108TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 295
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Focus: HOPE began as a civil and human rights or-
ganization in 1968 in the wake of the devastating Detroit
riots, and was co-founded by the late Father William T.
Cunningham, a Roman Catholic priest, and Eleanor M.
Josaitis, a suburban housewife, who were inspired to es-
tablish Focus: HOPE by the work of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.;
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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 to one of the largest nonprofit organizations in
Michigan;
Whereas the Focus: HOPE mission statement states: ‘‘Recog-
nizing the dignity and beauty of every person, we pledge
intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, pov-
erty and injustice. And to build a metropolitan commu-
nity 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
covenant.’’;
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 one of the fin-
est affirmative action commitments made by any corpora-
tion up to that time;
Whereas Focus: HOPE helped to conceive of and develop the
Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental
Food Program which has been replicated in 32 states,
and through this program Focus: HOPE helps to feed
43,000 people per month throughout Southeast Michigan;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has revitalized several city blocks in
central Detroit by redeveloping obsolete industrial build-
ings, 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 for ca-
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reers in advanced manufacturing and precision machining
since 1981, and has sent forth nearly 2,500 certified
graduates, providing an opportunity for primarily under-
represented minority youth, women, and others to gain
access to the financial mainstream and learn in-demand
skills;
Whereas Focus: HOPE, with assistance from Michigan, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, and
other generous private and public partners, has within
the last two years invested over $10 million to complete
the renovation of the industrial building housing its Ma-
chinist Training Institute;
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 con-
tribute to the participation of under-represented urban
individuals in these critical sectors;
Whereas, in 1982, Focus: HOPE began a for-profit sub-
sidiary that was initiated for community economic devel-
opment purposes and is now designated with Federal
HUBZone status;
Whereas Focus: HOPE created two pioneering programs—
FAST TRACK and First Step—designed to help individ-
uals improve their reading and math competencies by a
minimum of two grade levels in 4–7 weeks;
Whereas these programs have graduated over 7,000 individ-
uals since their inception, a new offsite training facility
in Detroit’s Empowerment Zone in southwest Detroit has
been established to reach out to individuals in other parts
of the city, and the success of the programs has inspired
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Michigan (in its State-wide FAST BREAK program) and
other States to replicate the efforts of Focus: HOPE;
Whereas, in 1987, Focus: HOPE reclaimed and renovated an
abandoned building and opened it as a Center for Chil-
dren, which has now served over 5,000 children of col-
leagues, students, and neighbors with quality child care,
including latchkey, early childhood education, and other
educational services;
Whereas Focus: HOPE, through an unprecedented co-opera-
tive agreement between the Departments of Defense,
Commerce, Education, and Labor, established a National
demonstration project—the Center for Advanced Tech-
nologies—in which candidates earn associates and
bachelors degrees in either manufacturing engineering or
technology, and engage in hands-on manufacturing with-
in-real 
world 
conditions, 
producing 
parts 
for
DaimlerChrysler, Detroit Diesel, Ford Motor Company,
General Motors Corporation, the Department of Defense,
and others;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has caused over $22 million to be in-
vested in renovating a previously obsolete building to
house the Center for Advanced Technologies, trans-
forming the building into a model facility for 21st cen-
tury advanced manufacturing, education, and research;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has made outstanding contributions
toward increasing diversity within the traditional homoge-
nous science, math, engineering, and technology fields,
and 95 percent of currently enrolled degree candidates
are African-American, representing perhaps the United
States’ largest producer of bachelor-degreed minority
graduates in manufacturing engineering;
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Whereas Focus: HOPE’s unique research and development
partnership with the Department of Defense has resulted
in a nationally recognized demonstration project, the Mo-
bile Parts Hospital, whose Rapid Manufacturing System
has recently been deployed to Kuwait in support of the
Armed Forces’ current operations in Afghanistan and
Iraq;
Whereas Focus: HOPE began a community arts program in
1995, presenting multicultural arts programming and
gallery exhibitions designed to educate and encourage
area residents, while fostering integration in a culturally
diverse metropolitan community, and over 43,000 people
have viewed sponsored exhibits or participated in this
program;
Whereas Focus: HOPE established an Information Tech-
nologies Center in 1999, providing Detroit students with
industry-certified training programs in network adminis-
tration, network installation, and desktop and server ad-
ministration, and has graduated nearly 475 students to
date, and has initiated, in collaboration with industry and
academia, the design of a new bachelors degree program
to educate information management systems engineers;
Whereas Focus: HOPE’s initiatives and programs have been
nationally recognized for excellence and leadership by
such organizations 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, the Aspen Institute, and many others,
and former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clin-
ton have visited Focus: HOPE’s campus;
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Whereas Focus: HOPE is currently led by Eleanor M.
Josaitis, its co-founder and chief executive officer, and
she has received honorary degrees from 11 outstanding
universities and colleges, was named one of the 100 Most
Influential Women in 2002 by Crain’s Detroit Business,
has been inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of
Fame, has received the Detroit NAACP Presidential
Award, the Arab-American Institute Foundation’s Kahlil
Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award, as well as many other
awards;
Whereas through the generous partnerships and support of
individuals from all walks of life, Federal, State, and
local government, and foundations and corporations
across the United States, the vision of Focus: HOPE will
continue to grow and inspire;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been blessed with an active board
of directors and advisory board from the senior most lev-
els of corporate and public America, and has benefited
from an annual average of 25,000 volunteers and count-
less colleagues;
Whereas Focus: HOPE has been a tremendous force for good
in the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the
United States for the past 35 years;
Whereas Focus: HOPE continues to strive to eliminate rac-
ism, poverty, and injustice through the use of passion,
persistence, and partnerships, and continues to seek im-
provement in its quality of service and program oper-
ations; and
Whereas Focus: HOPE and its colleagues will continue to
identify ways in which it can lead Detroit, the State of
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Michigan, and the United States into the future with cre-
ative urban leadership initiatives: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress—
(1) congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for
its remarkable commitment and contributions to De-
troit, the State of Michigan, and the United States;
and
(2) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent-
atives to make available enrolled copies of this reso-
lution to Focus: HOPE and Ms. Eleanor M. Josaitis
for appropriate display.
Passed the House of Representatives June 1, 2004.
Attest:
Clerk.