[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16272-16273]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FIRE PREVENTION MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 
October as National Fire Prevention Month and would like to thank all 
the firefighters across my district and across the Nation for all that 
they do to keep our communities safe.
  In 2013, departments across the United States responded to nearly 
400,000 fires, resulting in $7 billion in property damage and more than 
2,700 deaths. That, unfortunately, amounts to an average of eight 
people every day.
  Of those who lost their lives as a result of fire, one in four was 
caused by a fire that started in a bedroom. This is one of the reasons 
why one focus of this year's Fire Prevention Month is to raise 
awareness that every bedroom needs a working smoke detector.
  Mr. Speaker, as a volunteer firefighter with nearly three decades of 
experience, I know that smoke detectors save lives. The statistics 
prove this, showing that working smoke detectors cut the risk of dying 
in a fire by half.
  Smoke detectors are inexpensive and easy to install. I urge everyone 
to take action to help prevent future tragedies.


                 Goodwill Industries' 50th Anniversary

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 
50th anniversary of Goodwill Industries of North Central, located in my 
district. This organization assists people across a huge portion of 
north central Pennsylvania, including 13 counties.
  Goodwill has been a valuable part of its region since its launch in 
1966. Over the years, their service area has grown to cover more than a 
dozen counties, 20 stores--the most recent addition, our 21st store, 
which is an online store they operate--and has created jobs for more 
than 500 people. Last week, I visited Goodwill's distribution center in 
Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, and learned more about the 
organization's plans to open an additional three stores as well as a 
donation training center.
  Fifty years after its founding, hard work and determination are still 
the cornerstone to Goodwill of North Central's foundation.
  It certainly helps that this great local organization is backed by a 
highly regarded national network. Across the United States, Goodwill is 
considered one of the top five most valuable and recognized nonprofit 
brands and is the second-largest nonprofit organization. Pennsylvania 
alone is served by 10 Goodwill Industries service areas; and Goodwill 
has solid ties to the communities it services through partnerships with 
local businesses, schools, and human service agencies, helping 
individuals overcome life challenges through opportunity, education, 
training, and employment.
  I often say that I wear many hats during my day-to-day routine: 
father, husband, community member, caregiver, legislator, and so on. I 
am sure most of you would agree with the fact that the different roles 
that you fulfill in your life provide you with diverse perspectives and 
help shape your outlook on what is most important. My experiences have 
solidified my belief in the value of community. Whether we are talking 
about our national economy, the quality of our health care, or closing 
the skills gap, we can agree

[[Page 16273]]

that the most successful efforts start in our local communities from 
the ground up.
  Those who donate to Goodwill can have peace of mind that their money 
is going to the right place, since 90 cents of every dollar is directed 
toward its mission and its services. These services were provided to 
nearly 1,200 people across the north central region in Pennsylvania in 
2013, providing an immensurable benefit to our region.
  The 50th anniversary celebration is a great time to reflect on all of 
the growth that Goodwill Industries of North Central has achieved as a 
team and to continue to prepare your plans for the future. I commend 
them for all their remarkable accomplishments, and I look forward to 
the great things that are to come.

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