Extensions of Remarks E329 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS
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March 13, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks E329 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS COMMUNITY ACTION OF GREATER tested and assigned to summer school for ad- of diversity and loneliness, inspires the INDIANAPOLIS, INC. ditional assistance as needed. To our knowl- Grandparent and develops a sense of inde- edge, only three students assigned to Foster pendence and self-worth for both parties. Grandparents were not promoted. The rest Of course ultimate personal satisfaction HON. ANDREW JACOBS, JR. were able to keep up with their classmates comes when the family is ready to leave the OF INDIANA after receiving the intervention of one-on- shelter and thanks the Grandparent whole- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES one Foster Grandparent instruction during heartedly for the time, advice, and loving at- Tuesday, March 12, 1996 the school year and summer school. tention given to the children at their time of In addition to there being too few avail- need. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, we always able, homeless shelters for families with Reward likewise abounds for the Foster hunger for good news. The following should children in Indianapolis are understaffed. Grandparents who serve neglected and be a very fine meal in this respect. There is a need for Foster Grandparent inter- abused children. The sense of self-worth de- COMMUNITY ACTION OF GREATER vention during the parents' busiest hours rived from these programs is priceless for the INDIANAPOLIS, INC. (mornings) as they seek jobs and attend to Grandparents. other business. The one-on-one attention To: Thomas L. Haskett, State Program Di- IMPACT ON THIS AGENCY: provided by the Grandparents eases the trau- Foster Grandparents are highly valued by rector ma and provides a sense of stability through From: Nanci Morris, Foster Grandparent the school system, and thus a positive image loving and meaningful interaction for these of Community Action is presented to the Program Coordinator, Community Ac- children. Foster Grandparents help fit the tion of Greater Indianapolis agencies served as well as to the community children in suitable clothing in addition to at large. The Foster Grandparent Program Re: Impact, Meeting Community Needs helping provide for other physical needs. The To address community needs, three prior- enables Community Action to have signifi- parents enjoy guidance and support from the ity areas have been targeted for Community cant contact with youth before they become volunteers as well. Additionally, the shelter Action's Foster Grandparent Program serv- teens and reject adult guidance. Grand- employees benefit in the traditional ways ices: (1) special needs children in public parents are also able to refer children and from the Grandparents' assistance. Con- schools, (2) children in homeless shelters, their parents and alert agency personnel to sequently, the whole atmosphere of a shelter and (3) neglected and abused children in tem- the array of other Community Action pro- improves when a Foster Grandparent is porary homes and shelters. grams available to meet diverse needs. around. One example is Community Action's cer- 1. SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS The staffs of homes and shelters for ne- tified housing counseling program that in- Dramatic increases have occurred in the glected and abused children alone can not cludes a strong homeless assistance compo- number of mildly-to-severely disabled chil- adequately provide the level of attention nent. Foster Grandparents remind shelter dren enrolled in 19 elementary schools of the needed there, particularly by the babies and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) that have small children. The maturity, stability, and workers to call upon this Community Action been designated for mainstreaming these love Foster Grandparents provide help the program for additional, on-going assistance children. Budget cutbacks have not allowed children respond in ways that would likely to families as needed. Community Action, the volunteer stations, for all classrooms with special needs chil- not be possible otherwise. dren to have teacher's aides. Severely dis- and most importantly the people they serve IMPACT ON THE VOLUNTEER abled children are assigned 8 to a classroom benefit from cooperative relationships built with 1 teacher and 1 aide, and moderately-to- Many Community Action Foster Grand- through the Foster Grandparent Program. mildly disabled are assigned 10±14 per class- parent volunteers have worked with special f room with 1 teacher and sometimes 1 aide. needs children in the IPS system for years Thus, 8 schools with classrooms having no and continue to maintain regular contact REMARKS HONORING HUGH aides or not enough aides to adequately ad- with many of their former students. Having MILLER dress the children's special needs have been witnessed the progress these children have selected as priorities for this Foster Grand- made, the Grandparents benefit from the HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN parent Program's placements by the IPS abounding satisfaction they feel from having OF NEW YORK Programs for Young Children, Special Edu- been a part of each child's paths to success. cation Department. The Grandparents are encouraged and al- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES lowed by IPS to be creative, and the teachers 2. CHILDREN IN HOMELESS SHELTERS Tuesday, March 12, 1996 gladly seek advice and new ideas from the The increase in children throughout the Grandparents. A good example of this cre- Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today nation living without a permanent address ativity at work was when children living in to join with the members of the Young Leader- has made serving homeless children a prior- a homeless shelter were often teased by their ship Committee of the New York chapter of ity for all Foster Grandparent Programs as school classmates. ``Grandma'' started a presented at the recent Foster Grandparent the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, as they grooming session whereby the special needs Conference in Washington, D.C. A survey hold their seventh annual masked ball honor- children met her before school. She would conducted last fall indicated that there were ing Hugh Miller. Known as an astute business- check them over for tidiness, give them a at least 824 homeless children under age 15 in pep talk, and then give them a liberal spray man in the world of finance, Mr. Miller is presi- Indianapolis. Thus, serving homeless chil- of after shave lotion or perfume as a re- dent and CEO the Delta Funding Corp., a dren has been identified as a community minder that she was with them all day. This company dealing primarily with the origination, need for Community Action's Foster Grand- soon caught on, and other children who purchase, and servicing of nonconforming res- parent Program. Program volunteers are weren't homeless sought out Grandma for placed at 6 of Indianapolis' seven homeless idential mortgage loans. Indeed, the industry shelters serving families with children. some reassurance and a sweet smell. Thus, has looked to Mr. Miller for leadership, and he the Grandparents are rewarded in the best has served in that capacity as a representative 3. NEGLECTED AND ABUSED CHILDREN IN possible way for being creative. Addition- TEMPORARY HOMES AND SHELTERS of the National Home Equity Mortgage Asso- ally, each of the Grandparents is taught how ciation, National Mortgage Brokers Associa- Reported child abuse in Indianapolis has to operate school office equipment such as risen 150 percent during the past 2 years. A the duplicator, copiers, and calculators. The tion, Executive Enterprises, American Commu- decrease in the number of neglected, abused, children often assist the Grandparent in nity Bankers, Information Management Net- sexually abused, abandoned, fetal alcohol copying and preparing papers for the next work, and Mortgage Bankers Association of syndrome, emotionally disturbed/disabled, day's work, honing skills and providing sat- America. and ``crack'' children is not anticipated for isfaction for both. One school even offers Yet despite the ongoing demands on his the foreseeable future. Funding for homes computer literacy classes to the Grand- and shelters to serve these children have not time and talents, Hugh Miller has vigorously parents. and effectively undertaken a myriad of social increased accordingly. Thus, 7 shelters for Many of the Grandparents live near the abused children have been selected for Com- shelters they serve. They know first-hand responsibilities. Many diverse organizations in- munity Action Foster Grandparent services. about the situations faced by the families as cluding the National Kidney Foundation, Police IMPACT ON COMMUNITY NEEDS they starting over. Being able to offer the Conference of New York and Nassau County, At the end of the 1994±95 school year, chil- single parent support, guidance, and encour- DARE, the American Cancer Society, the Leu- dren assigned to Foster Grandparents were agement to ``hold your head up'' in the face kemia Society of America, Hofstra University · This ``bullet'' symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. E330 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks March 13, 1996 Scholarship Funds, and the Huntington's Dis- This bill is a straightforward solution to the COMMENDING THE BROOKLYN ease Society of America have greatly bene- problems created by meth production and IRISH-AMERICAN PARADE COM- fited from his service. His experience in this usage. First, the bill establishes new controls MITTEE ON ITS 21ST ANNUAL regard has emerged as a yardstick by which over the key chemicals necessary to manufac- PARADE all such future dedication is measured. Fur- ture meth by forcing chemical supply houses thermore, in conjunction with the Interfaith Nu- to control more strictly the sale of the legal HON. CHARLES E. SCHUMER tritional Network, Delta Funding has created substances which are the precursor chemicals OF NEW YORK the Delta Funding Inn, which caters to the of methamphetamine.