{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-1994-10-08-pt1-PgE31", "1994-10-08", 103, 2, null, null, "AID ASSOCIATION FOR LUTHERANS: NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "FRONTMATTER", "E", "E", "[{\"name\": \"James A. Barcia\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "140 Cong. Rec. E", "Congressional Record, Volume 140 Issue 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]\n\n AID ASSOCIATION FOR LUTHERANS: NEIGHBOR HELPING\n NEIGHBOR\n\n ______\n\n HON. JAMES A. BARCIA\n\n of michigan\n\n in the house of representatives\n\n Friday, October 7, 1994\n\n Mr. BARCIA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, in this time of budgetary\ndifficulty that limits what assistance the Federal Government can\nprovide to people in need, it is both encouraging and heart-warming to\nlearn of organizations like the Aid Association for Lutherans. This\nninety-two-year-old organization through its nearly 8,600 branches and\n1.6 million members, in its own words, concentrates on a wide range of\ncharitable, educational, social, benevolent, fraternal and patriotic\nprograms.\n With over 112,000 members in Michigan, the AAL is one of the most\nimportant support groups in our State. Its efforts on behalf of the\nvictims of the terrible flood that moved through the Midwest last year\nwere vital to their sense of survival. The $3.5 million provided\nthrough AAL's Helping Hands program provided much more than its mere\nmonetary value--it provided hope and reassurance to people who saw\ntheir lives being shredded by nature's fury. The work performed by the\nAAL volunteers who came to the flooded communities demonstrated that\nhands-on assistance is so very meaningful to people in their time of\nneed.\n Similar assistance was also provided to the victims of Hurricane\nAndrew, who were the beneficiaries of the opportunities for friendship\ncreated by that natural disaster.\n Mr. Speaker, according to reports prepared by the Aid Association for\nLutherans, over 3.5 million hours of work was provided by AAL members\nand their friends on behalf of the many projects that were undertaken.\nHelping people pay their bills, get to the grocery store, building a\nwheelchair ramp at the church, landscaping and other seemingly simple\nbut vitally important acts of kindness were performed by AAL members.\n People constantly ask what has happened to the American spirit.\nWhatever happened to neighbor helping neighbor? Doesn't anyone care\nenough to lend a hand? All of these questions are so fully, graciously,\nand beautifully answered by the work done by the Aid Association for\nLutherans. It will be my privilege to be with many Michigan members\nlater this month at their annual dinner. It is my hope that I can come\naway with a portion of the inspiration that guides these wonderful\npeople in acts that we should each take more time to perform. Our world\ncan be a better place if we emulate people who care, people who give of\nthemselves, and people who know how to give thanks through their own\ndeeds--the members of the Aid Association for Lutherans.\n\n ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-1994-10-08-pt1-PgE31"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 149.05405999161303, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}