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It Takes a Need, a Dream, and a Commitment
Keynote Address
by Delegate Tom Davis Rust
GSA Center of Hope Dedication
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Ashburn, Virginia
Good morning. It’s a wonderful day. Thank you for having me, and Bahman (Batman) Batmanghelidj, thank you for that very kind introduction. We are fortunate to have Batman in our community. You can always count on him to share with us his time, talent, and treasure. I am fortunate to call Batman a friend for these past twenty five years.
Today we are here to celebrate the opening of the Center of Hope. This is a project designed for The Good Shepherd Alliance by volunteer architect Clint Good, with construction expertise of Toll Brothers and oversight by HomeAid Northern Virginia for the benefit of those less fortunate than us. It is a physical structure representing hope, faith, love, and one person ultimately caring for another.
Thank goodness for The Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA)! What would our community do without organizations like GSA that see a need, step in, and fill that need to the best of their collective ability? Not only is this a celebration of the Center of Hope, but of all non-profit, all faith-based, and all volunteer groups who do so much for our community.
As a Civil Engineer, I have an understanding of what it takes to create a project, any project. It takes a need, a dream, and a commitment. It takes hard work, persistence, outreach, faith, and yes a willingness to suffer some verbal slings and arrows, but in the end it is worthwhile and the right thing to do. For that I offer my sincere gratitude to Good Shepherd Alliance and all who worked to make this project a reality. This can truly become a Center of Hope where those who are less fortunate and those of us who have the benefits of this great working environment can come together to learn about each other, to help one another, and to make this a little better place for all of us regardless of our socioeconomic situation. When someone bends over to help someone else up, all stand a little taller!
We are blessed to be in Loudoun County with a median household income almost twice the median income of Virginia, with almost 50% of Loudoun residents 25 or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and almost 93% of people 25 or older with a high school education. A year or so ago, Loudoun was declared the richest county in America, so surely there is no need, no poverty in Loudoun. So why do we need the Center of Hope?
Let’s look at some statistics from a study of about a year ago. I mentioned the Loudoun median income; it’s about $99,000 a year. That means about 16,000 Loudoun households earn 20% of the median income. That puts them (if it’s a family of four) above any of the federal poverty levels so they are not eligible for any federal assistance. None of these families can buy an average-priced attached or detached home in Loudoun.
It is estimated a family of four needs about $64,000 a year for basic expenses—housing, food, and utilities. About 27% of Loudoun households don’t make that $64,000 a year. That’s about 22,000 or one out of four. About 10% of our community is without health insurance. Approximately 10,000 requests for food occurred from our two major food banks two years ago. Two years ago about 1,600 families participated in the holiday food program; about 13% lived in Ashburn. I could go on, but hopefully I have demonstrated that the Center of Hope is a necessity.
The statistics that I gave you are already several years old. I would surmise those numbers are higher now with the economy being like it is. How many of us know friends who have lost their jobs, had salaries reduced or hours reduced or benefits reduced? I suspect we all know someone. I certainly do.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we need the Center of Hope. It is a beacon of light for those who need a hand up, not a hand out. The guests who come here are not faceless, unknown strangers, not cold statistics; they are our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers. They are real, live people just like you and me. Except for good luck, good fortune, and the hand of God, you and I could be seeking help here. And thank goodness the Center of Hope will be here when we need it.
What will our friends and neighbors find here? They will find a warm, caring, loving environment where they are welcomed, treated with respect and given a little extra something with a smile that they need at that specific moment in their lives. Guests will be given the opportunity to develop the skills they need to build self-sufficiency, address family problems, and successfully transition into the workforce.
You and I will, through volunteering our time, talent, and treasure, learn, grow, make new friends, give something back to our community, and help our fellow citizens in a time of need. It is a partnership with real value for everyone.
So let’s celebrate the opening of the Center of Hope; let’s welcome the guests of the Center of Hope as our neighbors and friends. They would do it for us if they could. At this time in our lives it’s our turn to help them. God bless the Center of Hope, all who turned a dream into a reality, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great day.
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