[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17153]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                COMMEMORATING MELWOOD'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2013

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Melwood, Maryland's 
second-largest non-profit agency focusing on people with differing 
abilities, as it marks its fiftieth anniversary.
  In 1963, a small group of parents and supporters decided to teach 
plant care to young adults who were considered by most to be 
unemployable. It was then that Melwood was launched as a place where 
people with differing abilities learned new skills with the goal of 
employment. For 50 years, Melwood has been advocating on behalf of 
individuals with differing abilities by providing support services, 
helping them with critical skills, and placing them in jobs that 
provide independence and dignity.
  Today, Melwood continues to provide job opportunities and support 
services to nearly 1,900 individuals with differing abilities. With 38 
AbilityOne contracts at 43 locations, Melwood is the second-largest 
agency of its kind in Maryland and the largest AbilityOne employer in 
the Eastern Region. Additionally, it operates the Melwood Recreation 
Center for nearly 900 adults and children with and without special 
needs. Melwood's great work has even earned it an international 
reputation, and Melwood's ``social entrepreneurial'' model has been 
copied elsewhere in America and in other countries as well.
  Every American who wants to contribute to building our country and 
strengthening our communities ought not to be held back because of a 
differing ability, and for a half a century Melwood has empowered 
people with differing abilities to transform their own lives through 
opportunities of employment, job training, life-skill improvement, and 
supportive and recreational services.
  Much of Melwood's work helped lay the foundation for the enactment of 
the Americans with Disabilities Act, bipartisan legislation I was proud 
to lead to passage in the House in 1990 and witness signed into law by 
President George H.W. Bush. As advocates for people with differing 
abilities celebrate this milestone anniversary, let us recommit 
ourselves to Melwood's mission to empower and inspire. I look forward 
to continuing to work with Melwood for many years to come, and I am 
confident that it will continue to carry out its mission for another 
fifty years and beyond.
  I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating co-founder, 
President, and CEO emeritus, Earl Copus, Jr., current President and 
CEO, Cari DeSantis, and the rest of the outstanding Melwood staff, who 
will continue carrying this outstanding organization into the future.

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