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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
19-296
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
September 19, 2012
To posthumously recognize and honor the life of Mr. Brian Anders, and to declare August 28, 2012 as “Mr. Brian Anders Day” in the District of Columbia.
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders dedicated his life to the service of the District of Columbia’s poor and homeless residents and to the pursuit of peace, justice, and dignity for all;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders was a core member of the Community for Creative Non-Violence (“CCNV”), working alongside Mitch Snyder during CCNV’s most active period, and contributing to the movement that led to passage of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, landmark legislation to aid the homeless;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, yet worked for peace and healing with groups such as Veterans for Peace and the Washington Peace Center, and through founding Black Homeless Veterans of DC;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders was a founding member of the citywide organizing project Empower DC, and helped build Empower DC through years of service on its Board of Directors;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders was a pillar of DC’s homelessness service community, and worked with several organizations, including Neighbors’ Consejo, and as a consultant for housing programs for the homeless in multiple cities;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders mentored and advised dozens of young activists, sharing the wealth of his experiences, his passion, and his Buddhist-inspired philosophies with many young people who went on to work for peace and justice;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders demonstrated loving kindness and compassion to people experiencing homelessness in the District of Columbia by establishing personal relationships, understanding their needs, and seeking to connect them with the services they deserve;
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders recognized the need for health services for the poor, pursued training as a physician’s assistant, and provided care to the terminally ill;
WHEREAS, at the end of Mr. Anders’ life, he received care at Christ House, the District of Columbia’s only 24-hour residential medical facility for the homeless, and Joseph’s House, the District of Columbia’s only hospice for the homeless; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Anders recognized and proclaimed the need for real and immediate action to promote health care and housing for the homeless, and asked that his life be honored with such actions.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Mr. Brian Anders Posthumous Recognition Resolution of 2012”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Mr. Brian Anders for his unconditional love, energy, dedication, and lasting contributions to the Community for Creative Nonviolence shelter, the Washington Peace Center, and Empower DC, and for touching the lives of so many, and declares August 28, 2012 as “Mr. Brian Anders Day” in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
