WHEREAS, faith-based and community organizations are currently providing quality social services and making a positive difference in the communities they serve; and
WHEREAS, faith-based and community organizations are serving their communities in areas such as the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency, child care services, support services for the elderly, the prevention of crime, the intervention in and prevention of domestic violence, and a number of other social service areas; and
WHEREAS, some of these faith-based and community organizations are currently receiving funds from federal government, or through a state, city, or local government that itself receives federal funds, to carry out their missions; and
WHEREAS, because of the quality services provided by these organizations, it is important for the state and local governments to utilize their services by working in partnership with faith-based and community organizations; and
WHEREAS, faith-based and community organizations that currently work in partnership with local governments or judicial circuits are doing so within the framework of the Constitutional church-state guidelines:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Missouri Senate, Ninety-Second General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the House of Representatives concurring therein, hereby express their gratitude to faith-based and community organizations working in their communities to improve the lives of the citizens of this state; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support the mission of faith-based and community organizations to provide social services to improve the lives of our citizens; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support and encourage the state and all local governments to work in partnership with faith-based and community organizations to provide quality social services that improve the lives of so many of our citizens in particular and better our society in general; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Missouri Senate be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Governor, the presiding judge of each judicial circuit in this state, and to the director of each state department.