[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 79 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. CON. RES. 79
Congratulating and saluting Focus: HOPE on its 40th anniversary and for
its remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State of
Michigan, and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 6, 2008
Mr. Levin (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Congratulating and saluting Focus: HOPE on its 40th anniversary and for
its remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State of
Michigan, and the United States.
Whereas Focus: HOPE began as a civil and human rights organization in 1968 in
the wake of the devastating Detroit riots, and was cofounded by the late
Father William T. Cunningham, a Roman Catholic priest, and Eleanor M.
Josaitis, a suburban housewife, who were inspired by the work of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.;
Whereas Focus: HOPE is committed to bringing together people of all races,
faiths, and economic backgrounds to overcome injustice and build racial
harmony, and it has grown into one of the largest nonprofit
organizations in Michigan;
Whereas the Focus: HOPE mission statement reads, ``Recognizing the dignity and
beauty of every person, we pledge intelligent and practical action to
overcome racism, poverty and injustice. And to build a metropolitan
community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust, and
affection. Black and white, yellow, brown and red, from Detroit and its
suburbs of every economic status, national origin and religious
persuasion we join in this movement.'';
Whereas one of Focus: HOPE's early efforts was to support African-American and
female employees in a seminal class action suit against the American
Automobile Association (AAA), resulting in groundbreaking affirmative
action commitments made by AAA;
Whereas Focus: HOPE helped to conceive and develop the Department of
Agriculture's Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which has been
replicated in more than 32 States, and through this program, Focus: HOPE
helps to feed approximately 41,000 people per month throughout southeast
Michigan;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has revitalized several city blocks in central Detroit by
redeveloping obsolete industrial buildings, beautifying and landscaping
Oakman Boulevard, creating pocket parks, and rehabilitating homes in the
surrounding areas;
Whereas, since 1981, Focus: HOPE's Machinist Training Institute has been
training individuals from Detroit and surrounding areas in careers in
advanced manufacturing and precision machining and has produced nearly
2,300 certified graduates, providing an opportunity for minority youth,
women, and others who are often underrepresented in such careers to gain
access to the financial mainstream and learn in-demand skills;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has recognized that manufacturing and information
technologies are key to the economic growth and security of Michigan and
the United States, and is committed to designing programs to encourage
the participation of underrepresented urban individuals in those
critical sectors;
Whereas, in 1982, Focus: HOPE initiated a for-profit subsidiary for community
economic development purposes and is now designated with Federal HUBZone
status (as defined in section 3(p) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
632(p));
Whereas Focus: HOPE created Fast Track, a pioneering skill-enhancing program
designed to help individuals improve their reading and math competencies
by a minimum of 2 grade levels in 4 to 7 weeks;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's training and education programs have moved more than 9,600
individuals out into the workforce since the inception of those programs
and have job placement rates significantly above the national average;
Whereas, in 1987, Focus: HOPE reclaimed and renovated an abandoned building and
opened it as the Focus: HOPE Center for Children, which now has served
nearly 6,000 children of colleagues, students, and neighbors with
quality child care, including latchkey, summer camp, early childhood
education, and other educational services;
Whereas Focus: HOPE, through an unprecedented cooperative agreement between the
Departments of Defense, Commerce, Education, and Labor, established a
national demonstration project, the Center for Advanced Technologies,
which integrates hands-on manufacturing training and academic learning
and educates advanced manufacturing engineers and technologists at
internationally competitive levels;
Whereas Focus: HOPE partnered with 5 universities and 6 industry partners,
formerly known as the Greenfield Coalition, to design a unique 21st
century curriculum that resulted in students receiving associate's
degrees in manufacturing technologies from Lawrence Technological
University, or bachelor's degrees in engineering technology or
manufacturing engineering from Wayne State University or the University
of Detroit Mercy, respectively;
Whereas, due to the unique educational pedagogy at Focus: HOPE's Center for
Advanced Technologies, the starting salary of its graduates is higher
than the national average of graduates with the same degree from other
universities;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has made outstanding contributions in increasing diversity
within the traditionally homogenous science, math, engineering, and
technology fields, 95 percent of currently enrolled degree candidates
are African-American, and the Center for Advanced Technologies is one of
the top programs in the United States for graduating minorities with
bachelor's degrees in manufacturing engineering;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's unique partnership with the Department of Defense has
resulted in several research and development projects, including a
nationally recognized demonstration project, the Mobile Parts Hospital,
whose Rapid Manufacturing System has been deployed to Kuwait in support
of the Armed Forces' operations in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq;
Whereas, in 1995, Focus: HOPE began a community arts program to present
multicultural arts programming and gallery exhibitions designated to
educate and encourage area residents, while fostering integration in a
culturally diverse metropolitan community, and more than 70,000 people
have viewed sponsored exhibits or participated in the program;
Whereas, in 1999, Focus: HOPE established an Informational Technologies Center
to provide Detroit students with industry-certified training programs in
network administration, network installation, and desktop and server
administration, and has graduated nearly 800 students, and initiated, in
collaboration with industry and academia, the design of a new bachelor's
degree program to educate information management systems engineers;
Whereas, in 2006, the State of Michigan designated Focus: HOPE's campus and the
surrounding community a ``Cool Cities'' neighborhood;
Whereas the Secretary of Labor presented Focus: HOPE with an Exemplary Public
Interest Contribution Award in recognition of its success in opening
employment opportunities for minorities and women;
Whereas the Village of Oakman Manor, a 55-unit senior citizen apartment building
sponsored by the Presbyterian Village of Michigan in collaboration with
Focus: HOPE, opened in 2006 near the Focus: HOPE campus as the first new
construction in the area in more than 50 years;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's initiatives and programs have been nationally recognized
for excellence and leadership by such entities as the Government
Accountability Office, the Department of Labor, the International
Standards Organization, the National Science Foundation, the Cisco
Networking Academy Program, Fortune magazine, Forbes magazine, and the
Aspen Institute;
Whereas former Presidents George H.W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton have
visited Focus: HOPE's campus;
Whereas Focus: HOPE's cofounder Eleanor M. Josaitis received honorary degrees
from 13 outstanding universities and colleges, was named one of the 100
Most Influential Women in 2002 by Crain's Detroit Business, was inducted
into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, received the Detroit NAACP
Presidential Award, the Arab American Institute Foundation's Kahlil
Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce Award
for Distinguished Service and Leadership, and the Dr. Charles H. Wright
Award for Excellence in Community Activism, the Caring Institute's
National Caring Award, and the Clara Barton Ambassador Award from the
American Red Cross, as well as many other awards;
Whereas, through generous partnerships with and the support of individuals from
all walks of life, the Federal, State, and local governments, and
foundations and corporations across the United States, the vision of
Focus: HOPE will continue to grow and inspire;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been fortunate enough to have an active board of
directors and advisory board from the most senior levels of corporations
and public entities in the United States and has benefitted from
thousands of volunteers and supporters;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been a tremendous force for good in the city of Detroit,
the State of Michigan, and in the United States for the past 40 years;
Whereas Focus: HOPE continues to strive to eliminate racism, poverty, and
injustice through the use of passion, persistence, and partnerships, and
continues to seek improvements in its quality of service and program
operations; and
Whereas Focus: HOPE and its colleagues will continue to identify ways in which
it can lead Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the United States into
the future with creative urban leadership initiatives: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That Congress--
(1) congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for its
remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State
of Michigan, and the United States; and
(2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an
enrolled copy of this resolution to Focus: HOPE for appropriate
display.
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