IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 327 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2008 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. UPTON, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. CAMP of Michigan, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. 

WALBERG, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. LEVIN, 

Mr. STUPAK, Mr. HOEKSTRA, and Mrs. MILLER of Michigan) submitted 

the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform 

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 


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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 is ‘‘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, trust, and affection, be they 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 AAA, resulting in ground-breaking affirmative action commitments made by the corporation; 

Whereas Focus: HOPE helped to conceive and develop the 

Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental 

Food Program, which has been replicated in over 32 

States, and through this program, Focus: HOPE helps to 

feed 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 Focus: HOPE’s Machinist Training Institute has 

been training individuals from Detroit and beyond in careers in advanced manufacturing and precision machining 


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since 1981, and has sent forth nearly 2,300 certified 

graduates, providing an opportunity for primarily underrepresented minority youth, women, and others 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 that would contribute to the participation of underrepresented urban individuals in these critical sectors; 

Whereas in 1982, Focus: HOPE began a for-profit subsidiary 

that was initiated for community economic development 

purposes and is now designated with Federal HUBZone 

status; 

Whereas Focus: HOPE created the pioneering skill-enhancing 

program, Fast Track, designed to help individuals improve their reading and math competencies by a minimum of two grade levels in 4 to 7 weeks; 

Whereas all of Focus: HOPE’s training and education programs have moved more than 9,600 individuals out into 

the workforce since their inception, with job placement 

rates significantly above the national average; 

Whereas in 1987, Focus: HOPE reclaimed and renovated an 

abandoned building and opened it as a 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, 


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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 five universities and 

six industry partners, formerly known as the Greenfield 

Coalition, to design this unique 21st century curriculum, 

that resulted in students receiving associate’s degrees in 

manufacturing technologies by Lawrence Technological 

University, or bachelor’s degrees in engineering technology or manufacturing engineering by Wayne State 

University and 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 when compared to graduates with the same degree 

from other universities; 

Whereas Focus: HOPE has made outstanding contributions 

toward increasing diversity within the traditionally homogenous science, math, engineering, and technology 

fields, and 95 percent of currently enrolled degree candidates are African-American, with the Center for Advanced Technologies being one of the top graduators of 

bachelor-degreed minorities 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 


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Rapid Manufacturing System has been deployed to Kuwait in support of the Armed Forces’ current operations 

in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq; 

Whereas Focus: HOPE began a community arts program in 

1995, presenting 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 Focus: HOPE established an Informational Technologies Center in 1999, providing Detroit students with 

industry-certified training programs in network administration, network installation, and desktop and server administration, and has graduated nearly 800 students to 

date, and initiated, in collaboration with industry and 

academia, the design of a new bachelor’s degree program 

to educate information management systems engineers; 

Whereas Michigan designated Focus: HOPE’s campus and 

the surrounding community a ‘‘Cool Cities’’ neighborhood 

in 2006; 

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; 


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Whereas Focus: HOPE’s initiatives and programs have been 

nationally recognized for excellence and leadership by 

such entities as the Government Accounting 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, the Clara Barton Ambassador Award from the 

American Red Cross, as well as many other awards; 

Whereas through the generous partnerships and 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 corporate and public America, and 

has benefited from thousands of volunteers and supporters; 


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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 House of Representatives (the Senate 

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 Clerk of the House of Represent8 atives to make available enrolled copies of this reso9 lution to Focus: HOPE for appropriate display. 

Æ 


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