81R4466 MG-D

By: Pierson H.R. No. 147

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, An unlikely pair of friends, Ron Hall and Denver Moore have come together to serve the homeless community in Fort Worth and to raise awareness about this complex issue across the country; and

WHEREAS, Denver Moore was born in 1937 in Louisiana; during his youth, he resided with his aunt and uncle, who were sharecroppers on a plantation in Red River Parish; he later escaped the confines of the plantation on a freight train and spent the next few years as a homeless drifter; in 1966, he was sentenced to 10 years at Angola Prison in Louisiana, and after his release, Mr. Moore boarded another freight train bound for Texas; he was once again homeless, and he lived on the streets of Fort Worth for the next 22 years; and

WHEREAS, Ron Hall was born in Blooming Grove in 1945 and was raised in the Haltom City area; a graduate of TCU, he joined the U.S. Army and also earned a master's degree in business; he married his college sweetheart, the former Deborah Short, and later became an international art dealer; at his wife's urging, Mr. Hall began serving weekly meals alongside her at Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth, where they met Mr. Moore in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Since their initial meeting, Mr. Hall and Mr. Moore have nurtured a close and enduring friendship; they wrote about their experiences in Same Kind of Different As Me, a memoir they coauthored; in the book, they discuss how they relied on one another during Mrs. Hall's battle with cancer and how they were inspired by her compassion for others; after Mrs. Hall's death, Mr. Moore pledged to continue the work that she had done for the homeless, and he has delivered on this promise; having turned his life around, he now speaks to audiences around the country and volunteers his services at Union Gospel Mission; in 2006, he was presented with the Philanthropist of the Year award by the citizens of Fort Worth; and

WHEREAS, Together, Mr. Moore and Mr. Hall are giving the often overlooked members of the homeless community a powerful voice and touching the lives and hearts of countless individuals; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature hereby commend Ron Hall and Denver Moore for their efforts in behalf of the homeless in Fort Worth and across the country and extend to them best wishes for continued success with their important work; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared for Ron Hall and Denver Moore as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.