Neighborhood Centers

Floor Speech

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 06, 2007)

* Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, the promise of America means different things to different people. To some, it may represent better economic opportunities. To others, it is having access to a better education, better healthcare, or a better job. To still others, it is simply the chance for a better life.

* But regardless of how we define the ``promise of America,'' there is little doubt that Neighborhood Centers Inc.--Houston's largest and fastest-growing human services agency--is making that promise a reality for thousands of people in Southeast Texas. And the scope of that accomplishment is being underscored this month, as Neighborhood Centers celebrates its 100th anniversary of providing education, resources, and connections to the area's most vulnerable communities. Our Congressional District is served very well by Neighborhood Centers Inc.'s facilities and programs.

* Founded in 1907 by Alice Graham Baker--the grandmother of former Secretary of State James Baker III--Neighborhood Centers Inc. stands as a shining example of how innovative strategies and consistency of purpose, animated by a heart as big as Texas, can produce truly transformational change.

* From its inception, Neighborhood Centers has focused on helping underserved communities to achieve their full potential. The organization pursues this mission not by concentrating on the weaknesses of a neighborhood and its residents, but by building on the unique skills, strengths, resources, and capabilities that already exist. It then works to nurture these assets in order to create self-sufficiency, individual empowerment, and long-term economic and social development.

* The result is a unique approach for connecting people with what they need to fully realize the promise of America: child and family care, education, job skills, entrepreneurial incubators, leadership development, legal assistance, after-school programs, citizenship services, teacher training, and activities for seniors that encourage aging in place.

* The ability and willingness to provide these services have brought Neighborhood Centers face to face with numerous challenges over the years. But challenges are not uncommon to the agency. It has traditionally been Houston's go-to organization when it comes to dealing with the region's most complex issues. As Angela Blanchard, president and CEO, once said: ``The harder it is, the better we like it.''

* Neighborhood Centers' response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrates clearly that those are not mere words.

* When the storm forced hundreds of thousands of New Orleans residents to flee to Houston, Neighborhood Centers created a special program called Stay Connected. It provided evacuees assistance in finding jobs, healthcare, homes, and other essential human needs. It worked to restore a sense of community for those who decided to make Houston their home. It helped rebuild lives, renew hope, and revitalize opportunity. To date, Stay Connected--which is largely staffed by Katrina victims--has served more than 4,000 families.

* That brings me to my final point about Neighborhood Centers: This is an organization defined by compassion, concern, and commitment.

* The agency and everyone involved with its mission--including corporate partners such as JPMorganChase, Shell, Chevron, and Aramark--share an unbounded faith in human potential.

* They truly believe that people, when treated with respect and dignity and given a chance to grow and to build self-esteem, can have a profoundly positive impact on families, communities, and the entire social and economic fabric not only of Houston but of America as well. Potential is not just an abstract concept to Neighborhood Centers. It is a concrete foundation for touching lives, lifting hearts, and fulfilling promise.

* Over the past 100 years, Neighborhood Centers has never sidestepped an opportunity--or avoided an obligation--to keep that potential alive. In doing so, it has not simply made the American Dream a reality. It has kept the Human Dream alive. I cannot think of a more significant contribution to this country to those who make it great.

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