Approved as to Form and Legality
City Attorney’s Office
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER TREVA REID
RESOLUTION HONORING MS. KYNDRA SIMMONS FOR 20 YEARS OF
DEDICATED AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO YOUTH ALIVE!
WHEREAS, Ms. Kyndra Simmons has dedicated her life to safety, peace and equity for others; and
WHEREAS, between 2001 and 2022 Ms. Simmons personally supported hundreds of traumatized young survivors of violence in the justice system in Oakland; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons took hundreds of calls in the middle of the night to coordinate urgent support for victims of violence in Oakland; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons met with dozens of youth at the Juvenile Justice Center and hundreds of shooting victims at their hospital bedsides; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons was a relentless champion for youth and families directly impacted by violence and those who serve them; and
WHEREAS Ms. Simmons was raised in the Waterfront neighborhood of West Berkeley and grew professionally in Oakland. She became an expert in community violence prevention and trauma-informed support for victims of violence, recognized across the country; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons’ journey took her from serving the community as a case manager in the nation’s first hospital -based violence -intervention program to serving as the Program Director at Youth ALIVE!; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons became the go -to resource among staff for encouragement, direction, advice, wisdom and common sense; and
2 WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons has inspired many young people to dedicate their lives to helping others; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons has willingly shared her wisdom and expertise to guide and mentor a generation of violence prevention professionals; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons has carefully advised numerous burgeoning violence prevention programs across the country to properly serve victims of gun violence; and
WHEREAS, while serving victims, overseeing multiple programs and guiding all intervention work at Youth AL IVE! Ms. Simmons earned a PhD in Psychology . She accomplished all of this while raising three amazing daughters; and
WHEREAS, while making it clear that she did not enjoy public speaking, Ms.
Simmons regularly, willingly and eloquently spoke before larg e audiences, legislative bodies, reporters and many cameras, to champion the rights of communities of color to safety, healing , and peace, and to promote the wellbeing of all people, the betterment of the city of Oakland, and the work of her agency; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons wore down many high heels in over twenty years of tireless work with victims of violence; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Simmons recently stepped down as Youth ALIVE!’s Program Director after more than 20 years of serving young people in her community who were impacted by violence and incarceration; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council, do es hereby recognize Ms. Simmons, and hereby authorizes Councilmember Treva Reid for the 7th District to convey said recognition for the lives she has changed for the better, her deep commitment to safety, peace, equity and healing, for the example she set every day of tirelessness in pursuit of personal and civic improvement, for her taste in shoes, for her loud support of all thing s chocolate, including chocolate shoes, for her willingness to share her wisdom and expertise, and to inspire, guide and mentor others seeking to make a difference and congratulate her on the milestones she has achieved and thank her for her service to the City of Oakland.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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