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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING KIMBERLEE BURKS
______
HON. ERIC SWALWELL
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the
life of Kimberlee Ann Burks, on the occasion of her unexpected passing
on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
June 13, 2019, on page E771, the following appeared: Madam
Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Kimberlee Allen Burks, on
the occasion of her unexpected passing on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
The online version has been corrected to read: Madam Speaker, I
rise to recognize the life of Kimberlee Ann Burks, on the occasion
of her unexpected passing on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Kimberlee's roots in Hayward ran deep. She was born at our very own
St. Rose Hospital in January 1967. She enjoyed spending her childhood
at our local landmarks, like Kennedy Park and then returned to settle
in Hayward in 2015.
For the homeless populations in Hayward and Alameda County, Kimberlee
was a champion. She modeled what a person could do for themselves and
for other people. Regardless of whether you recently lost your job, had
become a victim of the ever-increasing cost of housing in the Bay Area,
or were struggling with an addiction, Kimberlee saw you as a human
being first.
The Downtown Streets Team is where Kimberlee found the support that
fostered her spirit for advocacy. She started as a peer advocate and
peer leader where she introduced the group and its goals to those in
search of support, work-experience, and secure housing in our
community.
In addition to her work with the Downtown Streets Team, Kimberlee
found community at Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL),
where she served as a housing search coordinator. There she served two
vulnerable communities that she held dear, the homeless and the
disabled through the coordination of housing search workshops.
Kimberlee volunteered throughout Hayward and Alameda County to raise
awareness and restore dignity to our homeless population. Whenever she
made a gain of her own in life, she was always looking for a way to
help someone else.
In 2017, she came to Washington, D.C. and visited my office to
represent and advocate for the needs of Alameda County's Healthcare for
the Homeless program. Just days before she passed away, Kimberlee was
in Sacramento with CRIL and other advocates seeking support for
measures that would provide secure and stable housing and medical care
for those with disabilities and older adults without access to other
forms of insurance coverage.
Kimberlee led by doing. She was a force for good, and she is gone far
too soon. She is survived by her mother, Barbara, and her two sons,
Austin and Preston. They have my deepest condolences.
____________________