III 

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 


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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 


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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; 


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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 


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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, 


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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 


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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 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for 

4 its remarkable commitment and contributions to De5 troit, the State of Michigan, and the United States; 

6 and 

7 (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to trans8 mit an enrolled copy of this resolution to Focus: 

9 HOPE for appropriate display. 

Æ 


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