[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8545]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HEROES OF COMPASSION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2012

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate the heroes and 
heroines of compassion in our community for their exceptional devotion 
to serving the needs of others. In so doing, the ethic they set creates 
a better way of life for people across our region and enriches the 
human condition. The Charter for Compassion was created by Karen 
Armstrong, author of many interfaith books in 2008. Her wish was that 
the faith leaders of the world would acknowledge their core common 
value of compassion in a simple document and the response to her idea 
for Heroes of Compassion was phenomenal. Greater Toledo has many 
individuals and organizations that qualify as Heroes of Compassion. But 
many of these individuals and institutions are unsung heroes and 
heroines. Their stories of compassion are untold, while news of 
violence and conflict make headlines. The First Heroes of Compassion of 
Toledo were honored at the 11th Annual MultiFaith Banquet on March 11, 
2012 at the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University, and later at a 
community gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Glendale 
Ave. The First Heroes of Compassion included:
  Sr. Mary Angelita Abair: Decades of work in central Toledo with the 
poor, marginalized, imprisoned, and disabled;
  Cherry Street Mission: Emergency shelter, food and other assistance;
  Dr. Lawrence V. Conway, The Diller Foundation: Provides medical 
equipment and supplies to many deserving countries and the Medical Hall 
of Fame;
  Judge Charles J. Doneghy: Inner city youth mentor and support for 
prostate cancer awareness;
  Fr. Martin Donnelly: Founding chair of Erase the Hate Toledo and 
Central City Ministries and many other organizations;
  Hannah's Socks: Founded by four year old Hannah Turner and has since 
supplied 200,000+ pairs of socks to the homeless last year;
  Jewish Family Service Food Bank: Food, supplies and moral support to 
the needy in the general community;
  Ken Leslie & Pat Lewandowski, 1Matters--Tent City: Working to change 
the perception of the homeless;
  Lifeline Toledo: Support for inner city homeless, including mobile 
medical support;
  The Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides a free home away from 
home for families accessing specialized medical care for their 
children;
  Martha Pituch, RN, Cherry St. Mission Clinic: Founded and developed a 
nursing clinic to provide primary health care for homeless persons;
  Devorah (Friedrich) Shulamit, Interfaith Blood Drive: Founder of the 
first interfaith blood drive in the nation, now in its 25th year;
  Sr. Grace Ellen & Sr. Jeremias, Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania 
Gardens: Developed a nationally recognized four-season polyhouse to 
provide food for the needy year round;
  Mike Szuberla, Toledo GROWs: Provides support for 150 community 
gardens and reentry and proactive programs for at-risk youth;
  St. Paul's Community Center: Daily hot meals, emergency shelter, and 
other services for the homeless;
  St. Vincent de Paul Conference: Tangible, confidential, no-questions-
asked assistance to those in need;
  Toledo Area Ministries, Feed Your Neighbor Ministry: 12 food 
pantries, serve over 80,000 clients per year;
  Toledo Mountain Mentors: One-on-one mentoring and outdoor experiences 
for at-risk teens.

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