HUD Secretary to Visit St. Vincent’s Facilities
Martinez a One-time Foster Child

   SAN DIEGO — Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Mel Martinez will visit St. Vincent de Paul Village, located at 1501 Imperial Avenue, on Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m. Media are welcome to accompany the secretary on the tour; however, interviews will only be given at the conclusion of his visit, approximately 10:45 a.m. at the same location.

   Martinez, the nation’s 12th HUD secretary, took his oath of office on January, 24, 2001. Under Martinez’ leadership, HUD is expanding home-ownership opportunities to more Americans, particularly minority and low-income families through partnerships with community-based housing providers, according to the official HUD Website www.hud.gov.

   Martinez has also been a leader in the implementation of President George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives and launched HUD’s Center for Faith-based and Community Services.

   President of St. Vincent’s, Fr. Joe Carroll, is eager to meet Martinez, who appreciates the work of faith-based social service agencies.

   "We’re heartened to have been chosen as one of the facilities Secretary Martinez will visit during his trip to the West Coast," he says. "We’re looking forward to sharing with him the innovative housing programs we have in place and those we are currently developing to meet the changing needs of our less fortunate neighbors."

   Fr. Joe will also share with the secretary the remarkable stories of the youngsters living at the Toussaint Teen Center (TTC), a facility for youths who are in a situation similar to one Martinez experienced as a youngster when he was separated from his parents and fled his home country of Cuba during a Catholic humanitarian effort in 1962 and arrived in America where, for a short time, he stayed in youth facilities and foster care.

   "He knows from personal experience the difficult road our 35 children living at the TTC face," says Fr. Joe. "He was a young man with no family in a strange country who found a temporary home at a youth facility very similar to the TTC. We hope to show him that the compassion and sympathy which helped him as a youngster is still very much alive throughout the Village."

   For media interested in accompanying Martinez on his tour of St. Vincent’s or for more information on the news conference following his visit, call (619) 525-1608.

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