The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF FRESH NEW START” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E574 on April 10, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF FRESH NEW START
______
HON. ANDER CRENSHAW
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, several years ago I had the privilege of employing a brilliant and dedicated young staffer named Francis B. Gibbs. Francis was one of my first campaign staffers and I was privileged for him to come with me to Washington as I began my congressional career in 2001. He was a trusted aide and a true friend who always gave me the straight answer. He left my office to become Legislative Director, then Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Connie Mack and later served as Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Transportation. Rooted in principle, Francis was an honest, committed public servant, friend to many, and devoted husband to LeAnne and father to children Couper and Riley. He faced a world of possibility and wasn't afraid to tackle challenges head on.
So it was devastating when he received a cancer diagnosis that turned his world--and that of his family--upside down. It was a challenge that, despite every effort, he ultimately was unable to overcome. Francis passed away on May 17, 2013, at the age of 40, leaving behind grieving family and friends who could only ask themselves the age-old question: ``Why?''
Struggling with the ``why'' and feeling overcome by the pain that comes with losing someone you love so much can be debilitating. Our human nature tells us to withdraw from the world, to isolate and self-
protect. And as hard as it is to pick ourselves up and carry on, it is the only way that beauty can be born from ashes.
LeAnne Holdman Gibbs did just that. In the midst of her own pain, this extraordinary young widow and mother of two young children decided that she needed to honor Francis' wish for her and reconnect with the world after a year of cancer-caregiving. So she took a group of girlfriends on a trip to Florence, Italy, using the trip to renew and refresh, to rediscover passions, and to dream about her future.
But it didn't end there. Before his death, Francis and LeAnne talked about how she might use her own experience to inspire other young women who were in a similar situation. As she began her own widowhood journey, she was surprised and frustrated to find that there were so few resources dedicated to serving young cancer widows who had been their spouses' primary caregivers. She was determined to do something about that, and has since dedicated herself to supporting such women.
The concept for a not-for-profit corporation was born.
With tremendous courage, hard work, and help from a core group of friends, LeAnne founded Fresh New Start, an organization ``that seeks to refresh and renew the young woman who has lost her husband to cancer and to offer encouragement and support as she both starts and endures her journey through widowhood.'' Fresh New Start will sponsor trips/
retreats for selected candidates and up to three adult friends to give other young cancer widows the opportunity to ``renew, refresh, and restart.'' The corporation will also serve these women by providing connections to other young cancer widows and additional resources for them and their caregivers.
Fresh New Start officially launched on the first day of spring--
March 20, 2014. I am proud of LeAnne for honoring Francis' memory by launching Fresh New Start and offer my congratulations on the creation of an organization that will benefit many young widows for years to come and honor the legacy of a friend I miss dearly, Francis B. Gibbs.
____________________
