach, 
helping those in need without imposing their faith.

[[Page 4277]]

Convoy of Hope employees simply believe their faith compels them to 
help their fellow man. This commonsense dictum guides infuses 
everything that Convoy of Hope does.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion let me state unequivocally that Convoy of 
Hope is doing tremendous work on behalf of mankind. I wish everyone at 
Convoy of Hope (and their donors) best wishes for great success with 
their upcoming Tour. It's hard to imagine a government agency operating 
as efficiently, as nimbly, or even as cheerfully as Convoy of Hope. I 
truly believe it should serve as a model for private, nongovernmental 
solutions to poverty and its attendant ills.

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