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"Supporting Faith- and Community-Based Organizations"Hello everyone, I'm Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services. I'm so very pleased to welcome all of you to this important gathering. And I want to thank my good friend Bobby Polito for his wonderful work in putting it together. Let me also thank Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg and all the New York leaders who have come together to make this event happen for their support and leadership. Faith- and community-based organizations have always been essential to our society. They rebuild communities. They restore human dignity. And they enliven hope that, in so many lives, has been dormant far too long. The men and women of faith- and community-based organizations choose a path that leads them to the poor, the addicted, the abused and the jobless. They take that path because they are motivated by love: love for their neighbors … love for their country … love for God. And it's important to note that in an era when good intentions just aren't good enough, the efforts of faith- and community-based organizations work. They make a difference. They truly do change lives. It is for all of these reasons that the President launched his Faith- and Community-Based Initiative. This Initiative is designed to help organizations like yours find the appropriate federal agency or bureau or office to help you with your concerns. We all know how much more organizations like yours could do if they had greater resources. The needs are too great for us to remain stuck in partisan combat while hurting families fall ever deeper into the ravines of our social landscape. So, we need to commit the resources necessary to help faith- and community-based agencies reach into these ravines and draw out those at risk of being lost permanently. And I'm here to affirm to each of you that President Bush and I are absolutely committed to doing just that … and the $30 million in grants to groups like yours that we have issued are only the first installment of what can and must be a long-term effort. That's why we want to familiarize you with the resources available to you through the Department of Health and Human Services. There are many of them, ranging from assistance with substance abuse and mental health problems to child abuse prevention and adoption programs. And that's why we're also introducing a helpful new booklet, the "Guide to HHS Grants for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives," to help you better access our programs. This will help you identify the specific federal grant programs that match the services you provide or would like to provide. Someone once said, "Every tomorrow has two doors. We can open one by the handle of anxiety, or the other by the handle of faith." You are here today because you have placed your hand on the right handle - the handle of faith that opens the door of opportunity, hope and renewal. I'm so very proud to encourage you to keep walking through that door. Thank you again. Have a wonderful conference, and may God bless you all. Last Revised: November 4, 2002 |
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