Recognizing the Service of Joe Kraus and Matt Prouty with Project Vision

Floor Speech

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Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Joe Kraus and Matt Prouty for their service to Project VISION of Rutland, Vermont. Both Joe and Matt will soon be ending their impressive service to Project VISION after years of success helping Rutland build a better, stronger community.

Formed in 2013 at the height of Rutland's opioid crisis, Project VISION has celebrated two core values since its founding: collaboration for the greater good and focus on the positives that make Rutland a special community. The former Chief of Police for the City of Rutland, James Baker, spearheaded the creation of Project VISION with the enthusiastic support of Mayor Christopher Louras and the Board of Alderman. These leaders recognized that the community's challenges were not going to be fixed by making more arrests, so they sought community partners to build real and substantive change.

With passion and hard work, Joe Kraus and Matt Prouty have helped Project VISION lead a diverse coalition of over 300 social and health service agencies and organizations, who are united in their goal of making Rutland one of the healthiest, safest and happiest places in America. Project VISION's allies include the Rutland Regional Medical Center, the Rutland City Police Department, Rutland City Public Schools, Rutland Regional Planning Commission, NeighborWorks, and the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging.

In its early years, the coalition concentrated on treating addiction and substance abuse, reducing crime, and building great neighborhoods. Their success was impressive. A survey conducted in Rutland's Northwest neighborhood just three years after Project VISION was founded showed that people felt safer, had a more trusting relationship with law enforcement, and were proud of their neighborhood.

Thanks to the work of Joe and Matt, Project VISION continues to grow. It has expanded its work beyond opioid addiction to address larger health and welfare issues affecting Rutland. Most recently, the organization announced that it would focus on reforming systems that relate to social and racial justice.

I am proud to say that Rutland's future is bright. This is a community that has worked together to accomplish their common vision of a stronger Rutland. My thanks to Joe Kraus and Matt Prouty for stepping forward with energy and commitment to ensure the success of Project VISION. Their work has made a positive difference that will be felt by generations to come.

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