HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS OF LONDONDERRY, VERMONT ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 75
(Extensions of Remarks - May 07, 2019)
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E546-E547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS OF LONDONDERRY, VERMONT ON THE
OCCASION OF ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
______
HON. PETER WELCH
of vermont
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to
pay tribute to Neighborhood Connections of Londonderry, Vermont which
will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on May 17th. I especially want
to recognize the vision of its two founding partners, Dr. Dolores
Barbeau and Gloria Dawson, who identified a need in their community and
had the energy and skills to deliver results that have improved the
lives of their neighbors.
Today Neighborhood Connections serves nine towns in rural, south-
central Vermont. This is an area of my state where many residents are
vulnerable to poverty, food and employment insecurity, lack of
transportation, mental and physical health issues, disability,
isolation and simply not knowing where to turn for basic support.
Neighborhood Connections is a vital organization committed to
welcoming all people through its doors, regardless of challenge or
financial status, to help them navigate a range of personal
difficulties by connecting them with all forms of available assistance.
Its focus is on the most vulnerable and those who face barriers to
care.
It offers a myriad of services from connecting people to
transportation, housing, heating and employment assistance to helping
people access disability and income benefits,
[[Page E547]]
Medicare, Medicaid and tax preparation assistance. The small
professional staff offers counseling, crisis management assistance and
home visits primarily to elderly and disabled residents. They ``walk
with'' those they serve, offering support for ``as long as it takes.''
In a given year, Neighborhood Connections delivers over 1,200 services
to individuals and families, 90 percent of whom fall below the federal
poverty level and 80 percent of whom have significant mental or
physical health issues.
Neighborhood Connections is committed to the ``total well-being'' of
communities to improve health and quality of life for all. In short, it
exists to foster hope, particularly for vulnerable individuals and
families, by delivering care and connecting everyone who walks through
its doors to comprehensive wellbeing support.
The motto of Neighborhood Connections is simple: ``Neighbors Helping
Neighbors.'' For ten years they have been fulfilling their vital
mission and I know they will continue their work for many years to
come.
Madam Speaker, I urge the House to join me today in paying tribute to
Neighborhood Connections, Dolores Barbeau, and Gloria Dawson for the
countless ways they have improved the quality of life for people in
south-central Vermont. Congratulations on this remarkable milestone and
best wishes for many more years of success.
____________________