By: Brimer H.R. No. 280 73R4570 JLZ-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Opening her generous heart and extending a helping 1-2 hand to the growing numbers of people in her community who have 1-3 become afflicted with AIDS, Bita Schmidt has made a life-affirming 1-4 gesture worthy of emulation and indeed deserving of the highest 1-5 praise and admiration; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Not looking forward to spending her days in a quiet 1-7 and idle retirement when she left her retail job last April, 1-8 Mrs. Schmidt immediately looked for and found an opportunity to 1-9 become actively involved in a worthwhile endeavor ministering to 1-10 the needs of others in her community; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Hearing about an AIDS program that worked through 1-12 local churches, this caring and energetic woman joined the selfless 1-13 volunteers giving of themselves daily through the Tarrant County 1-14 AIDS Interfaith Network, and after completing the necessary 1-15 training in July, Mrs. Schmidt became a care team member helping 1-16 adult AIDS patients with their everyday chores; and 1-17 WHEREAS, Beyond the practical help they provide to AIDS 1-18 patients and their primary care-givers by doing household chores, 1-19 preparing meals, and performing other necessary daily tasks, 1-20 Mrs. Schmidt and the other volunteers also bring the immeasurable 1-21 gift of comfort and human companionship in a desperate hour of need 1-22 to terminally ill patients who have been given less than a year to 1-23 live; and 1-24 WHEREAS, Seeing the tremendous need for care and comfort 2-1 created by the devastating effects of the disease, Mrs. Schmidt 2-2 extended herself further by joining yet another organization 2-3 devoted to patients suffering from acquired immune deficiency 2-4 syndrome, the AIDS Project in Fort Worth, which provides pediatric 2-5 health care services for children with AIDS or who have contracted 2-6 the human immunodeficiency virus; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Because these children often are the most hapless 2-8 victims of this dreaded disease and their plight is often the most 2-9 heartrending, it takes a special person to work with, care for, and 2-10 love these infants and children, and Bita Schmidt certainly 2-11 deserves recognition as one of the most loving and compassionate of 2-12 that select group; and 2-13 WHEREAS, With the numbers of persons suffering from AIDS or 2-14 infected with HIV increasing not only in Tarrant County but across 2-15 the state, the love and compassion that people like Mrs. Schmidt 2-16 provide becomes ever more important, both for the comfort they 2-17 provide for AIDS patients and for the inspiration they provide for 2-18 others to join in similar efforts of mercy and human kindness; and 2-19 WHEREAS, Recognizing the importance of the service she 2-20 provides to people who need it the most, the members of this body 2-21 are proud to join our fellow Texans in praising and recognizing a 2-22 truly outstanding and highly deserving individual; now, therefore, 2-23 be it 2-24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 2-25 Legislature hereby honor Bita Schmidt on her exceptional dedication 2-26 to providing care for AIDS patients and commend her selfless and 2-27 generous example to Texans everywhere; and, be it further 3-1 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-2 prepared for Mrs. Schmidt as an expression of high esteem by the 3-3 Texas House of Representatives.